If looming federal budget cuts take financial aid away from students, Western Washington University is promising to find money to offset those cuts.

Western President Bruce Shepard announced Tuesday the school will pull money out of its reserves to make sure students will get the financial aid they are expecting for this year and next.

The financial aid cuts could happen if Congress doesn't stop expected government-wide spending cuts by Friday.

Shepard says he is making this announcement to lessen some of the uncertainty students and their families are feeling. He says he hasn't heard of any other schools making a similar promise.

The school sent a message on Tuesday to Western students and parents letting them know of this decision.