Howard University students unenrolled before fall semester

Key Points:

• Dozens of incoming Howard University students were unenrolled weeks before the fall semester for missing a July 10 payment deadline, despite some having scholarships or financial aid pending.
• Students expressed confusion and heartbreak, noting they had worked hard to secure scholarships and financial aid, with some accounts showing negative balances indicating the university owed them money.
• Howard University stated it had repeatedly contacted students and families about payment deadlines through various outreach efforts and emphasized enrollment confirmation is necessary for academic and housing planning.
• The university will refund payments and scholarship funds already sent but will not refund the $800 deposits for tuition and housing, which has caused financial strain for some low-income families.
• Unenrolled students are encouraged to reapply next year as transfer students, and the university is reviewing cases involving pending scholarships and financial aid.