Hundreds of incoming Howard University freshmen say they were unexpectedly dropped from the school's incoming class after being told they failed to meet a tuition payment deadline, despite many claiming their financial aid or scholarship funding was still pending.
Students said they received emails this week notifying them they had been unenrolled after missing a July 10 tuition payment deadline, leaving many scrambling just days before scheduled move-in and less than a month before classes begin Aug. 17, according to reports from Fox 5 DC and NBC4 Washington.
Many of the affected students argue they had already secured outside scholarships, military benefits or other financial aid that typically is not credited to student accounts until August.
Some said they had informed the university that the funding was pending before receiving the unenrollment notice.
Howard University said it is reviewing cases involving anticipated scholarship funding and other financial aid but maintained that students who did not meet payment or financial aid reporting deadlines could not have their enrollment held.
Incoming students say they were unfairly removed
Incoming freshman Isabella Williams told NBC4 Washington that she had already packed her truck to drive from Alabama to Washington, DC, when she learned she had lost her place at what she called her dream school.
"I put in so many hours, late nights, to apply for scholarships, to make sure that I could go to the school of my dreams comfortably," Williams said to the outlet. "And to have that ripped away isn't fair."
Dwayne Irving said he was among roughly 500 students who received the unenrollment email.
"I was supposed to be a freshman in the incoming class, but unfortunately, yesterday I received an email informing me and about 500 other students we'd been unenrolled because of unpaid balances," Irving told FOX 5 DC.
The unenrollment notices also prompted students to share their experiences on social media. In a TikTok video that has drawn thousands of views and comments, one incoming freshman said she and "several hundred others" had been unenrolled just weeks before move-in.
She said she still owed about $9,000 in tuition but had experienced issues with Howard's payment website and was unable to complete her payment until after the July 10 deadline. She also said students were not warned they could lose their enrollment if they missed the payment deadline.
"Tell me Howard, what are I and hundreds of other students supposed to do now?" the student said in the video.
Another incoming freshman shared her frustration in a separate TikTok video, saying she had never experienced a setback like the one she faced after receiving the unenrollment notice.
"Never in my life have I gotten so far and worked so hard for it to be stripped from me on a random Wednesday," the student said. "This is unacceptable."
Howard says students were notified for months
In a statement, Howard University said it understands the enrollment update was "difficult and disappointing for students and their families."
The university said it sent multiple communications between March and July, including emails, personalized financial aid information explaining tuition payment requirements, payment plan options, how to report outside scholarships and the deadlines required to secure enrollment.
Howard said students who did not meet established payment, payment arrangement or scholarship and financial aid reporting deadlines were notified that the university could no longer hold their place in the incoming class. The university said confirming enrollment is necessary to finalize housing, academic programs, financial aid and student support services before the fall semester begins.
In an update posted on X, Howard said it understands "the concerns and challenges that students and families are experiencing" and said it is reviewing enrollment status, anticipated scholarship funding and other financial aid, where appropriate. The university said it will also consider relevant circumstances involving pending scholarship awards and financial aid resources for affected students.
USA TODAY has reached out to Howard University for additional comment,
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on X @athompsonUSAT
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Incoming Howard students say they were unenrolled days before move-in
