Howard University unenrolled over 500 incoming first-year students due to missed financial deadlines and enrollment requirements.
Howard University confirmed that it unenrolled 502 first-time-in-college students for the upcoming fall semester after they failed to meet specific financial obligations by the established deadlines. The university noted that while students received communications regarding payment expectations starting in March, many accounts did not reflect the required status by the final cutoff. A’Zariah Miles, a 17-year-old student from Knoxville, Tennessee, was among those affected. Her mother, Kendra Miles, reported that an automated system prevented the family from signing up for a payment plan because the total amount owed made them ineligible. Other impacted students, such as Saniah Collins, expressed frustration after working extensively on scholarships to secure a spot at the prestigious historically Black university. Education experts noted that the mass removal of students may have been a sudden move. Marybeth Gasman, an expert at Rutgers University, suggested the school should have performed more due diligence on each individual case. Howard University stated it will now review each account individually to determine if students can be reinstated.