{"id":19655,"date":"2026-07-28T08:29:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T03:29:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=19655"},"modified":"2026-07-28T08:29:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T03:29:30","slug":"i-was-freaking-out-says-howard-university-student-among-500-unenrolled-over-tuition-payment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=19655","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;I was freaking out,&#8217; says Howard University student among 500 unenrolled over tuition payment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-testid=\"prism-article-body\">\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC \">Howard University has reinstated dozens of the more than 500 incoming first-year students it unenrolled last week over missed tuition and financial-aid deadlines, leaving hundreds still without a place in the class weeks before the fall semester begins.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">While some are breathing a sigh of relief, many prospective students have been left in limbo and in a state of confusion &#8212; some traveling to Washington, D.C. from all across the country to attempt to resolve the situation in person.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Last week, the university said 502 students missed a critical tuition payment deadline that would have otherwise secured their registration for the Fall 2026 semester, which starts on August 17.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The school claims that students received a wide range of tuition and financial aid deadline notifications beginning in March, with additional notifications every month, including in July ahead of the school&#8217;s July 10 deadline that reminded incoming freshmen to submit their tuition payments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">But some incoming students claim they never received a notification at all. Others told ABC News that the only notification they received regarding the tuition payment deadline came the day it was due, sending people like Nikiyah Clark, a 17-year-old incoming freshman, scrambling to try and find the funds last minute &#8212; causing her to miss the deadline.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The next notice Clark said she received was one unenrolling her from the school. Clark told ABC News she took a Greyhound bus at 2:30 a.m. Monday in an attempt to regain her spot at the school.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cI was freaking out,\u201d Clark said when she received a notice from the school that stated that she had been unenrolled. \u201cI was so scared because Howard University is my dream school, like, my grandma went there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cOn July 22, on a Wednesday, I got this email to my Howard email, and basically it says, you have declined your offer to attend Howard University,\u201d Clark explained, adding, \u201cHowever, I never did that, so I was kind of confused.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cThen I got another email around 3:00 p.m., like, a couple hours later, basically saying you missed the July 10 payment and &#8212; because of that &#8212; because you missed the July 10 payment, you will not be able to attend our university. All decisions are final,\u201d Clark told ABC News.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">In a statement, Howard\u2019s office of communications is standing by the school&#8217;s decision, stressing that its enforcement actions are to \u201censure the University can appropriately allocate resources to support all enrolled students.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Howard explained that students who didn\u2019t complete their \u201cestablished payment, payment arrangement, or scholarship and other financial aid reporting deadlines\u201d have been denied enrollment.<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\">\n<div class=\"GpQCA lZur \" style=\"padding-bottom:66.69921875%\" data-testid=\"prism-ratio-frame\">\n<div class=\"FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV \"><picture data-testid=\"prism-picture\"><source media=\"(max-width: 414px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/841385d8-4c35-4ce7-9845-89e0e68a5e12\/GettyImages-1236122962_1785204659292_hpMain.jpg?w=375, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/841385d8-4c35-4ce7-9845-89e0e68a5e12\/GettyImages-1236122962_1785204659292_hpMain.jpg?w=750 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 415px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/841385d8-4c35-4ce7-9845-89e0e68a5e12\/GettyImages-1236122962_1785204659292_hpMain.jpg?w=750, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/841385d8-4c35-4ce7-9845-89e0e68a5e12\/GettyImages-1236122962_1785204659292_hpMain.jpg?w=1500 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"PHOTO: Howard University Students Protest Living Conditions At Dorms On Campus\" class=\"hsDdd NDJZt sJeUN IJwXl vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI \" data-testid=\"prism-image\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/841385d8-4c35-4ce7-9845-89e0e68a5e12\/GettyImages-1236122962_1785204659292_hpMain.jpg\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW aiQHS lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<p><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">WASHINGTON, DC &#8211; OCTOBER 25: An entrance sign near the main gate at Howard University October 25, 2021 in Washington, DC. Students have complained about mold and poor conditions in some dorm rooms and over 100 students have been staging a weeks-long protest to highlight the issues. (Photo by Drew Angerer\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">Drew Angerer\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">ABC News was not immediately able to determine why accounts from the university and some of its incoming freshmen differed regarding the communications from the school reminding incoming students about their payment deadline.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">A spokesperson for Howard declined to provide ABC News with the documentation of the notifications it claims to have sent to incoming students.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Howard did not directly address the communications discrepancies but<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->said it\u2019s \u201creviewing information related to enrollment status, anticipated scholarship funding, and other financial aid, where appropriate.\u201d<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">It is expected to provide updates on the reenrollment numbers later this week, according to the spokesperson.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">But Erin Lynch, the president of Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network, a non-profit education organization, explained that what happened at Howard is typical at most higher education institutions.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cUniversities do drop deadline dates,\u201d Lynch told ABC News. \u201cThey set drop deadline dates for students because you know they need to have secured payments in place before they can actually have students show up on campus, so what happened is standard across colleges and universities across the country,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The Howard spokesperson said in previous years it has been standard practice to unenroll a small number of incoming freshmen who have missed tuition deadlines.<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->With newly appointed enrollment officials in the admissions office, the school is now cracking down even harder on missed payments, according to the spokesperson.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Meanwhile, several frustrated families who said they traveled hours to D.C. seeking accountability from the school were still waiting in the queue at the school&#8217;s administration building as of Monday evening.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Rasha Jackson, whose cousin is an incoming first-year student from California, said she waited more than six hours on behalf of the family before she was seen by a school representative.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">With school starting for all students in just three weeks, Jackson said her cousin still hasn&#8217;t been reinstated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cIt&#8217;s just like no one [in administration] cares,\u201d Jackson told ABC News. \u201cThat&#8217;s the disappointing part about it because, you know, I advocate strongly for HBCUs. I always encourage students, \u2018Hey, apply to that HBCU,\u2019 let&#8217;s go where we&#8217;re gonna be accepted and appreciated and not tolerated,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC eTIW sUzSN \">\u201cThis is a big slap in our face,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Howard University has reinstated dozens of the more than 500 incoming first-year students it unenrolled last week over missed tuition and financial-aid deadlines, leaving hundreds still without a place in the class weeks before the fall semester begins. While some are breathing a sigh of relief, many prospective students have been left in limbo and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19656,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/841385d8-4c35-4ce7-9845-89e0e68a5e12\/GettyImages-1236122962_1785204659292_hpMain_16x9.jpg?w=1600","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abc-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19655"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19655\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}