What are your thoughts on the Howard University unenrollment challenges, and how do you think it will affect the campus community going into the fall 2026 semester?
Tyrone Vest, Laurel, Maryland
“I read that they started to re-enroll a couple people out of the 500, which is a start but not by much. Howard is supposed to be a high-caliber HBCU, and they say they offer help to their students, but it seems that when it’s time…they come up short or they have excuses. I think it will cause incoming freshmen and transfers to lose interest in Howard, and given Howard’s previous problems with tuition and the Bursar’s office, something like this isn’t good.”
Oluchukwu Okoronkwo, Northwest D.C.
“They played in people’s faces — they knew better. Look at the housing situation that’s been going on for years. It’s about the money, and it could’ve been handled better. And for the community itself, there are already cracks because of elitism and [economic division], so I feel like this just kind of further pushes the gap between people who have more and have less that go to Howard.”
Noah Greene, Queens, New York
“As a recent grad, I witnessed Howard try to approach these situations as a business and not as a school. Although the students make up the Howard community and uplift its name. If Howard continues to ignore its overarching issues, I believe that the illustrious or the Mecca name will be stripped away.”
Name: Naila Cadden, Northwest D.C.
“Howard’s sudden student unenrollment was bound to create animosity towards the institution. Every year, first-time-in-college students AND continuing students face financial challenges, and it is always hard for students to get in contact with Howard’s financial aid office. I feel terrible for the students whose dream was to attend Howard. At the same time, after doing some research, Howard did send out multiple deadlines to incoming freshmen about when payments were due. In the past, incoming students didn’t have harsh deadlines like this, which is why many of us are confused now. I believe Howard is remedying some of their unenrollment for students whose checks and scholarships haven’t been disbursed as long as they show proof they are on the way.”
