Weeks away from officially kicking off their collegiate journeys at Howard University (HU), 502 incoming freshmen were blindsided by a July 22 email from the institution’s Office of Enrollment Management and Student Success stating they had been un-enrolled due to outstanding balances.
After attending various preliminary mandated housing meetings and days away from moving into dorms, incoming Bison and their families across the world expressed their frustrations through social media and scrambled for a semblance of answers from the university.
“I don’t like being emotional. I don’t like showing any sort of fear. But never in my life have I been so disappointed.
Never in my life have I gotten so far and worked so hard for it to be stripped from me on a random Wednesday,” said Isabella Williams, in a tearful video posted to Instagram the day the email was sent.
In the now viral post, with more than 28,000 likes and 13,000 shares, the young lady explains that she was told that she was on track, “everything was fine” and that her “scholarships could come through later.”
Panicked, Williams and her family were forced to figure out next steps.
“And then I’m suddenly un-enrolled from my dream school, from a school that I worked so hard to get into, to afford to go to, because my mother wasn’t able to continue her education there for the same reason,” she said in the video. “This is unacceptable.”
While the initial email was sent to students who were said to have unpaid balances as of July 10, the university announced on Sunday that 46 of the 502 students had been re-enrolled.
“Regarding my personal situation, I just got my classes back. I hope that means that we’re moving in the right direction. Unfortunately, I don’t have my merit scholarships on there and that’s an essential part of me attending Howard University, so I hope that can be figured out,” Williams posted on Instagram on July 23. “There are some students that have been entirely reinstated. There are other students that are waiting.
I am not going to stop talking about this, until everyone has their situation handled properly.”
In working to solidify enrollment, some students report a disconnect between department advisors and administration staff, particularly about whether the outstanding balances of first-time-in-college students would impede on securing classes and housing.
When searching for answers from administrative staff in the preliminary mandatory meetings, Kalahn Morris, an incoming freshman from Chicago, said he experienced unpleasant interactions with staff.
“Some of them can be so snappy and rude at times [and it] doesn’t give off the impression we are in a safe space,” said Morris, who plans to major in accounting with a concentration in computer information. “The lady basically told my mom ‘College is expensive ma’am. You just have to deal with it like everyone else.’”
Howard University did not respond to requests for comments about the un-enrollment situation or administration’s interactions with students leading into the school year.
In the meantime and as time ticks closer to the first day of fall semester on Aug. 17, students are still seeking answers on next steps.
“Money is a big thing but a lot of us are broken down,” Morris told The Informer. “We feel that we are misheard or mistreated in a way.”
As hundreds of Howard hopefuls, student organizations, such as the HU chapter of the NAACP, are seeking justice for the class of 2030.
“No student should have their educational future placed in jeopardy because of administrative error or inconsistent communication. While universities have a responsibility to enforce financial policies, they also have an obligation to communicate those policies clearly, consistently, and with sufficient notice,” the chapter wrote in a statement submitted to The Informer. “The university’s response to this situation will shape confidence in its enrollment, financial aid, and student support systems for years to come.”
All Eyes on HU, Advocates Work to Strengthen Institution
Howard is a celebrated institution, ranked No. 1 among historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and No. 88 in the country by U.S News and World Report. This year, the institution accepted a historic number of students, with an expected incoming class of 2,500.
The timing of the situation comes after two major announcements about the institution: a multi-year partnership with Howard University Athletics and McDonald’s and 2026 graduate Kennedy Reece in the cast of the Netflix adaptation of “A Different World.” The duality of these high profile announcements has not gone unnoticed, sowing speculation among the student body.
“Seeing all of the struggles that Howard students are having [I feel] any high profile announcement of any sort should be used to benefit the current students,” said sophomore psychology major Alex Dixon.
The un-enrollment crisis follows a history of challenges with the campus and administration that have resulted in multiple student-led protests, such as the “Blackburn Takeover” in 2020, where collegiates occupied the student center for multiple days.
“The current crisis unfolding is not occurring in isolation,” the HU NAACP chapter wrote in a statement. “For many students, alumni, and community members, it represents another chapter in a much longer pattern of institutional disadvantages involving tuition increases, housing shortages, administrative communication failures, financial aid concerns, and questions about whether the university’s systems are adequately equipped to support its growing student population.”
The chapter offered suggestions on how to help families in need of answers regarding un-enrollment, including: document everything; contact the appropriate offices and copy Howard University Student Affairs (husaexec@gmail.com) on each email; continue applying for scholarships; and share experiences. They encourage speaking out against the un-enrollment challenges as a way of strengthening the university overall.
“The Howard University Chapter of the NAACP does not believe that love for our institution requires silence in the face of harmful actions or policies,” the HU NAACP wrote in a letter signed by Bijou-Elyse Wallace, Edric Bussie and Gabriel Beidleman, the chapter’s president and first and second vice presidents. “Our love for Howard University requires us to push for it to be better. A legacy is something to live up to, not something to coast on.”
Next Steps: ‘Prospering Through the Struggle‘
The Office of University Communications sent a statement to the Howard community on July 23 about the original un-enrollment email, working to offer an explanation about the incident and advice on next steps.
“Howard University recently updated the enrollment status of a number of first-time-in-college students who did not complete the required steps to secure their enrollment for the fall 2026 semester,” the message said. “These steps included satisfying the required tuition payment, establishing an approved payment arrangement, or reporting anticipated outside scholarships or other financial aid by the established deadlines.”
The statement noted the university sent the email as it works to finalize plans for the fall 2026, including: academic schedules, administration of financial aid, orientation and student support services and housing assignments.
“These actions ensure the university can appropriately allocate resources to support all enrolled students,” the institution continued.
The letter to the HU community also said that the university understands the frustration the un-enrollment causes for students and families working through “financial aid and scholarship matters.”
“We remain committed to working with students to address questions and review individual circumstances where appropriate,” the statement said.
As incoming freshmen from all over the world prepare to gather at the renowned HBCU, upperclassmen are considering the implications of the un-enrollment challenges on the development of the class of 2030 and students after them.
“A big piece of the Howard culture and community is prospering through struggle,” Dixon told The Informer. “A lot of that community and a lot of that togetherness is built off the struggle we go through with the Howard administration.”
Despite the un-enrollment challenges, students like Morris are excited to begin their tenure at Howard University with optimism about the school’s overall reputation.
“We’re the future, we are the next generation,” Morris said. “My class is onto something big.”
