New Options Emerge for Howard Students

The fallout from Howard University’s decision to unenroll 502 incoming students is spreading beyond the institution, with New York officials and another college moving to offer displaced students opportunities to enroll before the fall semester begins.

Howard announced last week that it had unenrolled 502 incoming students after determining they had not met payment, payment plan or financial aid requirements by university deadlines—a decision that sparked criticism from students and families who said they believed their aid was still being processed.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday that the state will help students affected by Howard’s decision, offering guaranteed admission to participating State University of New York and City University of New York campuses for eligible New York residents.

Under the plan, SUNY and CUNY campuses with available space in their incoming classes will enroll affected students, ensuring the initiative does not reduce admission opportunities for other New York students, according to a news release from Hochul’s office. Eligible New York residents affected by Howard’s decision will be guaranteed admission to a SUNY or CUNY campus, while students from outside the state will receive expedited late admissions review at campuses with available capacity.

The SUNY campuses taking in disenrolled Howard students include Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Buffalo State, New Paltz, Oneonta and Stony Brook, with additional campuses reviewing available capacity. Participating CUNY colleges will be announced following consultation with campus leadership.

Students who enroll at a SUNY or CUNY institution will also receive an $800 credit to help offset the nonrefundable enrollment deposit they previously paid to Howard, the release said.

“Hundreds of students, including New Yorkers, are scrambling and scared since they’ve been disenrolled from their intended college just a few weeks before classes are set to begin,” Hochul said in the statement. “New York is home to the nation’s finest systems of public higher education, and we are ready to welcome these talented students with the opportunity they deserve. To every student who is worried that their educational future has been disrupted: New York is ready to support and empower you.”

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said in a statement, “There is a place at SUNY for every New Yorker, and we want to empower all students with access to the affordable, excellent public higher education they deserve.”

CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said the system’s mission is to expand access to higher education and that “our doors are open” to students facing uncertainty after Howard’s decision.

It is unclear how many of the students affected by Howard’s decision are New York residents. However, enrollment data from last year shows that New York was among the top states sending students to Howard, ranking second behind Maryland.

In Washington, D.C., another institution has also stepped forward: The University of the District of Columbia, an HBCU not far from Howard, is extending its enrollment deadline to Aug. 7 for students affected by Howard’s decision, according to WUSA9.

Howard has also begun reversing some of the disenrollments. According to WJLA News 7, 46 students have been reinstated, and the university continues reviewing additional student appeals.

In a Sunday interview with CNN, Howard Interim President Wayne Frederick said it is not unusual for colleges and universities to remove students from enrollment rolls after missed deadlines. However, he noted that Howard had not previously enforced its deadlines as strictly as it did this year.

Howard did not respond by Inside Higher Ed’s deadline to a request for comment on the responses from SUNY, CUNY and the University of the District of Columbia, as well as Howard’s ongoing review of student appeals.