More than 500 incoming freshmen at Howard University found out, just weeks before the fall semester begins, that they were no longer enrolled. The university said some students had failed to meet tuition, payment plan or financial aid requirements, a decision that left admitted students scrambling shortly before classes were due to start.
In an interview on ABC News Live, Howard's interim president, Dr. Wayne Frederick, who is himself a Howard graduate, said the university had now reviewed all 502 students affected. He said most, if not all, of the decisions had been made, and that the process was expected to close completely within the next 24 to 48 hours.
Frederick said he did not anticipate a significant number of students being re-enrolled going forward. He added that, of the 502, not everyone had responded, and that some had decided to attend school elsewhere without informing Howard, which he said makes it difficult for the university to plan.
The interim president stressed that the requirements went beyond finances. The university uses an enrollment checklist covering several items, one of which is documentation of immunizations. He noted that the District of Columbia has a law requiring students who are housed to meet a certain immunization profile, and that some students had missed turning in that documentation.
Some families said they had been told they would be okay even if they missed the deadline for financial aid. Frederick said he was not certain about those specific communications, drawing a distinction between being told that a financial aid package was fine and being told that all of the enrollment requirements had actually been fulfilled.
Frederick said Howard would hold a space next year for every student who had been admitted and enrolled. He added that students who enroll elsewhere would be given the opportunity to transfer, and that the university would honor a one-year deferral for those who wanted it, in an effort to keep the affected students within what he called the Howard family.
The interim president also underscored that more than 2,200 students and families had received the same information and completed all of the tasks that were required successfully. He described the enrollment process as a complicated one, while saying the university would continue to try to communicate in the best way possible.