WASHINGTON, D.C. — Howard University has begun reinstating incoming first-year students after the university unenrolled 502 students for the fall semester. Howard University interim president Wayne A. I. Frederick said more than 200 of the unenrolled students have been readmitted following a review of their cases.

The unenrollment action targeted students who missed specific administrative and financial obligations. Howard University unenrolled students for missing payment, payment arrangement, or financial aid reporting deadlines. Howard University said that 502 students did not submit their tuition payments by the school’s July 10 deadline. Frederick said some students were unenrolled because of unreported immunizations.

Frederick defended the university's communication strategy while acknowledging the volume of inquiries. "There were no issues as far as what we communicated," he said. He stated the school had been clear since March about unpaid tuition balances due by mid-July. He said students who were unenrolled for financial reasons had outstanding tuition balances after financial aid and scholarships were applied.

The administration characterized the enforcement of deadlines as a matter of policy adherence. "I don't think it's just a simple matter of right or wrong. I think Howard adhered to its policies or procedures," he said.

Frederick acknowledged that the deluge of calls was overwhelming. He said emails were responded to. He said the school started meeting and speaking with parents and students last week, which led to the reenrollments. "We looked at several things, including documents for incoming financial aid," he said.

Enrollment data provides context for the scale of the removals. Howard University received about 37,000 applications for enrollment for the fall semester. He said about 2,200 incoming students remained enrolled after 502 were removed. WJLA News 7 reported that 46 students have been reinstated and the university is reviewing other appeals.

Technical transitions also impacted student account processing. Howard University transitioned to a new student financial platform prior to the unenrollments. The university transitioned from its BisonWeb platform to the BisonHub platform in 2025.

The platform transition caused a delay in about 1,000 student account updates between January and June 2025. In September 2025, Howard University that only 150 students had not registered for fall 2025 classes. Howard University stated that past due student balances are not the result of delayed account updates. The university noted that balances occurred when students did not resolve them by the specified date.

The disruption drew immediate intervention from state officials in New York. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the state will help students affected by Howard’s decision. "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.

New York is offering guaranteed admission to participating State University of New York and City University of New York campuses for eligible New York residents affected by Howard’s decision. SUNY and CUNY campuses with available space will enroll affected students. Students from outside New York state will receive expedited late admissions review at SUNY and CUNY campuses with available capacity.

Participating SUNY campuses include Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Buffalo State, New Paltz, Oneonta and Stony Brook. Students who enroll at a SUNY or CUNY institution will receive an $800 credit to help offset the nonrefundable enrollment deposit they previously paid to Howard. "New York is ready to support and empower you," Hochul said.

The University of the District of Columbia also moved to assist displaced applicants. The University of the District of Columbia is extending its enrollment deadline to Aug. 7 for students affected by Howard’s decision.

The university waived its admission application fee for students affected by Howard’s decision. Hasanna Tyus, the vice president of enrollment services at the University of the District of Columbia, said UDC has enrollment specialists prepared in admissions, financial aid, registration, advising and housing to help students. Tyus said most financial aid can be transferred to UDC. She said students receiving federal aid can update their FAFSA to designate UDC as their school. Tyus said students with private scholarships or other outside awards will need to contact the sponsoring organizations directly to have their funds redirected. "We are here to serve as many as students as we can. If there’s a student out there that wants to begin their studies, continue their studies in the District of Columbia, we want students to know that they have a home here at UDC," she said. She said any student who would like to contact an admissions adviser at UDC should do so through the university’s website.

Individual students faced uncertainty during the process. Keana Johnson was one of the students initially unenrolled from Howard University. Johnson is 17 years old and uses "Star" as her preferred name.

She was notified in December of her admittance to Howard's nursing program for the fall 2026 semester. Johnson does not live with either parent. She has been staying at a homeless shelter for teens and young adults since early June. Johnson lives in a shelter for teens and young adults in New York City. She attends the Charter School of Educational Excellence in Yonkers. Johnson traveled to Howard University to ask how she could be reenrolled. Keana Johnson was told after speaking in person with a Howard official that her enrollment had been reinstated. "I feel great," Johnson said. "I do feel there was a lesson to learn from this. I shed tears over this and I was really disheartened, at first, but I felt like I couldn’t give up. Until I really got the final say-so that I really couldn’t come, I couldn’t give up trying," Johnson said. Keana she said she has emailed Howard University multiple times for answers she has yet to receive. She said she may consider the University of the District of Columbia. She is looking into historically Black colleges and universities in the South. Isabella Williams is a Howard University student who was initially unenrolled. Williams posted a video on Instagram after receiving the unenrollment email. Isabella Williams has been reinstated to Howard University. Saniah Collins is a Howard University applicant who was initially unenrolled.

Frederick addressed the broader context of enrollment management in higher education. He said in a CNN interview that it is not unusual for colleges to remove students from enrollment rolls after missed deadlines. He noted that Howard had not previously enforced its deadlines as strictly as it did this year.

Howard University communicated enrollment requirements, payment expectations and deadlines via email, video and orientation sessions starting in March. Howard University acknowledged the challenges and is working to accommodate students. Howard University apologized for the stress it caused students. Students created a movement called “Whose Howard Is It” in 2025 to demand better financial aid support. Howard University is a university in Washington, D.C. established in 1867.