Colleges extend deadlines to help students dropped by Howard University

After Howard University withdrew admission offers from more than 500 first-time students, several schools are widening application windows and offering credits to aid those left without a place.

Howard University announced that it could no longer hold spots for 502 first-time-in-college students who failed to meet enrollment and payment deadlines, offering each case a chance for individual reassessment through its financial-aid office. The university has not disclosed how many of those students might be reinstated. One affected applicant, 17-year-old Keana Johnson, currently residing in a New York City shelter, said she has repeatedly tried to contact Howard without success.

The University of the District of Columbia, also an HBCU, responded by extending its undergraduate application deadline to Aug. 7 and pledging support for students in urgent need. New York Governor Kathy Hochul directed SUNY and CUNY campuses to accelerate late-admission reviews for Howard-displaced residents and to grant an $800 credit to offset unrecovered deposits. Johnson is considering the District of Columbia school and other southern HBCUs, though she remains attached to her original plan to attend Howard.