Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. It seems like Howard University, a prestigious historically Black university in Washington, D.C., has unenrolled over 500 incoming first-year students, including A’Zariah Miles, due to unpaid tuition balances or unmet financial obligations. I mean, I’ve heard of strict enrollment policies, but this is something else. The students, who were all set to start their fall semester on August 17, received emails stating that they no longer have spots at the university. Talk about a rude awakening.
Now, I’m not one to question the financial decisions of a university, but it seems like Howard might have handled this situation a bit differently. I mean, 500 students is a lot of kids to unenroll at once. You’d think they would have done some due diligence before sending out those emails. According to Robert Kelchen, a professor of higher education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, colleges try to walk a fine line between making sure students can enroll and making sure they pay their bills. But it looks like Howard might have tripped over that line.
The students and their families are, understandably, frantic. A’Zariah Miles, who had planned to major in biology, is worried that it’s too late to enroll elsewhere. And Saniah Collins, another student who was unenrolled, is determined to fight to get back into the school. Collins said she was told that most of her balance for the fall semester was paid, so she’s not giving up hope. Bless their hearts, these kids are really attached to their school.
The university has said that it will review each case individually to determine whether adjustments or reinstatement are appropriate. But experts like Marybeth Gasman, an expert in higher education at Rutgers University, think that the mass removal of students from Howard’s fall enrollment is a bad look for the school. I mean, HBCUs are supposed to be nurturing places for Black students, not institutions that kick them to the curb over unpaid tuition. Somewhere in Atlanta, a producer thought this sounded terrifying, and now it’s all over the news.
As I sit here sipping my coffee, I have to wonder what other surprises Howard University has in store for its students. Will they be able to reinstate all 500 students, or will some be left out in the cold? Only time will tell, folks. But for now, it looks like Howard University has a bit of a mess on its hands.
In conclusion, the situation at Howard University is a bit of a disaster, and it’s not exactly clear how it’s going to play out. The students are upset, the experts are skeptical, and the university is trying to figure out what to do next. As I finish my coffee, I’m left thinking that maybe Howard should have just stuck to a more traditional approach to enrollment. After all, you can’t make this stuff up, folks. The drama, the stress, the frantic emails – it’s all just a bit too much. And now, I need another cup of coffee to deal with all the drama.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
