WASHINGTON – Days after Howard University notified hundreds of first-time-in-college students that their spots for the upcoming semester were no longer being held, other colleges and universities are stepping up to fill the gap for students who are scrambling to find other options.
Keana Johnson is one of them.
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The 17-year-old was looking forward to starting classes next month at Howard University as the next step on her educational journey and a way out of the New York City shelter where she lives. She told The Associated Press Tuesday that she may consider the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, which is extending its undergraduate application deadline to Aug. 7. She’s also looking into historically Black colleges and universities in the South, but realizes her options are limited and time is running short.
“I will still love to go to Howard,” Johnson said. “I’ve invested too much into going to that university to give up now.”
Howard, one of about 100 historically Black colleges and universities in the United States, said Friday that it notified 502 first-time-in-college students that their spots for the upcoming semester were no longer being held. The school said the students had not met deadlines for enrollment and financial obligations.
Howard also said students who believe their accounts did not reflect their financial standing should contact its financial aid office and that “each case will be reviewed individually to determine whether adjustments or reinstatement are appropriate.”
Howard University has not responded to an AP request for the number of unenrolled students reinstated or the status of cases being reviewed.
Johnson said she has emailed the school multiple times for answers she's yet to receive. “I called every single office there is a number for,” she added.
The Howard staff on the other end of the calls were of no help, Johnson said.
The University of the District of Columbia, like Howard, is an HBCU and located in Washington. The public university has committed to offering a hand to students who especially need one right now, said Hasanna Tyus, the vice president of enrollment services.
“We understand that college plans can change unexpectedly, and we want students to know that they still have options,” Tyus said.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday that the State University of New York and City University of New York also are expediting late admissions reviews at some schools for state residents unenrolled by Howard.
Participating campuses also will provide an $800 credit per student to offset enrollment deposits paid to Howard that have not been refunded.
“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,” Hochul said.
Johnson, who is Black and uses “Star” as her preferred name, was notified in December of her admittance to Howard's nursing program for the fall 2026 semester.
She said she doesn’t live with either parent and has been staying at a homeless shelter for teens and young adults since early June while attending the Charter School of Educational Excellence in Yonkers.
She still hopes to land at an HBCU.
“The main thing that kept me going was knowing I was going to end up at Howard,” Johnson said. “It's a community of peers that look like you and struggle like you.”
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Williams is a member of AP's Race & Ethnicity team.