Howard University has reinstated dozens of freshmen after a controversial decision to unenroll over 500 students.
The Washington, DC-based HBCU unenrolled 502 students for missing a July 10 deadline to pay tuition.
Tearful students took to social media to explain their side of the story.
This week, Howard announced it reinstated dozens of students who proved they didn’t receive proper notification of their failure to pay tuition.
But other freshmen say the university didn’t provide advance warning before canceling their enrollment.
University officials said families received information through emails, financial aid updates, videos and preparation sessions.
“Howard University understands the concerns and challenges that students and families are experiencing related to the recent enrollment update for some first-time-in college students,” the school wrote on X.
Howard will return eligible tuition payments and scholarship money already received, but the school will keep $800 tuition and dorm deposits.
Howard defended the unenrollments as necessary for planning campus services and determining how many students need resources. The HBCU said the cutoff deadline is standard procedure for colleges and universities.