Howard University Students Face Financial Difficulty 

Howard University Financial Aid building (Alesha Cesar/101 Mag).

Howard University’s Financial Aid Department is facing a barrage of inquiries as scholarships, refunds and financial aid packages are delayed, leaving students in precarious situations.

As financial aid delays and tuition increases create uncertainty for students at Howard University, many, including seniors like Isaiah Phillips, are grappling with mounting financial burdens that threaten their academic journey and future stability.

“I am constantly speaking with financial aid to get in contact with someone who can help me in terms of reimbursing me from the money they have taken away from me,” said Phillips. 

“Financial Aid has been fluctuating, so I have been making incorrect payments. My original balance was around $4,000–making payments of $1000. As of now my balance has shifted up to an additional $4000 dollars for a whopping $8,000.”

This ongoing confusion regarding students’ accounts may indicate a potential rise in tuition, compounding financial pressures on students.

In the past year, tuition increased for the 2023-2024 academic year by 7.5 percent, according to The Hilltop.

“The raise is due to a nationwide inflation,” said Howard’s Chief Financial Officer, Stephen Graham. “Every year there’s inflation and pressures on our cost. The increase should be an expectation.”

For many students, especially those nearing graduation, these rising costs have created significant stress.

“This has caused an uneasy mind state for my family and I, especially as a college student, making on time payments is imperative to not affect my credit score,” said graduating senior, Caliyah Hellinger. “So, having my scholarships not being applied properly and the lack of communication has been very stressful because I have no answers. We are this far into the semester and it is very unprofessional.”

Advisors at Howard University are instructing students to apply for both internal and external scholarships to assist with their matriculation.

School of Communication advisor, Mikeisha Best, is seeking to dedicate her time by providing open scholarships in her weekly emails. 

“You should be proactive in external scholarships online, as well as organizations such as Divine Nines,” said Best

The stress of navigating fluctuating account balances and the uncertainty surrounding scholarship disbursements only compounds the challenges faced by students, especially those approaching graduation. 

While university advisors are striving to provide support and encourage proactive approaches to securing external scholarships, the need for improved communication and efficiency within the Financial Aid Department remains clear. 

As the university community seeks to address these pressing concerns, it is crucial for Howard to prioritize transparency and responsiveness to restore students’ confidence in their financial support systems.

More information can be found here.