Moore offers late admission, $800 credit for students disenrolled at Howard University

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said Thursday the state would provide an $800 credit and expedited admission processing for any of the hundreds of incoming Howard University freshmen who were abruptly told last week that they no longer had a place at the school.

The governor said in a statement that he directed the Maryland Higher Education Commission and the University System of Maryland to expedite the admission process for any of the affected students for the fall semester. The process will include identifying available programs, navigating financial aid and expediting late admissions available at the more than dozen colleges, universities and higher education centers in the state’s system.

First day of classes for schools in the state system start next month.

The offer is aimed at 502 incoming freshmen in Howard’s first-time-in-college program who were told last week that because they had not met payment or other financial reporting requirements for classes that start Aug. 17, they had been disenrolled.

“Students who did not meet the established payment, payment arrangement, or scholarship and other financial aid reporting deadlines have been notified that the University can no longer hold their place in the incoming class,” the school said in a statement July 23. “As Howard finalizes enrollment for the Fall 2026 semester … confirming enrollment is essential to planning academic programs, housing, financial aid, and student support services.”

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The notice left students, many of whom said they were waiting on scholarships or financial aid to clear, scrambling for options. As of Wednesday, more than 200 students had been reenrolled after they provided documentation, or the university reevaluated their paperwork, Howard President Wayne Frederick said to WTOP.

In the meantime, the University of the District of Columbia said Monday that it had extended its application deadline to Aug. 7.

On Tuesday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said the state would provide affected Howard students an $800 credit, and she directed the State University of New York (SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY) to expedite the late admissions review process for those students.

Moore on Thursday posted a message on social media telling the “hundreds of student disenrolled from Howard University just weeks before move-in, I want you to know this: Maryland, we’ve got your back.”

“These students worked hard, earned admission to college, and were preparing to begin the next chapter of their lives,” Moore said in the statement released by his office. “Maryland is moving with urgency to give them a clear path forward — with hands-on support, expedited admissions assistance, and financial relief – so they can stay on track toward earning their degree.”

Moore said the $800 credit was meant to offset a nonrefundable deposit the students made to Howard. If at least 250 students chose to accept the $800 credit, it would cost the state about $200,000.

A Moore spokesperson said in a text message Thursday information about the funding could come from the higher education commission Friday.

The affected students interested in applying to a college or university in Maryland can contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OFSA) at [email protected].

“The University System of Maryland is committed to helping these displaced students,” University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay Perman said in a statement. “Our goal is to help these students continue with their education with as little interruption as possible.”