If this was their plan then they shouldn’t have accepted me in the first place. I called Howard and was told exactly what is stated above. My freshman year when I applied I was given a belief nearly full-ride scholarship but had so many issues just contacting and actually being able to see my fin aid package, I did not attend . So once again, this happened to me my FRESHMAN year. And just because the school was awarded the money, does mean they are giving in to the students in the form of fin aid. Like what you just said they may be using that money to remodel. And have you heard about all of the fin aid and funding issues they have had beyond the recent scandal? if you look at some of the reviews for Howard from current students my age, then you can read about the dysfunction. I will be moving on but I needed to warn people about this because even if your theory is correct, that is an absolute HORRIBLE and IRRESPONSIBLE policy for a school that is supposed to be ranked number 2.
Here are just one of many student experiences at Howard.
And I suggest checking out the reviews for the fin aid office which has a 1-star rating.
https://www.google.com/search?q=howard+university+fin+aid&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS713US713&oq=howard+&aqs=chrome.2.69i59l3j69i60l3.4197j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&pli=1&authuser=3
Review from D C on google with 30+ likes:
If you like organization, then Howard is not the school for you. I am an incoming freshman for Fall 2017. The campus is nice and I visited. They have my program and gave me a good scholarship. I thought that the school name “Howard” was awesome and the experience would be like no other. That may be true. There are, however, MAJOR cons to attending. Move-In information was released one week before move in was scheduled to take place. No information about roommates were given to most students; others were lucky to be given the names of their roommates. This year Howard admitted far too many students; double rooms are turning into triples and some freshmen are being moved into upperclassmen dorms. I’ve had an extremely difficult time navigating the administration regarding class scheduling (I didn’t know what classes they scheduled for me until a week before move-in), financial aid, and residence halls. I’ve sent many emails to their departments and receive no answer (after weeks and even months of waiting). Howard takes the crown for leaving students high-and-dry when it comes to help. Good luck getting Howard to pick that phone up, and if you think you can just leave a message, I forgot to mention, all the voicemail boxes for each and every department are filled and there’s no room for you to leave a message. And in case you want to send an email, it’s good for you to know that they probably won’t respond. Even if it’s a major issue you need fixed, Howard says “oh well.” So if you don’t live in the DC or DMV area, great luck getting what you need to be done – done. I’m extremely frustrated and haven’t even reached campus yet. Howard is unorganized, uninformative and unhelpful in the transition from high school to college. From the outside looking in, Howard is not a place I want to be. (Unfortunately I’m finding out the hard way-- after accepting admission) I only hope that I think differently from the inside looking out. I’m starting to think they forgot their motto: “In Truth and Service.” Isn’t part of their service to help students? What I think is really in truth though, from the outside looking in, is that Howard is overrated. If you’re thinking about attending Howard, I strongly advise you to reconsider those thoughts. Strongly. When I get on campus, if I think any different, I promise I will come back and edit.
EDIT: I’ve completed 7 days on campus; “Freshmen Week.” You will meet nice people, will never “fit out,” there are events, church services, and services for religions other than Christianity, and good experiences for those who are not used to the predominantly black, big-city-like environment. However, let me start by saying that Howard University, once again, has proved to be EXTREMELY unorganized. Move-in day is an occasion that I assumed would be chaotic, as probably with every school. Howard’s move-in, however, was UNNECESSARILY A MESS. I first waited in a very unorganized line in the car (where we weren’t given clear directions on where to line up). After waiting two hours, we were told that we had another 4 hours to wait to move in. On move-in day and throughout the week, students did not have beds (only mattresses to sleep on the floor). MANY students were missing desks, dressers, beds, and wardrobe closets in their rooms. Almost every person I knew had SOMETHING missing. I had a very low bed; Howard told me that I was going to get a higher bed, then came back to tell me that they were NOT going to give me a higher bed and that I had to BUY risers for my bed. It took 6 days for Howard to bring my desk and chair. The academic advising appointment I made to finally get credits transferred and my schedule updated has been cancelled 1 hour before my appointment. And they want US to cancel 24 hours in advance if we can’t attend appointments. Should’ve seen that coming, right? I could ramble on much more.
Howard University, you are terrible to your students. Your students create almost every positive aspect of the experience, not the institution itself.