BTW, both Howard and Spelman (and other HBCU) have exchange and 3-2 programs with a bunch of schools, some of them elite: http://www.blackexcel.org/CD-EP.htm
That is potentially a way to get classes or even a degree that you would otherwise not be able to afford.
NYU also has a program that allows students of other schools to study there:
https://www.nyu.edu/admissions/spring-in-ny.html
You should enquire about credit transfer policies, though.