Latest / Black Box Theory Podcast / Howard Unenrolled 502 Students — Here's What Happened
Transcript
- Malcolm: So ⁓ this is about Howard University and how they have ⁓ unfortunately ⁓ unenrolled five hundred two freshmen into their ⁓ into their into their new class. And so ⁓ this is obviously like like really nasty work. but yes, like I said, so see so like this is like it's it's covered like by so many different articles, bro. ⁓ I'm reading right now like on on AP on A P News. ⁓ right, so On Howard, ⁓ on fr on this past Friday, Howard confirmed they sent an email notification ⁓ to to students to five hundred to first time in college students whose account did not reflect the required enrollment and financial obligations by the previously communicated deadlines. ⁓ so according to, you know, article starting in March, the unenrolled students began receiving specific communications about enrollment requirements, ⁓ payment expectations and ⁓ and deadlines via email and orientation sessions, the school said. And so they said in email the university recognizes that timing differences may have occurred when financial aid was reflected and when the charges were finalized. However, it's in the email. ⁓ students who believe that their accountant did not accurately reflect their financial standing at the deadline should contact ⁓ the bursar's office and each case will be reviewed individually to determine whether an adjustments or reinstatement are appropriate. That is nasty. I'm not gonna lie. That's that's kinda nasty, bro. ⁓ Thomas: Like you know, let let's just think about this for a second. Five hundred and two students that worked hard to get good grades, get good SAT scores, get into the university, dropped. All because because of what? Were there not other routes? Was there not a way to put people on the Howard university ⁓ loan plan, a payment plan, ⁓ some some form of remediation other than just immediately being dropped. Not even ⁓ deferred, you're just dropped and unenrolled. ⁓ Malcolm: Yeah, I I don't know, bro. It it's nasty because like when you when you do break down the numbers, that's like that's like twenty like twenty percent or more of the incoming ⁓ of the incoming class, bro. There's like there has to be like a lot more to it. Because I'm like that that's just there by no there's just no way a s a ⁓ a HPC, let alone any, you know, higher education institution, is doing something like this so casually, bro. Like 500 students. That's five hundred students who essentially like Thomas: No, we gotta do better, man. Malcolm: had their lives or had their minds and dreams and hopes set on Howard and and and moving out to DC. And it's like obviously, ⁓ I mean, Howard's a an expensive school, bro. Especially in terms of of HBCU education, like Howard is definitely on the most the more expensive side. I don't know if they're the most expensive. They probably if they're not one, they're two right after Spellman, bro. ⁓ that that that's for sure. ⁓ but yeah I don't know. It's like and and and the question like the first question I have is like why if you if you guys knew ⁓ that Thomas: Yeah. Malcolm: you know, you were gonna make a decision like this and that like 'cause I'm like it just doesn't make sense to me because like like there are there are like a ton of I I know for a fact that even at at ANC, bro, like there are there are times when people like incoming freshmen or or people that are like, you know, getting ready for the new school year, they may not have all their funds in order or it's like the funds or the scholarships or the grants are on the way, but they're not perfected in your account in, you know, in time, I guess, for whatever deadline the school may set. ⁓ there are other ways to go it. I know that like, you know, there are people that like either put holes on classes or on registration. They put there's there's some type of like blocker they can use, but like completely unenrolling and and dropping a student. It's like to think about the think about the timing as well, right? These are incoming freshmen. These aren't just like students who can just transfer, like these are incoming freshmen. Like I don't even know what that process is like. Like like and I know that the intent to enroll date is probably passed for a lot of like institutions around the world. So it's like like what's next for for for like For a student in in these shoes, man. Like, like where do you go from here? Right. Like your dream school. I'm sure a lot of these students, this was their dream school. ⁓ they had their, you know, their hearts and their minds set on Howard and and studying at Howard. And it's like all that just gets stripped away from you over an email, bro. I'm not gonna lie. I'd be tight. Especially if I'm their parents, bro. Like I've probably you've probably spent an insane amount of money like getting travel arrangements. Think about all the flights people have gotten, the hotels people have gotten, ⁓ you know, like. Thomas: Yeah. Okay. Malcolm: rental, like all the the money that goes into moving a child into a to a college, you know, dorm or to a college living space, all this is going out the window, bro. So it's like I think this should also kind of like not to I said I I really hate these type of I don't want to say I hate these type of conversations, but it's like this really unfortunate because it's like it sucks to have to have to have these type of conversations. But it's like at the end of the day, like I I I hope like I'm I'm not gonna lie, if I'm a high school student and my dream school is Howard, this Thomas: DC Do better. Malcolm: This this should tell this should be like this is a wake up call. Like I'm like, yo, like not trying to make less people go to HBCUs. Like great HPCUs are always gonna I'm always gonna tell someone to go to HBCU, bro. But it's like this should be a wake-up call, bro. This is not normal or like like there has to be something deeper with this when it comes to the financials, when it comes to like how the administration is is funneling money. Because if we being real, Howard Howard gets money, bro. Like all the brand deals and sponsorships and the the crazy endowment that they have. Howard gets money, bro. So so we're not gonna act like like they are just, you know, dying over there, bro. There has to be something deeper than that. To cut 500 students over email, bro. That's I can't really I can't really wrap my head around. Thomas: Yeah, and