Gov. Hochul offering help to Howard University students caught up in enrollment chaos 

As news spread quickly about hundreds of students being bumped from fall enrollment at Howard University, Gov. Kathy Hochul is responding by granting impacted New York state resident students guaranteed entry to CUNY and SUNY schools. The state will expedite late admissions and waive the usual $800 enrollment fee.

“Hundreds of students, including New Yorkers, are scrambling and scared since they’ve been disenrolled from their intended college just a few weeks before classes are set to begin,” said Hochul in a statement. “New York is home to the nation’s finest systems of public higher education, and we are ready to welcome these talented students with the opportunity they deserve. To every student who is worried that their educational future has been disrupted: New York is ready to support and empower you.”

Hochul has directed participating State University of New York (SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY) schools and colleges to ensure that every impacted New York resident student will be guaranteed admission for the fall 2026 semester. They will also receive an $800 credit to offset non-refundable Howard University enrollment deposits.

Impacted students and families seeking additional information about eligibility, participating campuses and the admissions process are encouraged to visit SUNY at www.suny.edu/howard or CUNY at https://www.cuny.edu/admissions/undergraduate/.

Howard’s enrollment confusion involving more than 500 students due to financial aid deadlines went viral as devastated students took to social media once they were removed from the Fall 2026 freshman class. The school year begins on Aug. 17.

Howard said it contacted students and families throughout March, April, May, June and July with information about deadlines. However, many students and parents maintained that their circumstances were complicated at best, especially since some students hadn’t received scholarships or financial aid payouts in their accounts.

As of this week, 46 affected students have been reinstated after individuals made payment arrangements for tuition, contacted financial aid, and secured outside scholarships, theGrio reported. 

Additionally, impacted students from outside New York will receive expedited late admissions review at participating campuses with available capacity.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said in a statement, “There is a place at SUNY for every New Yorker, and we want to empower all students with access to the affordable, excellent public higher education they deserve. We thank Governor Hochul for her leadership and vision to support students who recently were disenrolled elsewhere and ensure they are able to pursue their academic goals at SUNY campuses.”

Potential participating SUNY campuses that will provide expedited admissions review include the State University of New York at Albany, the State University of New York at Binghamton, the State University of New York at Buffalo, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, SUNY Buffalo State University, SUNY New Paltz, and SUNY Oneonta, with additional campuses reviewing available capacity.

“CUNY’s mission is to expand access to higher education for all students, not restrict it based on financial means,” CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said in a statement. “To these students currently facing uncertainty and left in academic limbo: our doors are open, our admissions are expedited, and your dream of a college degree remains well within reach. We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her vision and swift action to help these displaced students find a home in our public university system.”

CUNY has 26 colleges citywide but has not yet listed which schools are participating in expedited admissions.r CUNY (cuny.edu/admissions/undergraduate).

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