Dear Howard University Community,

There have been several concerning dialogues this week on social media regarding the status of merit based scholarships. Much of the information being shared is not accurate or is lacking context.  This communication offers important insights on how scholarships are distributed and maintained at the University. 

It is important to note that there is no financial aid or scholarship crisis underway at Howard. The University provides $106 million in institutional aid every year and is on track to deliver this same amount of aid to families during the 2019-20 academic year. We are aware, however, that some students have lost their merit-based scholarships and are rightfully concerned.

Howard University has not canceled any scholarships for students who have met the eligibility requirements. In majority of the cases, students did not receive renewals of merit-based scholarships because they did not maintain the necessary GPA requirement to qualify. If a grade was posted to a students’ portal late, and it resulted in a loss of scholarship, the students’ GPA would be recalculated once the final grades are posted, and if the student meets the GPA requirement, the student would be alerted of a scholarship reinstatement. This has always been Howard University’s policy.  

Students are always advised in advance of receiving a merit-based scholarship of the GPA requirement to maintain it. In fact, students must sign the Scholarship Statement Agreement acknowledging this requirement before the funds are disbursed. At the end of last semester, the University sent a reminder to students that final grades were still pending, but that any student not meeting the academic mark to maintain eligibility for a merit-based scholarship might be at risk. A link to that letter may be found here: https://ous.howard.edu/student-financial-services/scholarship-letter 

The Appeals Process

There are many different scholarships Howard offers to its students. Each scholarship has a unique set of eligibility requirements. Some scholarships allow for an appeal, others are not appealable.  Howard strictly follows all policy guidelines related to each scholarship. Federal and audit compliance dictates that we must adhere to stated financial aid distribution policies.  


Alternative Options

Alternatives to the Howard University Freshman Scholarship exist, and students are encouraged to apply for them. Students seeking this information can email FinAid@howard.edu for more information, so that a Financial Aid Counselor may share information on scholarships for which you qualify.  

Excellence in Truth and Service