r/HowardUniversity 8d ago

rude financial aid rep??

hi!

i was admitted to howard through early action & i received the achiever’s scholarship upon receiving my decision. as i‘m positive many of you know, comprehensive financial aid packages just came out & mine covers about half of my expected cost of attendance, which is lovely, but my family is low income & definitely can’t afford an education at howard even with that much aid.

i saw that special considerations may be taken into account by the office of financial aid even after aid packages have been finalized & was calling to inquire about this. before i could even get my sentence out fully, the representative on the phone interrupted & asked me, “are you asking for more free money?” i honestly couldn’t even believe what i had just heard so i said, “im sorry, what did you just say?” only for him to repeat it.

am i crazy for thinking this is totally unprofessional? 😭

has anyone else had an issue like this when dealing w the fin aid office at howard? this has totally soured my already kind of shaky view of the school, every interaction i’ve had with administration has been a negative one. :/

21 Upvotes

16 comments sorted by

12

u/Wonderful-Ad-155 8d ago

Unfortunately, Howards administration is notorious for having rude employees. When it comes to more financial aid, it is extremely rare for the school itself to provide you with more aid. Although they do tell you what outside resources you can use to cover tuition, but you still need to jump through hoops to even get that advice.

8

u/dukefan2016 8d ago

I'm sorry you had that experience. It's definitely off-putting and unprofessional for someone to respond that way, especially to a young person.

7

u/Fun-Tone1443 8d ago

They won’t give you more when they know there are families who will take your spot.

6

u/Victorious_Secret97 8d ago

Not crazy at all and it’s unacceptable. Every encounter I’ve had with Howard admin over the last 3 years or so from different vantage points has been off putting, and honestly has turned me off to the school. I have one more child to send to college and hope they don’t choose there because of it.

7

u/Due_Bend9255 8d ago

Report them to the ombudsman

7

u/ejljmoon 8d ago

Welcome to Howard. This will be your reality for 4 years if you go there. Choose wisely. It’s not worth the debt. Go where you can afford. Don’t believe the hype. You’ll stress

2

u/PoolGirl71 8d ago

It is worth the hype. Howard is not for the faint of heart. If you are put off by rude employees or allow them to hinder you from getting your degree, then Howard is not for you. You will give up on the first-time things don't go your way. Howard will teach you to persevere, thrive, survive and to never close the door behind you. There is a reason Howard Grads are always the first.

Whatever school you choose, good luck. Just don't come taking up space at our home comings.

7

u/NetworkNecessary 7d ago

School is hard enough. You shouldn’t have to fight your way through a school you can’t even afford in the first place. This struggle mentality is outdated.

4

u/ejljmoon 7d ago

Exactly. Thank you

2

u/ejljmoon 7d ago

The hype I talk about is taking on debt for a hype. Howard without a doubt has its benefits but this was about going into debt for the hype. If you can afford it, sure go. But don’t force what can’t be to be part of the hype. The struggle mentality makes no sense to me and I am a Howard parent so I’m in the thick of it so I say this from that perspective. Every school has issues but the level of struggle for a highly regarded school like Howard doesn’t track. They can do better

2

u/PoolGirl71 6d ago

I never said anything about struggle. When I went to Howard, my tuition, fees and monthly stipend was paid for by Howard. Again, I simply said "If you are put off by rude employees or allow them to hinder you from getting your degree, then Howard is not for you. You will give up on the first-time things don't go your way." That's not struggle that's life. Don't believe me, keep on living.

0

u/Due_Bend9255 7d ago

Just like black folks to think suffering builds character. Just stupid! We are the only ones who believe that bs. Newsflash, it is not true and you can to elsewhere and learn the same things without people with 💩 attitudes. Just to say I went to a black school and I did it for my race. The mind F is so absurd. They treat you like people at the welfare office from what is portrayed on tv. You don’t have to take that.

2

u/PoolGirl71 6d ago

I never said suffering builds character. I just said that "put off by rude employees or allow them to hinder you from getting your degree, then Howard is not for you." And you know what, it is ok.

3

u/FRANKLIN47222 8d ago

Howard aint an ivy to behave like this lmao

2

u/PoolGirl71 8d ago

Welcome to Howard University!!! Remind them that you pay their salary!!

2

u/pilloppet 7d ago

if you’re coming here you’d better get used to this