As Howard University gears up for the 2025–2026 school year, some students are sounding off on social media about unexpected outstanding tuition balances—some dating back as far as two years—that could derail their return to campus.
A system upgrade from the school’s longtime BisonWeb platform to its new BisonHub caused delays in updating some student accounts between January and June 2025, the university said.
The HBCU emphasized that the charges are not new but were delayed in being posted due to the system change. “While students are made aware of their balances throughout the year, approximately 1,000 updates were delayed during the transition,” the university said in a press release.
Students were reportedly told in fall 2024 that the transition might temporarily affect access to their accounts. According to the university, half of the affected accounts have been “resolved due to student payments, financial aid or payment arrangements, and holds are being lifted on their accounts.”
Still, for students like junior Alexis Rodriguez, the high debt is devastating. She told NBC News she learned she owed $15,000 and had simultaneously lost her foreign language fellowship and resident assistant housing stipend. “I don’t have any financial safety nets. I’m just fighting to stay enrolled,” she said. Her crowdfunding campaign has since raised more than $11,300 toward a $10,500 goal.
Makiah Goodman, a biology student, posted a series of viral TikToks detailing how she learned of her balance after the system outage in February. Her videos have garnered over a million views and helped her raise more than $4,400 of the $6,000 she needs to continue her studies.
To help impacted students, the university says it has extended in-person and virtual office hours, offered more financial counseling and expanded payment plan options. Emergency aid may also be available.
Students are also stepping in to support each other. An Instagram account called @whosehowardisit is amplifying mutual aid campaigns and student stories. “The students on the list are just a fraction of those who need help,” said nursing major Taliana Singleton.
The university acknowledged the wider financial strain facing its student body: more than 70% demonstrate high financial need, and over 40% are eligible for Pell Grants. At the same time, cuts to federal research and fellowship programs have made it harder for students to access key academic and career-building resources.
The school said it awarded more than $210 million in institutional aid last year and is forming a task force to reassess its financial aid model. “We are taking active steps to assist students experiencing challenges related to financial aid and account balances,” the statement read.
But for many students, time is running out. “Students at risk of homelessness don’t have time to wait for a system to figure things out,” Rodriguez said.
Howard has not announced when all account issues will be resolved, but students and staff are racing to avoid a crisis before the fall semester officially begins on August 19.