Howard University has long been considered the crown jewel of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs)—a magnet for corporate sponsors, celebrity donors, and alumni giving. 

Recent years have brought multimillion-dollar gifts from Eli Lilly & Company, a record-breaking $1.3 million raised at its Charter Day fundraiser, and sponsorships from corporate giants like Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Citi, GEICO, and Pepsi at marquee events such as Homecoming and the Charter Day Dinner. Even in-kind donations have been staggering: a $70.6 million software and technology gift through a corporate alliance underscored Howard’s status as a fundraising powerhouse.

But behind the glossy image, students say the day-to-day reality tells a different story. Many are left scrambling to cover sudden tuition balances, navigating housing chaos, or turning to GoFundMe just to stay enrolled at a school where total annual attendance costs exceed $64,000. 

Where are the funds going? 

The controversy comes just as Howard’s president, Ben Vinson III, announced he will be stepping down this month, further fueling uncertainty about the school’s leadership and financial priorities. His interim replacement, Wayne A. I. Frederick, is a former university president who announced his retirement from his role in 2022. During his tenure six Howard University employees were accused of misappropriating funds while under his tenure. This has only deepened student concerns.

For Howard University sophomore Miyori Denson, 19, the disconnect between Howard’s image and its reality is striking. 

Denson says her scholarships have shielded her from the harshest financial shocks. However, she’s watched friends get blindsided by tuition balances from years past suddenly appearing on their accounts this summer after the school switched financial aid platforms. The surprise bills locked students out of registering for classes, securing transcripts, or finalizing housing.

“It was just heartbreaking,” she says to BET. “Some of them were about to start their senior year and couldn’t even register.”

Denson admitted that the transition in leadership left more questions than answers.

“I was honestly very confused when I heard the news,” Denson says. “Most of the people that were calling for folks to step down, it was never really towards the president. And now the person stepping in is someone who had to be removed before for embezzling money. That’s concerning, especially for upperclassmen who were here when that happened.”

She added, “We pay all this money, but we’re not being heard. Where is this money going? They must be spending it at a party.” 

The university shared that students’ accounts had been resolved as of July. 

“Howard University has a history of creating safe, inclusive, and transformative living experiences for our students and we will continue to build on that history," Howard's Office of University Communications shared with BET in a statement. 

Housing turmoil and health hazards

Housing at Howard has long been a point of tension.

In July 2022, Howard University ended its partnership with the former management company Corivas and Capstone on Campus Management (COCM) after students decried their living conditions, which included mice infestation, mold, and other complaints. This move followed widespread Howard student protests in 2021 that captured national and local attention. 

“Born out of the university’s dedication towards forward movement, Howard Forward, and improvement. They created my department to oversee the third-party management, housing operators who actually manage the residence halls,” Director of Student Housing and Commercial Portfolio Management, Candy Wongsam said in a statement.

The latest issue, as Denson pointed out, is getting into the dorms they paid for, which she says are supposed to be “guaranteed for freshmen and sophomores.”

Now, a few years later, even students who actually managed to secure housing faced a maze of obstacles. Denson recalls not receiving her dorm assignment until just before move-in and only learning her actual room number once she arrived on campus. 

 “I wanted to go dorm shopping, but I didn’t even know where I was living until I got there,” she said.

Once inside, the issues worsened. Denson says she discovered what appears to be mold under her carpet and has since been battling a lingering cough. “I put in a maintenance request, but no one has gotten back to me yet. My dad is worried because it could cause respiratory problems,” she explained. 

For others, off-campus housing assignments as far as 30 minutes away in Maryland add hours to their days. “Especially for sophomores who don’t have cars, the shuttles are unreliable. It’s a big stressor,” she said.

Despite this, Howard says they are "optimizing the affordability and availability of housing, which is central to our approach."

The university shared with BET that each year, they provide more than 6,000 beds to freshman and sophomores.

"This commitment ensures that our newest students, most of whom are transitioning to Washington, DC for the first time, begin their academic journey in supportive living environments," a statement provided to BET reads. "We recognize that juniors and seniors can encounter challenges securing affordable housing in the District of Columbia, one of the most expensive housing markets in the nation. In response, Howard has taken deliberate steps to expand our capacity, master leasing hundreds of additional units across four local residential properties strategically chosen to maximize students’ access to campus while enabling us to negotiate the most competitive possible rates. By doing so, we are able to create housing opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach in the DC market and pass those savings on to our students. There is more demand for certain types of units, such as private suites and single bedrooms, than we have available to accommodate. The University is not suffering from a housing availability crisis; currently, every student on the housing waitlist has received a housing option. Howard University’s goal is to provide our students with the security and affordability that they need to focus on their education."

A disconnect between cost and care

According to Howard’s latest figures, the total estimated direct and indirect undergraduate cost of attendance for the 2025–26 academic year is around $64,000. For Denson, that price tag doesn’t match the reality.

“At the moment, no, I don’t think it’s worth it,” she said. “We pay all this money, but we still have mold in dorms, students blocked from registering, and people scrambling to find housing. It could be worth it if the money was actually being used to support us. But right now, we don’t know where the money is going.”

The university says it is taking steps to mitigate the financial hardship some students are facing.

"We plan to host an Off-Campus Housing Fair where students will be connected with affordable housing providers and resources tailored to their needs as students," a statement shared with BET said. "This initiative will provide students with multiple pathways to stable, cost-effective housing. In addition to providing off-campus housing referrals, we are enhancing our off-campus housing webpages to include more detailed property information, practical guidance, and other helpful resources. These digital improvements, combined with in-person events like the Off-Campus Housing Fair, will make it easier for students to access the support and information they need to make informed housing decisions that are right for them."

Protecting the brand over students

Students say that Howard’s responses to these crises have been slow and superficial—reflecting what many describe as the administration’s tendency to guard its public image above all else.

“Howard likes to protect their brand a lot,” Denson said. “When people started showing [that] this is not the Howard they want you to think it is, that’s when they finally put out a statement. But the statement didn’t actually address anything.”

Looking ahead

Howard students have historically been at the forefront of advocacy, from organizing sit-ins to staging protests that push the administration to act. Denson believes her peers are continuing that tradition, but she questions whether their voices will spark real reform.

“I want to have hope that things will change, but I feel like it might just stay the same until I graduate,” she said. “Maybe they’ll give us little things here and there so we pipe down, but I don’t think there’s going to be a significant change. I hope, but I don’t know.”

For now, Howard students are relying on each other—and crowdfunding platforms—to fill the gaps left by the administration.