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On June 4, 2025, Howard University students were blindsided by an email. It warned that if they didn’t pay off their outstanding balances by June 30th, their accounts would be sent to an external collections agency. Now, students are in what the university calls the “pre-collections” period, giving them until August 29th before their balances are officially turned over. The message? Pay soon or risk interacting with debt collectors.
According to some students, what the email didn’t offer was any form of empathy — no explanation of resources, no reassurance, and very little grace. Since then, students have called the university’s communication style “curt,” “cold,” and even “disrespectful,” especially given how difficult it’s been to reach anyone. Some report being stuck on hold for over two hours, only to be disconnected…