By Serenity Armstrong

Howard University News Service

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration’s blocked pause on federal grants and loans adds yet another concern to ongoing registration problems at Howard University, according to students.

In a “vaguely” worded two-page memo issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), domestic and foreign financial assistance  programs were ordered to “pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.”

Students are concerned the federal financial aid that funds their education could be terminated at any time.

“I am feeling a bit shaky with everything,” sophomore musical theater major Ruth Atta said.

Before U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the financial assistance pause, the OMB published a fact sheet explaining what federal assistance would and would not be impacted by the pause – confirming that student aid would not be affected.

“Assistance that is going directly to individuals will not be impacted by this pause,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a press conference on Tuesday.

This confused many since, technically, their federal student aid is not paid directly to them but instead must be disbursed through a college or university.

“I have now been asked and answered this question four times,” Leavitt said in response to reporters who pointed out the confusion and asked about indirect assistance programs. “To individuals at home who receive direct assistance from the federal government, you will not be impacted by this federal freeze.”

Like Atta, many Howard students said they do not trust anything the Trump administration says, so the OMB’s clarification provided no relief.

“It’s becoming more and more clear that these institutions do not care,” senior honors psychology major Georney Miller said. 

In her opinion, people, specifically students, were just “cash grabs” in their eyes.

“Howard University is continuing to monitor executive orders issued by the Trump administration and their impact on higher education and the university,” administrators stated in an update to students announcing the rescindment of the pause.

This worsened fear and anxiety for students who were already struggling to register for classes.

Miller said her mental health is suffering and trying to resolve her registration issues caused her headaches.

Like Miller, sophomore musical theater major Yazima Williams worries whether she can graduate as a result of the financial hold that prevented her from registering for classes and Trump’s orders.

“My ability to attend Howard is in their hands,” Williams said. “It’s even caused my parents to become upset. That’s a problem for the whole family.”

Since the beginning of the semester, hundreds of Howard students have stood in lines, with some stretching across two floors, all to resolve financial and registration issues that determine whether they can attend classes – or even graduate.

For many, the long wait is more than just an inconvenience. It is a barrier to their education.

The university has offered support to students via the Bison Solution Hub, a single-stop location for advising, bursar, financial aid and registration assistance on Sublevel 1 of the Wayne A.I. Frederick Undergraduate Library.

The Solution Hub is said to operate from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. during the school week. 

However, students have been turned away as early as 12:30 p.m. due to the hub’s “reaching capacity,” according to an email from the university.

“That’s not enough time for students, especially when we have classes during that time,” Atta said.

Atta and Miller, who each waited around five hours in the Solution Hub, said Howard’s system was slow and disorganized.

Like Atta, Williams expressed frustration with being directed back and forth to multiple people for a single issue – an experience students call “the Howard runaround.”

“They said they could not solve the problem on the spot and directed me to follow up by email,” Williams said. “They then never responded to my email.”

Williams, who has been to the Solution Hub seven times, is still attempting to resolve a financial aid issue she has had since August.

To accommodate students, the university added another week to the registration period which now ends Friday.

“This registration extension is designed to acknowledge the impacts of the inclement weather and various other system challenges students may be experiencing related to our transition from BisonWeb to BisonHub,” the university stated in an email to students.

However, the extension poses its own problems that the university warned of in the email.

“Spring courses began on Jan. 13, so adding a new course to your schedule at this late date will require a commitment to catching up on missed work,” the university stated. “Faculty generally offer reasonable support, where practicable, but there are some inherent risks.”

Serenity Armstrong is a reporter and managing editor of HUNewsService.com.