Howard University offered voluntary buyout packages to about 600 eligible faculty and staff on August 10, 2026, roughly 16% of its workforce. Interim president Wayne A. I. Frederick cited new federal parent loan caps, a thinner research grant pipeline, and rising operating costs. Eligibility runs to full-time faculty and benefits-eligible staff with at least 10 years of service whose age plus years of service totals 70 or more. These are voluntary separation offers rather than involuntary layoffs, and Howard has not said how many were accepted, so 600 is the number offered and not a confirmed headcount reduction.