Howard University offers voluntary retirement to 600 staff

Howard University has launched a 2026-2027 Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program targeting approximately 16.5% of its workforce. The initiative aims to reduce long-term personnel costs and address broader financial challenges within the higher education sector.

The program is available to full-time tenured faculty and benefits-eligible staff who have completed at least 10 years of continuous service and meet a combined age and years of service threshold of at least 70. Eligible participants may receive lump-sum payments based on their tenure: six months of base salary for 10 to 15 years of service, nine months for 15 to 20 years, and 12 months for those with 20 or more years. The university also stated it will cover the full cost of COBRA health coverage for a specified period.