Cheyney University News July 16, 2015 Cheyney's Keystone Honors Academy and Bond Hill Program Offer Free Education for PA Students With skyrocketing student debt in the national spotlight, high school juniors have to now think even longer and harder about their college plans. With average costs of an undergraduate degree at a state university reportedly at $105,000, a master's degree at $44,000, law school near $70,000, and medical school exceeding $200,000, the prospect of a free undergraduate and graduate education seems unrealistic. One of Pennsylvania's best-kept secrets, Cheyney University's Keystone Honors Academy<http://www.cheyney.edu/keystone/index.cfm>, however, offers high-achieving undergraduate students with good academic records full scholarships including tuition, fees, room, board and books for its undergraduate program. In addition, qualifying Cheyney graduates could possibly receive scholarship support for graduate school through the Bond Hill program. Keystone Academy students attending Cheyney University's beautiful suburban campus less than an hour away from Philadelphia, receive sound educational grounding<http://www.cheyney.edu/keystone/Curriculum.cfm>, cultural enrichment, and abundant nurturing among like-minded scholars. The Academy's extensive programs offer learning activities, innovative education practices, special programs and events which nurture students and develop intellectual interests, and produce highly accomplished graduates who embrace lifelong learning. Undergraduate students may receive the Keystone Scholarship<http://www.cheyney.edu/keystone/How-to-Apply.cfm> for a maximum of four academic years (eight full-time semesters) and are encouraged to consider enrollment in graduate programs. Keystone Scholars such as Travonya Kenly<http://articles.philly.com/2015-05-01/news/61693820_1_cheyney-university-ali-zaidi-award-minority-students>, Julianne Lewis<http://www.passhe.edu/universities/pages/detail.aspx?q=ch>, Chris Carter <http://www.cheyney.edu/news/PITT-Law-Students-Honor-Derrick-Bells-Memory-.cfm> and Frank Mulbah<http://www.cheyney.edu/news/Liberian-immigrant-about-to-graduate-from-Cheyney-wants-to-go-back-.cfm?grp_id=5663> excel while in the Academy, and go on to pursue and earn terminal degrees. Current Keystone Scholars such as Samih Taylor<http://www.cheyney.edu/news/Cheyney-Sophomore-Samih-Taylor-Presents-Colonization-Research-in-Granada-Spain.cfm>, Leonard Brown and Jasmine Richardson<http://www.cheyney.edu/news/Norway-Study-Abroad-Trip-Enlightening-for-Cheyney-Students.cfm> embrace study-abroad and research opportunities. "The environment at Cheyney really helped me cultivate my own strengths and confidence," Carter says. "Cheyney broadened my horizons and showed me how to be a better leader." For motivated Cheyney students like Carter, regardless of whether they're in the honors academy or in the general school population, graduate school is a very likely outcome because of the prestigious Bond Hill Scholarship program<http://www.cheyney.edu/keystone/Graduate-Programming-Professional-Development.cfm#Bond_Hill>. Under the program, Pennsylvania students can receive support for their education including law (JD), medicine(MD), dental (DDS), podiatry (DPM), education (PhD), and business (MBA), among others, through the Bond Hill Program without incurring any educational debt. High achieving Cheyney graduates who meet program eligibility requirements and are accepted into approved graduate programs at three partnership universities, Penn State University, Temple University and University of Pittsburgh, may qualify for full tuition, fees and textbooks for their graduate education. Priority funding is awarded to students enrolling in law, medicine, podiatry and dentistry. Additional scholarships may be awarded to students admitted to master's programs in Business Administration, Public Administration, Health Administration, Public International Affairs, Science, and Public Health, as well as doctoral programs in Education, at the partnership universities. Recent Bond Hill Scholars include Cheyney graduates Robert Lay (Temple University Doctorate of Education), Nicholas Roper and Mulbah (Penn State University Masters of Public Administration), Dr. Martina Randall (Temple University Podiatric Medicine), and Mychel Evans and Carter (University of Pittsburgh Law School), among others. "Bond Hill saved me a lot of debt," insists Carter, a 2011 Cheyney graduate and 2014 graduate of Pitt Law School. "I look at my Pitt classmates who came out with hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of debt that some will be paying back for the rest of their lives. Because of Keystone and Bond Hill, I don't have that problem. It's amazing!" To qualify for Bond Hill scholarships, eligible Cheyney graduates must be accepted into an approved program of study at Penn State, Pitt or Temple and enroll within five years of obtaining their undergraduate degree. Candidates must be Pennsylvania residents and US citizens or permanent residents and be recommended by the Scholarship Program Administrator. The Keystone Honors Academy has an 82% persistence rate and its graduation rate is higher than the national average and twice that of the national average for HBCUs (Historically Black Universities and Colleges). The Keystone Honors Academy consists of 150 students, and the average cumulative GPA is 3.5. The Academy still has a few spots left for Fall 2015, however, applications must be in by August 1. The Bond Hill program originated in 1983 as part of an agreement between Pennsylvania and the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights to desegregate the Commonwealth's public institutions of higher education. Recognized as the nation's 1st HBCU, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania has been educating students since 1837. The University offers baccalaureate and graduate degree programs at two locations, Cheyney and Center City Philadelphia, PA. Cheyney hosts other signature programs such as the Call Me MISTER teaching program, the Aquaculture Research and Teaching Laboratory and the accredited Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management program. The New Science Center which opened last August, recently received its Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.