Cheyney University Alumni Initiates National Scholarship Campaign

July 12, 2010 - PRLog -- What started in 1837 as a school to educate the descendents of the African race has become Cheyney University, America’s Oldest Historically Black Institution of Higher Education. Along the way, its graduates have worked hard at building a better world, one person at a time and continuing a long legacy of leaders and responsible citizens.  With its unique mission and rich history, Cheyney University alumni are committed to helping many others to find their place in the world.  Their longstanding commitment to the students and prospective students of the University has been realized by the recent establishment of the CU Alumni Scholarship Fund.

Cheyney University alumni have been providing scholarship support for many years through their individual donations to the university, local chapter contributions, and the national alumni scholarship fund.  Cheyney University has twice been the Tom Joyner Scholarship School of the Year, and was the highest contributing university during Cheyney's first TJ campaign.

The CU Alumni Scholarship campaign is a national, targeted initiative to provide specific support for students that are not participating in the university's honor programs.  The endeavor started as a result of students not having enough financial resources to complete the academic year.  Ms. Barbara Daniel Cox, Class of 1966, convened a meeting between President Vital, several administrators and concerned alumni, and as a result of this meeting, several workgroups were established – one being the Fundraising work group.  Concerned alumni and administrators also met to discuss ways to develop comprehensive strategies to support students and their families with restricted scholarship funds, mentoring and to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding alumni scholarships.  

Earlier this summer, Fundraising Team Leader, Ms. Gaynelle Turner Lewis, Class of 1973, announced the CU Alumni Scholarship Fund campaign is underway – having reached the $40,000 mark!  If you would like to get involved, donations may be sent to Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Office of Alumni Relations, P.O. Box 200, Cheyney, PA 19319.  Checks should be made payable to the Cheyney University Alumni Scholarship Fund.  The goal is $100,000.00 by September 1st.

For more information on how you can become involved in one of the established workgroups, please contact Ms. Barbara Daniel Cox by email at bdcwrites@gmail.com.   For more information on how to donate to the CU Alumni Scholarship Fund, please contact Ms. Gaynelle Turner Lewis by email at larue913@aol.com.

Concerned Alumni would like to acknowledge Dr. Michelle Howard Vital, President of Cheyney University and Mr. Gregory Benjamin, Director of Alumni Relations for their support of the CU Alumni Scholarship initiative.

Also, Ms. Daniel Cox is working with Robert W. Bogle, Chairman of the Cheyney University Council of Trustees, to establish a scholarship endowment fund this year.  More information about this initiative is forthcoming. If you are interested in supporting the endowment scholarship campaign, please contact Ms. Barbara Daniel Cox.

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About Cheyney University
Cheyney University is the nation’s oldest historically Black institution of higher education. It is also the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE.) Now celebrating its 26th year, PASSHE comprises Pennsylvania’s 14 public universities, with a combined enrollment of more than 112,500, making it the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. At its inception, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania successfully provided free classical education for qualified young people, and today the university offers baccalaureate degrees in more than 30 disciplines and six master’s degree programs. For more information, please visit the website at http://www.cheyney.edu.