If They Don’t Know, They Can’t Choose: HOW CHEYNEY UNIVERSITY IS BUILDING PENNSYLVANIA’S NEXT HBCU PIPELINE
BY DR. JANELLE L. WEST & NATASHA J. BRAME
A recent report from the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) found that a considerable number of students, particularly outside the South, either cannot define what an HBCU is or lack meaningful awareness of what HBCUs offer academically and professionally. The implication is sobering: if students do not know what an HBCU is, how can they choose one? At Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the nation’s first HBCU founded in 1837; that question has become a call to action. Through SOAR at Cheyney, a fully immersive summer boot camp funded by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the university is intentionally building a structured pipeline that moves students from HBCU exposure to enrollment, while pairing that exposure with a guaranteed scholarship pathway. In national conversations about college access, one truth is often overlooked: students cannot choose what they do not know exists.
CLOSING THE AWARENESS GAP The UNCF findings confirm what many HBCU leaders have observed anecdotally: in states like Pennsylvania, where there are only two HBCUs, Cheyney University of PA and Lincoln University of PA, many high-achieving students have limited direct interaction with their campuses. Their college lists are often shaped by proximity, marketing budgets, or counselor familiarity, not by a full understanding of culturally affirming institutions with strong outcomes.
SOAR at Cheyney directly addresses this awareness gap.
The program brings 100 rising high school seniors to campus for a week- long residential experience. Students live in residence halls, attend leadership and college-readiness workshops, participate in mock college classes, and engage with mentors, current Cheyney students, administrators, and Honors scholars. Getting a closer look into the HBCU experience. They won't just receive brochures or a website link. They will experience community. They will see leadership reflected in themselves.
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