CHEYNEY, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Cheyney University, the nation’s oldest historically black college, has added its name to a growing list of schools that are erasing unpaid student bills since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The southeastern Pennsylvania university said on its Facebook page Friday that in light of the hardships that students and their families have experienced, it will forgive student balances from the spring 2020, fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters.
“The university will use funds it received through the federal stimulus package to settle those accounts,” the announcement said.
The university follows other Philadelphia institutions, like La Salle University and the Community College of Philadelphia, in eradicating debt.
Cheney University president Aaron Walton said since taking his post in 2017, his mantra has been students' well-being first, and the school's after that, so this debt forgiveness program was really putting their money where their mouth is.
"We felt like this was a very important step in terms of serving our students, and also helping to preserve the university at the same time," Walton said.
He said the last 18 months has been tough on their students, 70% of whom receive Pell grants. He estimated the debt forgiveness program will cost the school about $400,000.
"We felt that forgiving the balances from the spring of 2020, the fall of 2020 and the spring of 2021 would be in the best interest of our students," Walton said.
Other institutions have also been using millions in stimulus funds they received to aid students whose educations may have been disrupted over the last year and a half. Some schools have compensated students for lost wages or helped them avoid borrowing for upcoming semesters while others have addressed outstanding student bills.
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Cheyney, which has about 550 students on a campus straddling Chester and Delaware counties, was founded in 1837. Alumni include civil rights activist Octavius V. Catto; Bayard Rustin, a chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington; and “60 Minutes” broadcast journalist Ed Bradley.