Horace Mann Bond – Leslie Pinckney Hill Scholarship Program

The Horace Mann Bond – Leslie Pinckney Hill Scholarship Program provides financial support to highly qualified Pennsylvania students from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania and Lincoln University who pursue Tier I and Tier II graduate and pre-professional programs.

Eligible programs include Law, Medicine, Podiatry, Dentistry, and select graduate degrees at Pennsylvania State University, University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, or institutions within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).

The scholarship honors two distinguished higher-education leaders and former presidents of Cheyney University and Lincoln University—Horace Mann Bond and Leslie Pinckney Hill.

Scholarship Coverage

Subject to annual funding from the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Bond-Hill Scholarship may cover:

• Full tuition
• Mandatory fees
• Required textbooks

Awards are available to eligible graduates admitted to approved graduate or professional programs at partner institutions.

Priority Fields of Study

Priority funding is given to students enrolling in:

• Law
• Medicine
• Podiatry
• Dentistry

Based on available funding, additional awards may be made for master’s programs in:

• Business Administration
• Public Administration
• Health Administration
• Public International Affairs
• Science
• Public Health

Doctoral study in Education may also be supported at partner institutions.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

• Be a graduate of Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
• Be admitted to an approved program at Penn State, Pitt, Temple, or a PASSHE institution
• Enroll full-time within five years of Cheyney graduation
• Be recommended by the Dean of the Honors Academy
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Be a Pennsylvania resident
• Demonstrate strong academic performance and maintain satisfactory academic progress

 

How to Apply

Application Deadline: April 18 (annually)

Required Materials:

• Unofficial Cheyney transcript
• Resume
• Cover letter
• Three (3) letters of recommendation (including one from the Dean)
• Graduate or professional program acceptance letter
• GRE, LSAT, or MCAT scores (as applicable)

Application Process:

Step 1: Download the Bond – Hill Scholarship Application or obtain a copy from the Office of the Dean, Honors Academy, located in Emlen Hall, 1st Floor. Complete the PDF application in full, then save the completed application as a PDF. 

Step 2: Gather Your Required Materials – As outlined above and ensure all documents are complete and legible. Then combine ALL application materials (including the Scholarship application along with these required materials) and save as ONE single PDF file.

Step 3: Submit Your Application via the Online Submission Form – Once all documents are prepared and saved as one PDF file, access the application submission form. This form will collect general student information and provide upload fields for where you can upload your submission file. Carefully review your application and uploaded files before submitting, as incomplete applications or incorrect submissions will not be reviewed.
(File upload limit for the submission form is one single file, size limit: 10MB. Allowed file types: Word, Excel, PPT, PDF, Image, Video, Audio)

Step 4: Submission Review – All completed applications are then submitted to the Dean of the Honors Academy for review and recommendation.

 

Award Details

• The number and size of awards depend on annual funding availability
• Awards vary based on the student’s institution and program of study
• Scholarships may be renewed for up to four academic years (eight full-time semesters)
• Recipients must maintain satisfactory academic standing and make continuous progress toward degree completion

Program Administration

The Horace Mann Bond – Leslie Pinckney Hill Scholarship Program is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education.

 

Why Apply?

The Bond–Hill Scholarship helps Cheyney graduates take the next step, without the financial burden. With support for tuition, fees, and textbooks, this scholarship makes it possible to pursue graduate and professional degrees at top Pennsylvania institutions and focus fully on your future.

Click here to download the Program Brochure

Dr. Leslie Pinckney Hill (1880–1960)

Dr. Leslie Pinckney Hill was an educator, author, poet, dramatist, and community leader. He was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, on May 14, 1880, to Samuel H. Hill, a former slave, and Sarah E. Hill. He received his primary education in Lynchburg, where as a child he played the trumpet and envisioned a career in music. His family later moved to East Orange, New Jersey, where he transferred to the local high school. Due to accelerated study, he skipped his junior year and graduated near the top of his class in 1898. 

In 1899, Hill enrolled at Harvard University, where he attended on a scholarship while working as a writer and waiter. As a member of the debate team, he won second place in the Boylston Prize oratory competition during his junior year. In 1903, he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated cum laude. A year later, in 1904, he earned a master’s degree in education from Harvard. 

From 1904 to 1907, Hill taught at Tuskegee Institute. He then served as principal of the Industrial Institute in Manassas, Virginia, until 1913. That year, he became the first President of Cheyney, then known as the Institute for Colored Youth in Cheyney, Pennsylvania. The school was later renamed Cheyney State Teachers College in 1951. 

During his tenure at Cheyney (1913–1951), Dr. Hill transformed the institution. He raised significant funds, modernized the curriculum, and fostered interracial understanding, particularly through collaboration with the Quakers. Drawing on his musical talents, he also directed the Cheyney Chorus, which performed at colleges nationwide. Under his leadership, Cheyney grew from just 20 students to nearly 500 and achieved accreditation as a state college. 

After retiring, Hill lectured at the University of California, Los Angeles, during two summer sessions. He later served three years as administrator of Mercy-Douglass Hospital in Philadelphia, earning the Seltzer Award for distinguished service. 

In addition to his work in education, Hill was an accomplished dramatist and poet. He authored Jethro (performed in 1931), the poem The Teacher (translated into multiple languages), and his best-known play, Toussaint L’Ouverture, A Dynamic History (1928), a sweeping 35-scene drama. His essays often reflected his activism, including “What the Negro Wants and How to Get It” (1944), which outlined the aims of African Americans in their quest for full citizenship. 

Throughout his life, Dr. Hill championed education as a tool to combat racism and uplift communities. In 1944, he founded Camp Hope in Delaware County to support underprivileged children. He was also active in organizations such as the Interracial Committee of Pennsylvania and the National Education Association’s Committee on the Defense of Democracy through Education. 

Dr. Leslie Pinckney Hill left behind a lasting legacy as Cheyney’s first President and as a visionary leader who used education, the arts, and community engagement to advance equality and opportunity.