JAY-Z is catching heat after students at his Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment claim the program’s promise of a debt-free education hasn’t been honored. A report from Gothamist highlights growing frustration from students who say they were blindsided by unexpected bills despite receiving scholarship letters that said they could graduate without debt.
The school, housed at Long Island University’s Brooklyn campus and launched in 2021, introduced the “Hope Scholarship” for students with significant financial need. Justice Stephenson, one of the first recipients, says she was told she owed $26,000 after believing her education would be fully covered. “I was offered a debt-free education,” she said. After showing documentation to back her claim, she was able to reduce what she owed to $5,000.
Other students have come forward with similar stories, saying they were led to believe tuition, fees, and housing would all be covered, only to learn later that the scholarship applied to tuition alone. LIU’s head of marketing, Jackie Nealon, said, “Hope Scholarship recipients receive an offer letter… that outlines the full-tuition scholarship and any student obligations. The offer letter also expressly includes that neither university fees nor housing costs are included in the scholarship.” But many students insist their letters didn’t make that clear and even stated they would “graduate without debt.”
Beyond the financial confusion, students have also expressed disappointment with the program’s quality. Promises of high-profile guest lectures from Roc Nation stars like Rihanna and DJ Khaled reportedly never materialized, and some criticized the school’s resources and facilities.
JAY-Z and Roc Nation have yet to respond to the backlash. The controversy mirrors issues Kanye West faced with his Donda Academy, which shut down in 2022 and is now involved in several lawsuits.
Leave a Reply