Jay-Z‘s Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment has come under fire for promising debt-free education, though many say that is not accurate.
Located at Long Island University’s Brooklyn campus, the Roc Nation School launched in 2021 with high hopes, including a “Hope Scholarship” program meant for students with the greatest financial need. However, a recent Gothamist report reveals that many of those same students feel misled, accumulating unexpected debt to attend the program.
One of the school’s first Hope Scholars, Justice Stephenson, shared that she was later told she owed $26,000 in student debt. After presenting proof of the school’s debt-free promise, she was able to negotiate it down to $5,000. Still, she said, “I was offered a debt-free education.”
Dozens of students reportedly received similar letters assuring them they could “graduate without debt.” However, those letters failed to mention that the scholarship excluded university fees and housing costs.
LIU’s head of marketing, Jackie Nealon, claimed, “The offer letter… expressly includes that neither university fees nor housing costs are included in the scholarship.” Yet the original wording made no such clarification.
Students also criticized the school’s quality, alleging that promised guest lectures from stars like Rihanna and DJ Khaled never occurred and that facilities were subpar. Jay-Z and Roc Nation have not responded publicly. The situation echoes issues faced by Kanye West’s Donda Academy, which shuttered in 2022 amid controversy and lawsuits.
It’s unclear if any of the students have taken legal action against the school.
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