Roc Nation School of Music Students Promised Full Scholarships Are In Debt

Students at the Jay-Z-backed Roc Nation School of Music are in debt after being promised otherwise.

Jay-Z backed the Roc Nation School of Music at LIU Brooklyn, where select students were promised to “graduate without debt” but are finding out otherwise.

At least a dozen students selected for the inaugural class of LIU’s Roc Nation School of Music are speaking out to the Gothamist about the unexpected debt they’ve accrued despite receiving offer letters stating they would graduate “without debt.” These students, with debts ranging from $5,000 to $39,000, are calling out what they describe as mixed messaging with the university’s “Hope Scholarship,” intended for the “highest-need” students.

“You look at this paperwork where this very expensive institution is telling you you’d be able to get all these opportunities for less, you’re going to get your college paid for, and they use this propaganda to get you in,” said Ajaiya Thomas, a Hope scholar, who transferred to a different university after two years due receiving $19,000 in unexpected charges from LIU.

Many students were eager to join the high-profile program—a partnership between Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and LIU—that promised to shape the next generation of artists and entertainment entrepreneurs, complete with guest lectures from Roc Nation stars like the Jonas Brothers and Rihanna.

”I remember being just generally conflicted about school, and then coming across this school made me feel a sense of security,” said Justice Stephenson, a Hope scholar preparing to graduate while also paying off $5,000 in student debt. “It was a full scholarship immediately. It was a music school, which is iconic and the dream. And Jay-Z is involved.”

Stephenson said she successfully negotiated her $26,000 debt down after arguing to LIU officials that she had been promised a debt-free graduation. In addition to the unexpected debt, students have raised concerns with administrators about the quality of the Roc Nation School of Music.

Among the concerns was the lack of a professional recording studio—something students majoring in areas like sports management and music production said they had to build themselves. They also criticized the promotional materials that advertised celebrity guest speakers such as Rihanna, DJ Khaled, and the Jonas Brothers, who never appeared.

The university has defended its position, with LIU marketing chief Jackie Nealon stating that the scholarship covers tuition only and is intended to allow students to graduate “tuition debt-free.” They also note over 200 celebrity guest speakers, including Megan Thee Stallion, Fat Joe, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, and Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez.

However, it’s a sticky situation that some financial aid experts say may have been used to boost enrollment amid low numbers.

“A big story of the day is the desperation of even very selective institutions to enroll students … There are simply not enough students to go around,” said Ann Marcus, a higher education policy professor at NYU, noting the declining enrollment rates nationwide.

“The name of the game was to get butts in seats and they make these promises, and so they said, ‘F— it, we don’t want a small class. We’re going to admit everybody.’ And that’s what they did,” said Kenyatta Beasley, a former music professor at LIU-Brooklyn who now teaches at Hofstra University.

Nealon maintains that the scholarship program is “making an impact.” However, students who were left with debt are calling it a “scam.”

“This sounds like a scam. It sounds like a ‘School of Rock’ bulls—, Donald Trump University s—,” said Jorden Drone, a Hope scholar who owes nearly $39,000 in debt for student loans he thought he’d never need.

“My dad thought it was a scam,” said Sumante Hutchinson, a Hope scholar who owes $37,000 in federal student loans. “Come to find out it kind of has been a scam.”