Jay-Z Backed a Brooklyn School, and Angry Students Are Calling It a ‘Scam’

In 2021, roughly 50 students enrolled in the Roc Nation School of Music, a partnership between Jay-Z’s company and Long Island University, on the promise that they would graduate debt-free. The scholarship sounded too good to be true to prospective students — now, they’re learning that it was. Students who expected to graduate without debt found out they owed thousands to the university due to what they describe as misleading marketing tactics.

A Jay-Z-backed school promised students they could graduate without debt

Justice Stephenson, a recent high school graduate, was on the fence about college until she received a text message that convinced her to attend.

“I tried to reach you by phone. Roc Nation School at LIU is awarding you a full tuition scholarship,” read the text from LIU President Kimberly Cline, per Gothamist. “You will receive full tuition and be able to graduate without debt.”

The Roc Nation School offered scholarships to prospective students and promised the ability to graduate without debt.

“I am pleased to share that you have been awarded a Hope full-tuition scholarship… This scholarship, combined with financial grants will allow you to graduate without debt,” read an acceptance email many students received. “As a Hope scholar, you don’t have to worry about tuition charges.”

Stephenson said the prospect of a debt-free education, coupled with Jay-Z’s involvement in the program, convinced her to accept.

“ I remember being just generally conflicted about school and then coming across this school made me feel a sense of security,” Stephenson said. “It was a full scholarship immediately. It was a music school, which is iconic and the dream. And Jay-Z is involved.”

Students at the school are saying the Jay-Z backed program purposely misled them

For Hope scholars, enrollment at the school felt like the perfect way to begin a career in the music industry. The school promised the opportunity to learn from some major artists.

“Your classrooms will include Roc Nation artists – for example, when you study Women in Music, Rihanna will visit your classroom,” read a 2021 acceptance letter. “DJ Khaled, the Jonas Brothers, Megan Thee Stallion, and other Roc Nation artists will serve as guest lecturers, and professional athletes, agents, and sports professionals will offer instruction and insight for aspiring sports professionals.”

While Megan Thee Stallion did visit the campus, students say very few other major celebrities have appeared as guest speakers. They also said that the facilities necessary for making and recording music were lacking. 

The biggest issue for students, though, was the discovery that they unknowingly owed thousands in debt to the university for room and board and other living costs. Some students owed up to $39,000. Many had to make the difficult decision to take out loans or leave the program altogether. 

“There’s probably some terms and conditions, some legal [language] in the fine print,” said Kevin Ladd, the Chief Operating Officer of Scholarships.com. “But what I think they’re promising is that when you graduate from LIU, you should not owe them any money.”

Many students felt betrayed by the promises made by the school. 

“They’re… overpromising how much they’re going to contribute and then turning around and telling the students to cover the rest after they promised that they would pretty much cover everything, which makes no sense,” Hope scholar Sumante Hutchinson said.

Some outright called the marketing practices a scam. 

“This sounds like a scam,” said Hope scholar Jorden Drone. “It sounds like a ‘School of Rock’ bulls***, Donald Trump University s***.”

“My dad thought it was a scam,” Hutchinson said. “Come to find out it kind of has been a scam.”

University officials said students misunderstood the scholarship

Representatives from the school say they never promised more than debt-free tuition. The students were always supposed to cover the cost of their room and board.

“Upon admission to the university, Hope Scholarship recipients receive an offer letter from the university that outlines the full-tuition scholarship and any student obligations,” LIU Marketing Chief Jackie Nealon said. “The offer letter also expressly includes that neither university fees nor housing costs are included in the scholarship.”

Per Gothamist, an online archive shows that the university changed the language around the scholarship on their website in 2023. They initially advertised a “debt-free education.” Now, they promise a “tuition-free education.”