A group of students claims a New York school backed by Jay-Z underdelivered on its promise.
According to the Gothamist, a group of students is alleging that the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment at Long Island University (LIU) Brooklyn overpromised on financial awards to fund their eduction.
Launched in 2021, the program offered elite facilities, celebrity instructors and full-tuition scholarships. Students showed the outlet letters claiming they would be able to graduate “without debt”.
“You will receive full tuition”
In the story, student Justice Stephenson, alleged that LIU’s president, Kimberly Kline, reached out to her via text after graduating high school to make the debt-free offer.
The message read, “You will receive full tuition and be able to graduate without debt,” a dream opportunity stemming from a partnership with Jay-Z’s entertainment company.
“I tried to reach you by phone. Roc Nation School at LIU is awarding you a full-tuition scholarship. You will receive full tuition and be able to graduate without debt,” said the text message from Cline.
It appeared to be a great opportunity, and Stephenson’s mother urged her to take it, imagining a debt-free education leading to a degree in vocal performance.
LIU was offering a “Hope Scholarship,” which the university says it awards to “highest-need” students.
“ I remember being just generally conflicted about school and then coming across this school made me feel a sense of security,” Stephenson expressed. “It was a full scholarship immediately. It was a music school, which is iconic and the dream. And Jay-Z is involved.”
But as the semester progressed, the enthusiastic scholar received unexpected charges.
In 2023, Stephenson reached out to Kline directly with questions about her scholarship. Kline texted back, “I am in DC in meetings with Congress. I will reach out to you on Friday.” Stephenson said she hasn’t heard back since.
Now, Stephenson is preparing to graduate while also paying off $5,000 in student debt. She said she negotiated that amount down from $26,000 after arguing to LIU officials that she’d been promised a debt-free graduation.
Students in the first-year class, who entered in 2021, also say they were blindsided by fees for housing, insurance and other expenses, currently set at $22,000 a year, and are struggling to repay these costs, with some having dropped out over the burden. Gothamist found that in 2023, the university changed language on its website from “debt-free” to “tuition-free,” which the school now argues is a distinction its students should have understood.