LIU Students Claim Roc Nation Program Left Them In Debt
Written by djfrosty on April 10, 2025
According to reports, the vaunted partnership program between Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and LIU-Brooklyn has given its students unexpected debt and more struggle than promised. The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports, and Entertainment at LIU-Brooklyn was touted as a major achievement when it was launched in 2021 to much fanfare, with some students receiving “Hope Scholarships” for those deemed “higher need” applicants with the promise of debt-free learning. One recipient, Justice Stephenson, shared her excitement about getting the offer. “ I remember being just generally conflicted about school and then coming across this school made me feel a sense of security,” she said.
Stephenson is slated to graduate this year but told Gothamist that she is doing so with $5,000 in debt – an amount she negotiated down from $26,000. She’s one of a dozen students from the program who have accrued debt in amounts ranging up to $39,000. According to a former employee speaking anonymously, the Roc Nation program admitted 50 students in total in 2021. Some students took up couch surfing to help defray the cost of attending, and others allege they were guided to take out private loans.
The group of students speaking out also voiced complaints about the quality of offerings that the Roc Nation School promised. They said they created an improvised music studio out of a former student radio space, which they used along with professors. Another issue that was raised was the lack of celebrity guest lecturers promised – Megan Thee Stallion spoke to students, but others such as DJ Khaled, Rihanna, and the Jonas Brothers didn’t materialize.
LIU marketing chief Jackie Nealon stated that the scholarship covered tuition only. “The offer letter also expressly includes that neither university fees nor housing costs are included in the scholarship,” she said. The school program shows a change in language about the program was made in 2023 from “debt-free education” to a “tuition-free education.” Sumante Hutchinson, who claimed taking out a private loan was suggested to him by an associate dean, has some bitterness about the program. “My dad thought it was a scam,” Hutchinson said. “Come to find out it kind of has been a scam.”