A$AP Rocky is helping an aspiring music industry professional earn a college degree without paying tuition.
The rapper is funding a four-year, full-tuition scholarship for an incoming freshman at Long Island University’s Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment in Brooklyn, Vice News reported. The scholarship will cover tuition for the student beginning in fall 2027.
Applications are open through Dec. 15.
“I’m a big believer in creating your own lane and giving people the opportunity to do the same,” A$AP Rocky said in a statement to Billboard. “There are so many talented young people with ideas, ambition and something important to say. This scholarship is about helping one of them turn that vision into something real.”
The scholarship offers substantial financial relief for a student pursuing a career in music or entertainment. Annual tuition at the Roc Nation School was reported at $32,000 in 2024, according to Billboard.
This means four years of tuition at approximately $128,000 before any increases or additional fees.
The school also offers financial assistance through its Roc Nation Hope Scholarships.
According to Variety, 25% of enrolled students receive these awards, which cover four years of tuition.
Recipients of the Roc Nation Hope Scholarships are selected from academically competitive first-time freshmen with the greatest financial need.
Billboard reported that 99% of the school’s student body receives some form of financial aid.
The Roc Nation School began enrolling students at LIU in fall 2021.
It offers six bachelor of arts programs and serves approximately 300 students, according to Variety.
Its music-related programs include applied music, vocal performance, and music technology, entrepreneurship and production.
The school combines academic instruction with opportunities to gain practical experience and build professional connections across the entertainment industry.
Rocky joins a group of entertainers and athletes who have helped students attend the Roc Nation School.
Billboard and Variety identified DJ Khaled, Megan Thee Stallion, NBA star LaMelo Ball and Grammy-winning engineer and producer Gimel “Young Guru” Keaton among those who have established scholarships for students at the school.
Young Guru, Jay-Z’s longtime engineer, also serves as director of the school’s Music Technology, Entrepreneurship & Production program, a position he assumed in 2022, according to Billboard and Variety.
The scholarship is consistent with Rocky’s previously discussed efforts to help people in his community.
During a January interview with Jimmy Fallon, the rapper spoke about paying rent for tenants living in his grandmother’s former building.
Rocky said his experience growing up in the homeless shelter system shaped his views on charitable giving.
He also criticized the practice of recording donations to people experiencing homelessness for social media, saying he preferred to help others without publicizing the act.
“Well, some people might not know much about my early days, my past, and my background. So I grew up in the homeless shelter system,” A$AP Rocky said. “For me, when I look online and stuff, and I see TikToks of people doing things like donating to homeless people, it’s usually with a camera there. And for me, that’s a little pretentious.”
The scholarship offers Rocky another way to support young people, helping one student pursue an education that could open doors in the music and entertainment industries.
Rocky released “Don’t Be Dumb” on Jan. 16, and the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, earning him his third chart-topping album.
