JAY-Z’s Roc Nation is teaming up with Brooklyn’s Long Island University to create the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment.
The new school will begin enrolling students for the fall 2021 semester. A quarter of the incoming freshman will receive Roc Nation Hope Scholarships. Those scholarship recipients will graduate without any debt. Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez said that the new collaboration with Long Island University is “a true investment in our community and young people in Brooklyn, in New York City, and beyond.”
“We’re excited that The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment will provide unique insight, knowledge and experiences for students and introduce the world to the next generation of unmatched talent,” Perez continued in a statement.
The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment will offer undergraduate degrees in sports management, music, music technology, production and entrepreneurship. Applications will begin to be accepted this fall and the scholarship recipients will be selected from a group of “academically competitive, need-based first-time freshmen from New York,” according to The Charlotte Observer.
“Our proximity in and around New York City’s epicenter of music and sports clearly positions us to offer unparalleled experiential learning and access to professional opportunities that will launch students to success,” Long Island University President Dr. Kimberly Cline said in a statement. “We look forward to joining with Roc Nation to offer an unprecedented educational resource that opens up the entertainment and sports world to a new and eager generation.”
At the new institution, students will be able to interact with guest speakers and artists and will gain real-life experiences through internships. Additionally, beginning in spring 2021, summer residential camps will be available for high school students and Saturday programs will be available for students between the ages of 10 and 18. These programs will focus on music and sports management. Scholarships will also be available for those eligible students.