Some question whether the cash-strapped school should give the hip-hop mogul’s son a free ride. UCLA says the scholarship awarded to Justin Combs, 18, doesn’t come from state funds.
When Justin Combs turned 16, his father, hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, gave him a $360,000 silver Maybach.
When Justin Combs decided to play football in college, UCLA gave him a $54,000 scholarship.
As UCLA confirmed this week that the recent graduate of New York’s New Rochelle Iona Prep would enroll on a full athletic scholarship, some questioned if the cash-strapped school should pay for the education of the son of a man worth an estimated $475 million — and whether the 18-year-old should have accepted the offer.
Justin Combs took to Twitter to defend his scholarship.
“Regardless what the circumstances are, I put that work in!!!!” he tweeted on Wednesday. “PERIOD.”
“Regardless of what you do in life every1 is gonna have their own opinion,” he tweeted. “Stay focused, keep that tunnel vision & never 4get why u started.”
It’s not the first time the child of a wealthy celebrity has received a full ride, and many students said they weren’t that concerned since it wasn’t affecting need-based aid.
Combs — a 5-foot-9, 170-pound defensive back who reportedly graduated with a 3.75 GPA — announced in November he would attend UCLA, turning down scholarship offers from Illinois, Virginia and Wyoming.
UCLA was quick to defend its decision, saying the money used for Combs’ merit-based athletic scholarship wouldn’t affect need-based scholarships awarded to other students.
University spokesman Ricardo Vazquez said athletic scholarships were “entirely funded by Athletic Department ticket sales, corporate partnerships, media contracts and private donations” and “do not rely on state funds.”
“There is a big separation between financial aid based on need and how that’s funded and how athletic scholarships are funded and awarded to students,” he said.
The Times reported in October that the university had used more than $2 million from student fees to cover an athletic department funding gap the year before. That money, Vazquez said, did not go to the roughly 285 athletic scholarships UCLA hands out each year.
Emily Resnick, the outgoing president of UCLA’s Undergraduate Students Assn., said she sees no problem with Combs’ scholarship if needy students are unaffected.
“If his athletic abilities deserve it, then more power to him,” the graduating senior said.
Joelle Gamble, who will graduate from UCLA in a couple of weeks, said the university would likely benefit from the buzz generated by having a celebrity’s son on the team.
“UCLA is a business — to them, giving him a scholarship is some sort of investment,” she said. “It’s how college athletics works. This is how we’re going to get money.”
Former USC basketball coach Tim Floyd acknowledged a few years ago that fame was a factor in his decision to offer rapper Master P’s son — a rapper and actor perhaps better known as Romeo — one of 13 scholarship spots on the 2008-09 team.
“The more buzz you can create, the more news stories you can create, the better served you are as a program,” Floyd told the Wall Street Journal at the time.
Romeo left the team in 2010 after logging 19 minutes in two seasons as a Trojan.
But UCLA coaches have insisted that Combs is more than just a music man’s son.
“Football is very important to him and that’s one thing I love about him,” defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin told the Daily Bruin in February. “He’s not just the son of a star … he really likes football.”
Source: L.A. Times
June 3, 2012 at 2:18 am
Justin is VERY handsome. If he was a few years older and was my age (23) I’d date him.
First of all, he graduated with a 3.79 GPA. He earned it – the scholarship is merit-based so he deserves it. Do you know what the drop out rate among African-American males is? Extremely high…so he’s already beat statistics in that regard. UCLA is making a wise investment into someone who is so talented and with promise. At least he’s doing something constructive with himself and his life unlike a number of young people out there in our community who are just playing video games all day, not working or going to college to advance their lives, and who are a drain on society. These folks with “raised eyebrows” need to just stop hating and get over it. I also got merit-based scholarships in college (and non-merit based ones) and I earned mine. Again, these folks need to just stop hating and go away.
Other football players are awarded full-tuition scholarships, so like those students, Justin has earned his based on his athletic abilities (and grades) and Justin deserves the scholarship. Hands down.
I can understand why some feathers of some people might be ruffled. Although Justin is the son of a celebrity who can afford to pay, this is not really the issue so much because Justin has been awarded the scholarship based on merit – 3.79 GPA is excellent. However, it would be nice if P-Diddy donated the money that he has saved from not having to put up over $50K to pay his son’s tuition, to another underprivileged student, but he’s not obligated to do so.
Now, when gets to UCLA lets hope he “puts in the work” and completes his degree.
June 4, 2012 at 6:07 am
This is yet another “sign of the times” senario..
As “ruffled” as my feathers may be I am in agreement that the young man has indeed earned his scholarship and yet 56k is like 50 bucks to Combs and his family. With all that’s going on with cutbacks and the raising of student fees you would think that the morally right thing to do would be just to pay for it. Not to mention that this would be an awsome PR opportunity for Diddy but oh well. One of the reasons the “rich” stay rich right?! They don’t spend their money. They spend ours..
Legally innocent.. Morally GUILTY!!
June 4, 2012 at 9:29 pm
Loc, puh-lease, everything is a “sign of the times” to you. The money that P-Diddy has is his own money, not yours, mine or the next person’s money.
A lot of black men in P-Diddy’s shoes who are in entertainment (or sports) may be high income earners but most of these so-called “brothers” often spend just as much if not more than the bring in. So, in reality many of these “rich” guys probably are just as broke as the next person who is living from pay check to check. P-Diddy is probably an exception because he managed to put his talents to use and not go broke because he’s a smart businessman.
Nine times out of ten you see a “brother” who’s managed to “make it” in either entertainment/sports and get rich quick or get an NFL deal, what happens? Then they often will end up broke in a few years because of a short-term “right now” mindset and they’ve blown through threw their millions and splurged on irrelevant materialistic stuff like thousand dollar bling-bling necklaces, $100K cars, and then became deadbeats by making a bunch of babies along the way with different women that they don’t enough pay child support for (Terrell Owens, etc. – too many to name).
A lot of African-American men need to get out of that slave mentality and do something sustainable and that lasts beyond their own noses. Most of these guys need to take a money-management course because money are not equipped to handle the responsibilities that go with handling that much money and investing it or recycling it. Magic Johnson is a perfect example of an African-American man who has excelled and found creative ways to create sustainability, i.e., Fatburger, theatres, Dodgers, etc. A lot of black men could learn a lesson from Johnson if they wanted to.
Its a slave mentality, if a person has been broke almost all of his life and finally has “arrived” he wants to floss this new money and show it off to make himself feel like he’s a king with some status and is balling out of control. Only then to end up broke again just a few years later because of lack of judgment and/or character, from not knowing how to properly handle and investment that money. Fortunately, P-Diddy has been a pretty savvy business man.
June 5, 2012 at 9:20 am
Average Gal
I’m sorry.. I thought that I agreed that the younger Combs earned and therefore is entitled to said scholarship.. I need to read what I typed again I see…lol.. Sarcasm aside, P-Diddy, just like the vast majority of “successful negro entertainers, athletes and business people” are a part of a network. A club, sect, cult, whatever you may want to call it that is all smoke and mirrors.
Like I said before when I first started chiming in on this website, I have views and beliefs that will not be popular with today’s hollywood obsessed, wannabe famous, reality watching world. I truly can care less about what these dubious negroes do with their kids and their money. I know that their “donations’ and their “contributions” are nothing more than tax write offs. I know that no signifigant efforts to build negro infrastructures has been made by any of them. I submit that they can’t or face certain retribution from their secret societies. I am niave to none of these facts.
So I didn’t understand your rambling. After all, you started your 1st post on this topic by saying.. and I quote.. “Justin is VERY handsome. If he was a few years older and was my age (23) I’d date him”.
Hmmmmmmmm…. Average Gal indeed!!
June 5, 2012 at 11:49 pm
He (Justin) is cute/handsome…so what…I can give a compliment if I want. You jealous? LOL. That’s not a rambling, that’s just being honest. And the first thing I noticed when I looked at him was his looks, plus he’s smart and has a bright future and seems to be pretty grounded as far as I can tell. And focused and determined, like me. We need more of this in the African-American community. I think we both agree on this Loc.
Actually, I’m quite above average in many respects but I honestly don’t care for too much attention and I go by Average Gal because I can swim about the fish in the sea. Nothing great is easy. And like Justin said (and I agree with 100%), “Regardless of what you do in life every1 is gonna have their own opinion”….I didn’t get to where I am listening to other people’s opinions. I’ve carved out my own map. Set my goals goals. And have stayed focused. I’m winner…I don’t care want anyone thinks and if I did I’m be just as jacked up as the next person or worried about some so-called boogeyman illuminatti…pure B.S.
Go out there and grab yourself a piece of life. Change your world and your life. Dueces, I’m out!
– Above Average Gal (I might change to this instead)
June 6, 2012 at 6:15 am
Boogieman?? Pure B.S.??
So says the ones who talk about change but in reality will kill for the statis quo. I don’t wanna fight with you young lady but I will. I will fight with you, Mrs. DiPrima or anyone when it comes to truth. REAL TRUTH!!!!
But hey.. Perhaps you are right. Perhaps signs and symbols aren’t the button pushers tipping their gangsta hand to those of us who seeminly don’t have power or the wealth to even attempt a true fight. Perhaps my opinions don’t matter and bring little or nothing to the table other an a slave mentality and a paranoid viewpoint. Perhaps.
We’ll see..
June 6, 2012 at 6:18 am
P.S. Jealous of a lil boy?? I think not..
June 6, 2012 at 10:33 pm
Hey Loc, you and I both agree that this would be an awesome PR opportunity for P-Diddy and a way to make a positive contribution to the African-American community in the process. I’ll let you have that one.
Morally, it is the right thing to do. Lets hope P-Diddy feels the same way.
I’m out.