June 2, 2012
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P Diddy’s son gets a UCLA scholarship
Justin Combs, the 18-year-old son of hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, will attend UCLA on a $54,000 football scholarship.Is it fair? Of course…he earned it!
It is one of 285 athletic scholarships the university hands out every year.
It comes at a time when student fees are rising and a year after the university had to use more than $2 million in student fees to cover an athletic department funding gap.
Money for Combs’ scholarship will not affect need-based scholarships awarded by the university, UCLA spokesman Ricardo Vazquez told the Los Angeles Times.
“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, noting that athletic scholarships come from athletic department ticket sales, corporate partnerships, media contracts and private donations.
The newspaper said Justin Combs defended taking the scholarship on Twitter: “Regardless what the circumstances are, I put that work in!!!! … PERIOD.”
The senior Combs is worth an estimated $475 million and gave his son a $360,000 Maybach car for his 16th birthday, the Times said.
Justin Combs, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound defensive back, graduated from New Rochelle Iona Prep in New York with a 3.75 grade point average. He also had scholarship offers from Illinois, Virginia and Wyoming.
If needy students are unaffected, there is no problem, said Emily Resnick, outgoing president of UCLA’s Undergraduate Students Association. “If his athletic abilities deserve it, then more power to him.”
Joelle Gamble, who will graduate from the university in a few weeks, said the scholarship could be considered an investment since UCLA would probably benefit by the celebrity Combs could bring to the school.
“It’s how college athletics works. This is how we’re going to get money,” she said.
I think we should congratulate them both…Justin could have coasted as many children of rich and famous parents but he did not he excelled. Especially coming from the bling world of rap he is a real standout. I am sure there are other wealthy kids getting scholarships in many different fields but I guess this struck a chord because of the financial crisis here in the US, maybe we are all a bit jealous?
What do you think?
Comments (2)
Needy students aren’t affected? So there isn’t a very talented but financially struggling young athlete for whom this scholarship wouldn’t have made a greater difference?
I am torn on this one…some millionaires like Warren Buffet give nothing to their children so they can make it on their own…or earn it…
I am pleased to know at least he earned it on the field and in the classroom but I also feel bad that there are other kids that perhaps need the scholarship more.
I do feel in athletics, especially football, all good “athletes” regardless of grades will land somewhere.