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UCLA Defends Giving P. Diddy's Son a Full Ride
Sean "P. Diddy" Combs via Shutterstock
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UCLA awarded Justin Combs, son of hip hop mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs who's reportedly worth nearly a half billion dollars, a full athletic scholarship to play football for the Bruins this fall.
UCLA defended the scholarship and told CBS2 that its financial aid program enrolls more low-income grant recipients than the entire Ivy League combined. However, athletic scholarships are a separate issue from financial aid.
“Unlike need-based scholarships, athletic scholarships are awarded to students strictly on the basis of their athletic and academic ability, and not on a student’s financial need. Athletic scholarships, such as those awarded to football or basketball players, do not rely on state funds,” UCLA spokesperson Ricardo Vazquez said in a statement.
Combs graduated from a prep school in New York with a 3.75 grade point average and impressed college football recruiters.
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His scholarship is one of about 285 the university awards to student athletes each year, according to the L.A. Times. It will be used to pay for tuition and housing.
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