Kanye’s School’s Enrollment Requirements: $15k And An NDA
More than 100 students are enrolled and some have received financial assistance or scholarships supported by Kanye’s network.
(Edward Berthelot via Getty Images)
Dolton; Illinois — Before enrolling their child in Kanye West’s Donda Academy, parents are required to pay a yearly tuition of $15,000 and sign a non-disclosure agreement.
The private school, named after the rapper’s late mother Donda West, has been raising eyebrows since it was announced, with some finding its level of secrecy unnerving, according to Yahoo Entertainment.
But that hasn’t stopped the institution from opening its doors to about 100 students in late August. Malik Yusef, producer and longtime collaborator of West’s who helped shape the school’s concept, said people bring their kids to the academy “for a sense of privacy.”
“The process of Donda school is for the parishioners, for the attendees,” said Yusef, who added that some of the students belong to some of Kanye’s celebrity and creative peers such as Keyshia Cole. “I don’t think Kanye needs to tell the world what he’s doing, so that he can be under more scrutiny.”
Tamar Andrews, a consultant for Donda, agreed.
“Honestly, we don’t care if people know about the school,” Andrews said. “The people that want to come to the school are looking for a good Christian school in that area and they know that we’re there … there is also a certain notoriety that comes with being affiliated with Donda. So, I don’t know that we have to advertise, which is a blessing and a curse.”
Many of the students who attend the school have received financial assistance or scholarships supported by Kanye’s network, according to Andrews. The school has also applied for accreditation with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, which is the leading accreditation agency for all academic institutions in California. The determining visit for accreditation will happen in spring 2023.