Sports

Diddy’s son defends acceptance of UCLA football scholarship

Justin Combs, son of hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, took to Twitter this week to defend his full scholarship to UCLA, which the school has confirmed. Many in cyberspace are questioning whether the multimillionaire's son should have accepted the $54,000 football scholarship, given the school's economic troubles.

But the 18 year old said he earned the scholarship.

"Regardless what the circumstances are, I put that work in!!!! PERIOD," he tweeted on May 30.

"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."

Combs, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound defensive back, graduated from New York's New Rochelle Iona Prep with a 3.75 GPA, according to the Los Angeles Times.

UCLA defended its decision, saying Combs' award was not siphoned from need-based scholarships to other students.

Athletic scholarships are "entirely funded by Athletic Department ticket sales, corporate partnerships, media contracts and private donations" and "do not rely on state funds," university spokesman Ricardo Vazquez told the 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 added.