John Legend Partners with Bilt to Cover Rent for 50 Students
The initiative, coinciding with the release of his new album 'Muse,' aims to alleviate financial burdens for students and support educational access.
John Legend has teamed up with the housing payment platform Bilt to provide rent coverage for 50 students across four educational institutions. This partnership is set to take place on October Rent Day®.
The selected schools for this initiative are Morehouse College, Central State University, Wilberforce University, and Legend's alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania. The collaboration coincides with the upcoming release of Legend's eleventh studio album, "Muse," which is slated for release on October 23 and features production and co-writing by Pharrell Williams.
October's Rent Day program is designed to align with the album's launch, offering Bilt members various exclusive opportunities. These include chances to win free rent through Rent Free™, purchase a limited-edition "Muse" vinyl with custom artwork, enter a drawing to attend a private John Legend concert in San Francisco on October 21, or donate their Bilt Points to Scholarship America, an organization that Legend supports.
Bilt members can pre-order the special edition "Muse" vinyl starting immediately, while supplies last. The collaboration highlights Bilt Founder and CEO Ankur Jain's view that Legend's music has been the soundtrack to significant life moments for many.
"It feels right to build this Rent Day around him and around 'Muse,'" Jain stated. "It feels even more right that in the same month members can win rent and pre-order the album, they can also turn their Bilt Points into scholarships for students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford college."
Legend reflected on his own college experiences, recounting how he juggled paying rent, a work-study job, and employment at a church to fund his education. "I was hustling, and I was doing it so I could pay my rent, so I know what it feels like to be in that position where you’ve got to figure out how to do it yourself," Legend said. "I’m sure a lot of kids in school right now are in that same position."
He emphasized the importance of education, stating, "Education has always been such an important thing for me. I know what it meant for me to be able to go to college and get a great education; it set me up for life." Through this partnership with Bilt and Scholarship America, Legend aims to launch a Rent Assistance Program to help students facing the risk of eviction by covering off-campus housing costs.
The album "Muse" is set for release on October 23, with the lead single "Daylight" having been released on September 8 and another track, "Fireflies," available on October 6.