To Encourage Covid-19 Vaccination, Some Campuses Add Incentives

Students at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro now have a new incentive to be vaccinated against Covid-19 — a shot at free housing, textbooks, or meal credits. Those who submit proof of their vaccination-record card by April 28 are eligible for the lottery.

It’s the latest program to encourage students to follow best practices for public health. At Siena College, in New York, once 70 percent of in-person students get their vaccines, certain Covid-related rules will be relaxed. (Outdoor gatherings of up to 50 people, for example, will once again be permitted.)

Other programs have given incentives for testing. Ohio University entered students who showed up for Covid-19 testing into a drawing, the grand prizes for which included iPad minis and a MacBook Pro. University of Tennessee at Knoxville students earned points for completing self-screening or saliva questionnaires.

Other colleges and universities, of course, are simply requiring vaccinations. We’re keeping a running list here. Got a tip about programs aiming to draw vaccinated students back into campus life? Email me, at lindsay.ellis@chronicle.com.