KU joins other universities in offering students incentives for COVID vaccination
Fully vaccinated University of Kansas students could win prizes ranging from gift cards to a semester of free tuition under a new incentive program.
KU announced the initiative Friday in advance of students returning to class next week. It offers $40 gift cards to the first 4,000 students who receive their first shot on campus and enters any fully vaccinated student into a raffle if they upload their vaccination records to the health services portal.
The fall semester begins Aug. 23 with a requirement that masks be worn indoors regardless of vaccination status.
Students are returning to campus as COVID-19 cases rise in Kansas and across the Midwest, driven by the delta variant. Douglas County, where KU’s main campus is located, is averaging 33 new coronavirus cases each day.
Hospitals in Kansas are becoming increasingly worried about capacity as staffing shortages intensify. Hospitalizations have been driven primarily by unvaccinated patients.
KU’s incentive program follows similar efforts announced by the University of Missouri system, Kansas State University and Pittsburg State University.
According to the announcement, KU will hold drawings from Aug. 27 through Oct. 29.
Prizes include:
- One semester of free in-state tuition for three students
- A $5,000 prize for three students
- Gold parking permit for two students
- $1,000 in KU Dining Dollars for four students
- An iPad, AirPods and Apple Watch for one student
- Packages including tickets to KU football and basketball games
- Gift cards to Adidas and Rally House
In a statement Andrew Foster, KU’s emergency management coordinator, said he hoped the incentives would encourage students not already vaccinated to get a shot.
“We know that vaccination is the best way each of us can protect ourselves and our community against the effects of COVID-19 and the delta variant,” Foster said.
This story was originally published August 16, 2021 at 11:35 AM with the headline "KU joins other universities in offering students incentives for COVID vaccination."
