WMU Offering Scholarships Up to $10K to Students Who Get Vaccinated

Western Michigan University is offering cash incentives for students to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The school announced that fully vaccinated students will get a $5 Starbucks gift card and have the chance to win 1 of 60 scholarship ranging from $500 to $10,000.

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Scholarships may be applied to tuition, fees, on-campus housing and campus dining.

Here's the breakdown of the scholarship money:
•    Five $10,000 scholarships
•    Ten $2,500 scholarships
•    Twenty-five $1,000 scholarships
•    Twenty $500 scholarships

WMU says the first drawing the first three $10,000, first five $2,500, and first ten $1,000 scholarships will be drawn at the end of day on Aug. 6, with subsequent the rest of the drawings happening Sept. 6, Oct. 6, Nov. 6 and Dec. 6.

To be eligible, students must be enrolled and fully vaccinated.

For the first drawing, students must submit their info (including vaccination documentation) by July 31. For the following drawings, students have to submit by 8 a.m. on the first day of the month.

You can find more information about Western Michigan University's vaccine incentive program here.

In a June 18 message to students, WMU said,

We have collectively kept our campus safe during the pandemic and, thanks to all of your efforts, we are well experienced in creating an environment that has protected our community. As we look forward to a much closer-to-normal fall and academic year, vaccines are now our most critical and readily available tool to safeguard ourselves and those around us.

WMU also announced updated COVID-19 protocols:

• There are no longer outdoor capacity limits on Western’s campus or University-controlled properties.
• As of June 22, WMU has lifted all limits on indoor capacity.
• In on-campus housing, the guest policy and capacity limits will return to pre-pandemic standards.
• In terms of hiring practices, all divisions will return to the HR processes for new hires as they stood on March 1, 2020.

Another Michigan College is also offering vaccine incentives. Albion College says that high school and middle school students who get vaccinated at one of their three clinics will be entered to win free tuition for one year. If a guardian of an eligible child wins the raffle, they will be permitted to share it with one person in place of themselves. Additional prizes include a semester of free tuition, a one-year family membership to the Battle Creek Family YMCA, and free books at Albion for one semester.

Albion College is hosting the clinics in partnership with the Albion Health Care Alliance, the Battle Creek Family YMCA, the Calhoun County Public Health Department and Marshall Public Schools.

The remaining clinic dates are:

• June 28 at the Battle Creek Family YMCA from 3 to 6 p.m. (with a clinic for the second dose on July 19)
• June 29 at Marshall High School from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (with a clinic for the second dose on July 20)