On June 16, Southern Adventist University President Ken Shaw sent an email to the student body announcing that vaccinated students who submit their COVID-19 vaccination cards will become eligible for a weekly $500 scholarship drawing. This plan will serve as an incentive for students to become vaccinated and achieve Shaw’s goal of reaching “70% of COVID-19 vaccinations among students and employees,” as stated in the email.
“I have high hopes that we can attain that percentage and safely ease up on many of the protocols that have become so familiar,” Shaw wrote in the email.
In order for students to become eligible for the scholarship drawing, vaccination cards must be approved by the University Health Center (UHC). The UHC will accept cards showing proof of two doses of Moderna, Pfizer or AstraZeneca, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson.
Scholarships will be awarded on Fridays from June 25 through Oct. 1. Recipients will be chosen at random from a pool of all total valid vaccination cards submitted to the university by the previous Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. There will be a limit of one scholarship per student, but vaccinated students will have multiple opportunities to win.
According to the email, students who upload valid vaccination cards and get approved by the UHC will not be required to quarantine if they get exposed to a COVID-19 case and do not show any symptoms. The email did not mention any changes to current mask policies for vaccinated individuals.
The email additionally stated that before arriving on campus for the 2021 fall semester, students must submit either their completed vaccination card one week prior to arrival or a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken 72 hours or less before arrival on campus. Students who submit a negative COVID-19 test will be required to retake the test at the UHC within a few days after their arrival.
Students can upload their vaccination cards or negative COVID-19 tests at southern.edu/incentive.
