Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship

​In an effort to increase the number of students receiving COVID-19 vaccines, Central Michigan University today launched a vaccine incentive program with prizes including four scholarships equivalent to a full year of tuition and hundreds of gift cards.

Beginning today, students who have completed a full vaccine protocol — one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine — may register online to enter the incentive program. And, while they can enter only once, students are eligible for every drawing held after they register.

"The earlier a student registers, they more chances they have to win prizes," said Jennifer DeHaemers, CMU's vice president for student recruitment and retention.

CMU will choose 101 winners during each of four scheduled drawings. Winners will be announced Aug. 2 and 23, Sept. 13, and Oct. 4. In each drawing, 100 students will receive a $75 gift card, and one student will win a full-tuition scholarship. All participants will also receive a 20% discount at the CMU Bookstore, DeHaemers said.

The scholarship will be equivalent to the value of 15 domestic credit hours for undergraduate students or up to nine domestic credit hours for graduate students, per semester, for the Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 semesters. International students and College of Medicine students also may enter, and both main campus and Global Campus students are eligible to receive prizes.

Winners will be notified through their cmich.edu email.

Nationwide, only about 34% of college-aged individuals have been vaccinated. Last month, CMU President Bob Davies announced that CMU has joined the COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge, a national effort to increase vaccination rates among young people.

DeHaemers said CMU's vaccine incentive program aligns with the university's commitment to the challenge and will ensure everyone can enjoy a robust and engaging fall semester.

"To protect our campus and community from the spread of COVID-19 and its variants, we want to strongly encourage students to receive the vaccine before classes begin this fall," she said.

Students wishing to receive their COVID-19 vaccine can make an appointment through CMU Health by calling (989) 774-6599. Students outside the Mount Pleasant area may visit Vaccine Finder or Michigan's COVID-19 vaccine page to find a vaccination site near their home.

Information about the vaccine incentive program, including full rules and entry form, is available for students on the program webpage.