Students receive scholarships for getting vaccine
Last November, second-year student Mallory Stiff reacted how most would react when receiving a phone call from an unrecognized number. She hung up.
But after a follow-up email and another phone call, she finally decided to answer.
To her surprise, it was Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment, David Jones, calling to inform her that she had been selected at random to receive a scholarship covering an entire semester at Minnesota State.
At the request of the Minnesota State System Chancellor Devinder Malhotra, MSU has enacted incentives for students to get vaccinated for COVID-19.
It was announced in the fall of 2021 that the University would randomly select one fully vaccinated student to receive a scholarship for a full semester of tuition beginning Nov. 1. They moved on to offer the same scholarship to two more students during December, and another two in January.
Stiff was the first student to receive this award last November, and was surprised to say the least.
“I didn’t really believe it at first,” said Stiff. “That doesn’t really happen, you know?”
Jones was tasked with making the phone calls and said many of the winners took a few calls to reach.
“Not everyone believes me when I tell them,” said Jones, who then goes on to tell them, “No, this is legit, thank you for protecting the herd by getting vaccinated.”
The winner of the award is chosen from the pool of students who are vaccinated and have reported this to the school. Students are automatically put in for the drawing from the statewide confidential system that stores immunization records.
This month the University is changing it up, deciding instead to split up the larger award to give five students $1,000 toward their tuition every month, starting on Feb. 1.
“Based on my experience from the fall, it was my recommendation to spend about the same, but spread the money among more people,” said Jones about the decision.
Stiff noted that she was vaccinated last March in hopes of being able to spend time with her family.
“As soon as I qualified for it, I got it,” said Stiff, “It was more so I could see my grandparents.”
While she was among the first to be vaccinated, Stiff understands that getting the vaccine is up to each individual.
“It is a personal choice,” said Stiff. “I made the personal choice to get vaccinated.”
The hope of the program is to incentivize students to get vaccinated. According to Jones, seventy-three percent of students that attend MSU are currently vaccinated, as stated by MSU’s Student Health Services, and the University aims to keep increasing that number.
Jones cites the high vaccination rate as a main cause of a so far successful year of in-person classes.
“Our low rates are a result of people getting vaccinated,” said Jones, “We have been able to be here all year because of that.”
Write to Maxwell Mayleben at Maxwell.Mayleben@mnsu.edu