As of Friday, the last day UA students could claim a $40 Bama Cash reward by uploading proof of a COVID-19 vaccination, the University invested more than $750,000 on student cash incentives to encourage vaccinations this semester.
Almost 61% of UA full-time students have received at least one dose of a vaccine, much higher than the 35.4% overall vaccine initiation rate of 18–29-year-olds in the state.
In addition to the Bama Cash reward, students who provided vaccine proof in August were eligible to compete for prizes including all-access parking passes, housing scholarships and tickets to away football games. Even though the incentive programs have ended, students are still encouraged to upload their vaccine information to let the University know they’ve been vaccinated.
“The incentive program successfully encouraged students to get vaccinated and to tell us they’ve been vaccinated, and it rewarded those students for protecting themselves, each other, and our herd — our broader Crimson Tide campus community,” said Dr. Ricky Friend, dean of the College of Community Health Sciences. “Vaccinations are the key to a successful fall semester. Data continue to show the vaccines provide very strong protection against serious illness and hospitalization.”
The dedicated, campuswide campaign — Protect Our Herd — will continue to regularly share helpful public health information and data and urge vaccination.
UA has made vaccines available at no cost to all students and employees. Following Center for Disease Control and Alabama Department of Public Health guidelines and directives, the University Medical Center and the Student Health Center have provided more than 17,800 vaccine doses to students, employees and community members. The vaccines have been offered through walk-up vaccination stations across campus and at the clinics during regular business hours and special weekend vaccination-only clinics.