Miami announces new vaccine incentive program

Miami University students at both the Oxford and regional campuses will soon be receiving free Apple products, hockey tickets and even a semester’s worth of tuition through the university’s new vaccine incentive program.

Miami announced its new “Your Shot to Win” program in a July 13 university wide email. The program enters all full-time students who have received at least one dose of any FDA emergency authorized COVID-19 vaccine into weekly drawings for various prizes.

Students need to upload proof of their vaccination to MedProctor to be eligible. Five to 10 winning students will be randomly selected every Tuesday in July, August and September beginning July 20. Winners will be notified through their Miami email.

A full list of of prizes for Oxford campus students include:

Bursar credit equal to one Tuition Promise semester of in-state tuition and fees (maximum value $8,352)
Bursar credit for a Miami meal plan for one year (maximum value $3,000)
VIP box tickets for you and nine friends to a Miami hockey game
$5,000 cash
MacBook Air laptop
iPad Pro
$500 bookstore gift cards
$250 bookstore gift cards

For students attending Miami’s regional campuses, prizes include

Bursar credit equal to one Tuition Promise semester of in-state tuition and fees (maximum value $3,385)
VIP box tickets for you and nine friends to a Miami hockey game
MacBook Air laptop
iPad Pro
$500 bookstore gift cards
$250 bookstore gift cards

Carole Johnson, associate director of university news and communications, said the program is intended to give students an incentive to not only receive the COVID-19 vaccine but also to input their proof of immunization into MedProctor.

Johnson said Miami drew inspiration from a number of other vaccine incentive programs throughout the country, including Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s Vax-a-Million program.

“We definitely are looking at all types of ideas and incentives to encourage our students to go ahead and get the vaccinations,” Johnson said.

Rising sophomore Evan Gates said he was somewhat surprised when he heard about the program and expressed worry that it could be indicative of low vaccination rates on Miami’s campus.

“I am surprised they’re willing to make prizes as big as a semester of full tuition or a year’s meal plan,” Gates said. “It does make me a little nervous that people are not getting vaccinated enough right now if that level of incentives are necessary.”

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Despite this, Gates also noted that many vaccinated students may just not have submitted their records through MedProctor.

“I was fully vaccinated back in April but didn’t submit my records until the announcement today,” Gates said. “I think [the program] is mainly a reminder for people to submit.”

Rising junior Stephen Kopcho said he was excited about the program and applauded Miami for offering desirable prizes.

“[The program] looks awesome,” Kopcho said, “especially since the rewards are actually things that most people are going to want, like tuition for a semester.”

@madphabes

phabymr@miamioh.edu