USC awarding tuition, Carolina-Clemson tickets for students to get vaccinated
The University of South Carolina will be giving away tuition, tickets to the Carolina-Clemson football game, Apple computers and more to students and employees on campus who get vaccinated.
In a Wednesday message to students, faculty and staff, USC Interim President Harris Pastides announced the prizes alongside COVID-19 testing requirements for the upcoming fall semester.
“Earlier this year, I was offered an important opportunity to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, and I seized it as quickly as I could,” Pastides said in the message.
Pastides, who holds both a master’s degree and a doctorate in epidemiology from Yale University, served as the dean of USC’s Arnold School of Public Health.
“My education and experience, along with my assessment of the supporting science in reputable academic journals, assures me that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective for my family and for you,” Pastides said in the message.
While USC cannot require everyone on campus to be vaccinated, the university is offering weekly awards to those who have been vaccinated or those who get vaccinated. According to USC’s website those awards include:
- One full and one half in-state tuition discount
- Apple Airpods, iPad Minis and Macbooks
- Four tickets per winner to home football games, including Carolina vs. Clemson
- Garage parking passes for spring semester (4 student passes; 2 faculty/staff passes)
- Five $1,000 travel grants for faculty
- Five $1,000 supply grants for faculty and staff
- Five professional association memberships for faculty
- $500 bookstore credit
- $250 meal plan cards for students, faculty and staff
In order to be eligible, students and employees must upload their completed vaccination card to the university’s MyHealthSpace account, according to the message. Winners will be chosen through a random drawing, USC spokesman Jeff Stensland said.
The move comes after state officials stymied USC’s attempt to require masks for everyone inside campus buildings. Per the advice of health professionals, USC continues to recommend wearing face masks while in crowded or enclosed indoor settings.
“While vaccination is the surest way to get our lives back to normal, wearing a face covering and physically distancing in indoor settings can also help reduce the spread of the virus,” Pastides said in the message.
USC’s coronavirus testing policy will be similar to how it was in spring semester 2021, Pastides said in the message. Students and employees will be selected at random to get tested. The goal is to get a more complete picture of COVID-19 infection rates and percent positive rates on campus. Students and employees can expect an email telling them when they need to get tested, Stensland said.
This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 11:17 AM.