Aug. 18 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Starting today, Grand Rapids Community College students can register for a $200 incentive to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The college also has a series of vaccination clinics planned to make the vaccines as accessible as possible as part of efforts to keep the campus safe.
Vaccines have been determined to be the most effective tool in stopping the spread of COVID-19 and preventing serious illness and hospitalization.
Eligible students can receive a $200 credit on their RaiderCards to use for campus dining, parking, printing, and in the bookstore.
The vaccination incentive program is available to students enrolled in an in-person, hybrid, virtual, or online credit course, clock-hour Job Training program, or apprenticeship program that begins between Aug. 30 and Dec. 16, 2021. Eligible students must meet this enrollment definition at the time incentive funds are disbursed to their RaiderCards and have achieved fully vaccinated status any time on or before Nov. 15, 2021.
To be considered for the incentive, students should log into their Online Center, select the GRCC Vaccine Incentive tile, and complete a brief form. There will be a place for students to upload a photo of their COVID-19 vaccination record card.
Credits will be added to RaiderCards in September for students who have completed the process, and weekly thereafter as students become fully vaccinated and upload a photo of their card.
RaiderCards are available in GRCC’s Office of Student Life on the first floor of the Student Center.
The incentives are limited to GRCC students. Employees are not eligible. Additional information is available on the GRCC COVID information page.
The college is offering a series of on-campus clinics to help students gain the vaccination.
The first will be at Raider Rally, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Aug. 28 in front of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall. Another is planned for Sept. 8 during Welcome Week, available from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Finkelstein Hall on the Main Campus and GRCC Lakeshore Campus and from 3-6 p.m. at the Leslie M. Tassell M-TEC.
Vaccination location information is available at vaccinatewestmi.com.
The incentive program is one of the steps GRCC is taking or extending as part of a campus safety and wellness plan.
The campus is requiring face-coverings indoors. On-campus class sizes will be limited to 75% capacity, and the college is replacing two-person desks with single-person desks in most classrooms. Hundreds of hand sanitizing stations were added last year, and changes were made to campus cooling and ventilation to increase air flow.
College leaders are monitoring developments with COVID-19 and the delta variant, and are communicating with state and federal health authorities for guidance as conditions change.
GRCC Nursing students administered shots into the arms of students, campus employees, and others in the spring as part of the Shot of Love campaign, a partnership with Urban Church Leadership Center and Spectrum Health.
In May, the college hosted a campus vaccination pop-up clinic, which was visited by first lady Jill Biden.