CHICAGO (CBS) — Many COVID-19 vaccinations sites have been offering incentives, like tickets to Six Flags or passes to Lollapalooza.
But one suburban college wants to give the gift of education to those that have received their vaccine.
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CBS 2’s Meredith Barack reports from Harper College, where the school will give out 10 scholarships.
Harper College is able to do so through a philanthropic gift and federal stimulus dollars.
It’s a drawing open to anyone, as long as you are vaccinated by Wednesday July 14.
Iuliia Sipiereski got her first COVID vaccine on Wednesday during a pop-up clinic at Harper College.
“I was taking so many classes, and work, I do work also and I just really didn’t have time, in case I would have like a fever or something,” Sipiereski said.
The nursing student didn’t just walk away with protection from the virus, but gift cards that can be used towards books and food on campus.
It isn’t the only incentive the school is offering for those who have received a COVID vaccine.
Harper College is also giving away 10 scholarships.
“A full tuition, fees, and book scholarship if they’re randomly selected.”
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Dr. Avis Proctor, the President of Harper College, said anyone can enter to win.
She said she wanted the institution to be a part of the solution as it relates to getting life back to normal.
“We believe in empowering individuals as the seek to retool and figure out their next steps in their journey as they come out of the pandemic,” Proctor said. “We thought offering this opportunity would be a great way to do that.”
Dr. Proctor said a scholarship can remove barriers to student success.
“This is a great way for individuals to come back or consider higher education and really change their lives,” Proctor said. “It’s a win-win-win in terms of the individual, our community and certainly the lives that they’ll impact and we get to impact as an institution.”
A win Iuliia, who will be working two jobs to pay for tuition next semester, hopes she walks away with.
“I do take a lot of classes and it’s not cheap, even though it’s Harper,” she said. “The books are especially expensive. So, of course, that would be a tremendous help.”
You have until 9:00 a.m. Thursday July 15 to enter into the scholarship drawing.
Winners will be contacted by August 1.
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Click here for a link to enter the Harper College free tuition raffle.
