TSU Using COVID Relief Funding For $100 Vaccine Incentives

Tennessee Republicans banned public universities from requiring COVID shots. But one is at least offering cash incentives to improve the campus vaccination rate.

This week, Tennessee State University in Nashville started giving $100 to students, faculty and staff who can prove they’ve been vaccinated, and an extra $50 if they live on campus. TSU is using COVID relief money to fund the program, which expires Aug. 27.

“We know we’re not your mom or your dad, but we are your family,” says Kelli Sharpe, assistant vice president of public relations. “We’re your TSU family, and family protects family.”

As a historically black school, Sharpe says TSU has more reason than most universities to get vaccination rates as high as possible. COVID has disproportionately harmed people who are Black and brown.

“The outcomes were detrimental, even to the point of death,” she says. “So we just think it is important that we encourage everyone to get vaccinated so we can have a healthy community.”

So far, Sharpe says about 60 people have taken advantage in the first couple of days, following its announcement in a letter to the campus on Monday.

Nashville’s private HBCUs are requiring vaccination. Fisk University made their announcement in June. Meharry Medical College extended its vaccine mandate to non-medical staff this week.