How TU students can earn prizes, scholarships for vaccination against COVID-19

Through campus program, TU students, faculty and staff who are verified as vaccinated have a chance to win prizes

July 20, 2021

In support of the effort to encourage the entire community to be vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19, Towson University has been giving away a series of prizes to randomly awarded students, faculty and staff who have had their vaccination status verified.

The weekly prizes have been drawn, and the grand prize winners were notified on Thursday, July 29. Now, students have an additional opportunity to win a $1,000 scholarship from the TU Foundation for verifying their vaccination status.

To support the COVID-19 vaccination effort on campus, TU is adding additional daily giveaway opportunities for all verified or exempt students. Winners will be randomly drawn each morning next week from Aug. 2 -6. All fully verified and exempt students are automatically entered to win. Partially vaccinated students can also be entered by completing a waiver to verify their first dose. 

To expedite vaccination for those who need it, Towson University is partnering with University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center for a vaccination clinic on Aug. 2 at the South Campus Pavilion. 

Eligible members of the TU community were entered into a weekly drawing for prizes, as well as a final drawing in July for grand prizes. Those who are verified as vaccinated sooner will have multiple opportunities to win. Drawings occur on Thursday mornings until July 29. Weekly winners will be re-entered for the final grand prize drawing, as well.

The University System of Maryland is requiring all Towson University students, faculty and staff on campus this fall to be vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the fall 2021 term. Community members should be fully vaccinated, including any waiting period following a vaccination, by Aug. 9. Students, faculty and staff can submit documentation of their fully vaccinated status at Towson.edu/vaxverify.

About the prizes

Each day between Aug. 2-6, an eligible student will be randomly drawn to receive a $1,000 TU Scholarship funded by the TU Foundation. Student scholarship winners must be enrolled in fall 2021 classes and the scholarship is subject to financial aid over-award limits. Prizes may also be subject to taxes for which winners are responsible.  

Weekly prizes consisted of 100 dining points to be available through the fall term. A student winner and a faculty/staff winner will be drawn each Thursday morning. 

A grand prize — drawn July 29 — consisted of a $5,000 scholarship funded by the TU Foundation for a student, and free parking for one year for a faculty or staff winner.  So far, Brian Hendricks, a staff member from the Office of Technology Services and an undergraduate student were recipients of the $100 prizes. In week two, Kai Bailey, an adjunct faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts and an undergraduate student were recipients of the $100 prizes.

The third week's winners included a staff member in the Office of Public Safety and an undergraduate student.

In week four, winners included an undergraduate student at Towson University in Northeastern Maryland (TUNE) and a faculty member in Fisher College of Science and Mathematics (FCSM).

How to enter

Students, faculty and staff can submit documentation of their fully vaccinated status at Towson.edu/vaxverify or have an approved exemption through the exemption portal at Towson.edu/vaxexempt.

Who is eligible?

Students, faculty and staff who have verified their completed vaccination status through the Towson.edu/vaxverify portal, and those who have approved exemptions through the Towson.edu/vaxexempt portal, will be entered into the drawings each week. 

Those with a confirmed status or approved exemption 5 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the Thursday drawing will be eligible for that week’s drawing.

Members of university leadership, specifically the President’s Cabinet, are not eligible.

Fine print

Winners will be directly contacted via their TU email address.

Winners may have their name shared, with consent, via the Towson University website or social media.

Prizes may be subject to taxes to be paid by the winner.

Student winners must be enrolled in fall 2021 classes, and this scholarship is subject to financial aid over-award limits. 

Dining points may be used until May 2022, are not transferrable and have no refundable value.

Additional benefits for vaccinations

Members of the TU community are also eligible for other benefits when vaccinated.

COVID-19 testing site coordinator Bryan Schlein was one of the first to win  Maryland’s recently completed $40,000 VaxCash prize drawings.

Governor Larry Hogan recently announced that 20 young Maryland residents, selected via a random number generation, will be awarded $50,000 for college scholarships. Vaccination is required to be eligible in the VaxU Scholarship Promotion.

Businesses across the state are offering special deals and discounts to thank vaccinated customers and encourage more Marylanders to get vaccines. To draw attention to these offers, the State of Maryland launched GoVAX Rewards, an easy-to-use online tool showcasing vaccine incentives.

Read more about vaccines at Towson University[BROKEN LINK]. Questions may be directed to AskTU@Towson.edu.

This story has been updated since its original publication.