Up to $1 million in Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding (HEERF) is being offered by Long Beach City College (LBCC) in an effort to incentivize currently unvaccinated students to get fully vaccinated before the start of the Fall 2021 semester.
The semester begins on Monday, Aug. 30.
Students who are unvaccinated and who receive two Moderna or Pfizer shots or a singular Johson and Johnson vaccine between Monday, Aug. 2 and Monday, Aug. 30 will be eligible to receive the $300 voucher for Viking Campus Bookstores on the Liberal Arts and Pacific Coast campuses.
Vouchers will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis and the distribution will be similar to the financial aid process, the school announced.
“The average age of our Long Beach City College students happens to be within the same age range that the Delta variant is affecting the unvaccinated,” said Long Beach Community College District (LBCCD) Interim Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Muñoz. “Because of this fact, we need to do our very best to encourage vaccines to keep our entire student body and College family safe.”
Just last week, LBCC announced a proof of vaccine requirement or routine testing for COVID-19 for all employees and students who will be back on campus face-to-face.
Students taking online-only classes will not be required to show proof of vaccination or COVID-19 test requirement, the school said.
“LBCC’s new vaccine incentive can not only help keep our students healthy but also can offset the cost of books and supplies which will make for a safer, more affordable semester for everyone,” said LBCCD Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Ntuk.
