Governor Larry Hogan
today announced the launch of the $1 million VaxU Scholarship Promotion, an
incentive program to encourage 12- to 17-year-olds to get vaccinated against
COVID-19. Winners will receive a $50,000 scholarship, which covers the
equivalent of full tuition and fees at a public, in-state institution of higher
education. The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) and the Maryland
Department of Health (MDH) will jointly administer this initiative, which will
select 20 winners through random drawings between now and Labor Day.
The governor made today’s announcement at the
University of Maryland, College Park, where he was joined by University System
of Maryland Chancellor Jay A. Perman and UMD President Darryll J. Pines.
“Promotions
like this are just one more way that we are reinforcing the importance of
getting every single Marylander that we can vaccinated against COVID-19,
especially our young people,” said Governor Hogan. “If any of our 12- to
17-year-olds or their parents needed another good reason, then now they can get
vaccinated for a chance to win a $50,000 college scholarship.”
Beginning
July 12, the VaxU Scholarship Promotion will randomly select two winners per
week for eight weeks. On Monday, September 6—Labor Day—four winners will be
selected. To qualify for the scholarship, students must both live and be
vaccinated in Maryland.
“This
is an outstanding and innovative approach to incentivize our youth to learn
more about the countless higher education opportunities that are available to
them here in Maryland,” said MHEC Secretary Dr. James D. Fielder. “We are proud
to continue paving the way for access and success of their higher education
goals.”
The
award will be distributed in the form of a Prepaid College Trust or College Investment
Plan from Maryland529, and can be utilized in accordance with the
guidelines for those programs:
· A 4-Year Maryland Prepaid College Trust Account
will be funded for a winner who is between the ages of 12-14 at the time
of the drawing.
· A Maryland College Investment Plan contribution
will be awarded to individuals between the ages of 15-17 at the time of the
drawing.
“When
a Marylander who is 12-17 years old is vaccinated, they, their family, friends,
and countless others are protected from COVID-19, and those young community
members become role models to their peers who are still unvaccinated,” said MDH
Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. “To date, more than half of our 12- to
17-year-olds have been vaccinated, and VaxU is just one more tool we’re using
to reach this critical audience.”
Winners
will be selected utilizing the same random number generator used for the $2 Million VaxCash Promotion. Similar to that promotion, the winners of the
VaxU promotion will be permitted to remain anonymous. However, the city or
county of the winner will be published.
“For
me, the governor’s announcement represents a perfect marriage: We’re helping
secure the health of our young people while giving them a low- or no-cost
college education,” said Chancellor Perman. “I’m so grateful that our state has
made COVID vaccination a public health priority and that we’re embracing
creative ways to protect the safety of all Marylanders.”
“Higher
education provides opportunities for the next generation of Marylanders to
tackle the grand challenges of our time and thrive in an ever-evolving world,”
said President Pines. “The promise of higher education opportunities as an
incentive to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is an outstanding effort from
Governor Hogan. We applaud his ongoing commitment to research-based,
data-driven decisions throughout this public health crisis, and the University
of Maryland is a proud partner in working to end the pandemic.”
Federal
COVID-19 relief funds will be used to cover the cost of the program. For more
information, visit the MHEC VaxU Scholarship Promotion website.
