A growing number of colleges in the US have announced that they are charging students a “COVID-19 fee” if they are not vaccinated before in-person classes recommence in the fall.
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) stated on its website that students who do not present proof of vaccination by September 7 will be required to pay a $750 fee. However, it clarified that partially vaccinated will be exempt from the charge.
Although WVWC has not instituted a vaccine mandate, it is strongly encouraging students and employees to receive COVID-19 shots amid a surge in cases of the Delta variant.
According to WVWC Dean James Moore, the fee will cover periodic testing expenses and other resources to ensure student safety.
Aside from paying $750, unvaccinated students will also have to wear face coverings and observe social distancing while on campus.
‘COVID-19 Fee’ at Other Colleges
Birmingham–Southern College in Alabama has also told its students that those who are still unvaccinated by September will pay $500 to offset the cost of weekly testing and quarantine.
School officials said they need to charge students COVID-related fees “due to the lack of federal funds for pandemic precautions.”
“We’re not trying to charge everyone $500, we’re trying to keep everybody safe,” Birmingham President Daniel Coleman told WVTM. “If it encourages people to be vaccinated then that’s good, I think, for our campus and the safety of our campus.”
In June, Rhodes College in Memphis disclosed a controversial step to encourage its students to get COVID-19 vaccinations. The school informed enrollees that it will charge those who fail to get vaccinated $1,500 extra per semester.
In addition to the surcharge, unvaccinated students will have to test negative 14 days before returning to campus. They will also be required to wear face masks indoors and physically distance themselves from others in outdoor spaces.
‘Violating State Law’
Earlier this week, the Alabama attorney general’s office stated that charging students COVID-19 fees violates the state’s new law prohibiting so-called “vaccine passports.” The office cited that such a policy could be “a mandate to be vaccinated and to provide proof thereof.”
While not naming any institution, the office said requiring fees of unvaccinated students also means requiring them to prove their vaccination status, which is reportedly prohibited for any college in the state.