Submitted Photo A COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Dakota College at Bottineau is shown in this photo. College students at Minot State Univesity and Dakota College at Bottineau can receive $100 if they are fully vaccinated by Oct. 15.

Area colleges have been offering $100 incentives for students who decide to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

“We have received 489 requests for the $100 incentive so far,” said Mike Linnell, communications director at Minot State University. “A couple come in every day it seems.”

Dakota College at Bottineau has also been offering a $100 incentive to its students to get vaccinated.

To be eligible for the $100 incentive at either Minot State University or Dakota College at Bottineau, students must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 15 and be enrolled in at least one on-campus class. Dakota College students must be enrolled in a class at either the Bottineau campus or in a college program at Minot State or Valley City State University. Minot State students. Students must be enrolled in at least one on-campus class in a college program at either Bottineau, Minot or Valley City.

Students must provide proof of vaccination to the university or college to obtain the vaccination.

Linnell said Minot State has offered vaccination clinics this fall. Students also have the option of obtaining the vaccination for free by appointment at the First District Health Unit or at other sites. The incentive is also available to students who were vaccinated before classes started this fall. Only students are eligible for the incentive.

Linnell said there hasn’t been a large instance of COVID-19 cases on campus so far this fall, though it’s possible that not every case of COVID-19 has been reported. At one point there were 10 active cases among students and faculty on the campus. As of Thursday, there were four active cases among students living off campus and one active case among a faculty or staff member. Twenty-nine people have had COVID-19 and recovered. Linnell said there is no longer a campus-wide mask mandate but some individual professors can have a policy requiring mask wearing in their classrooms.

According to information provided by Dakota College, the $100 incentive program there is possible due to funding received from the Federal Higher Emergency Relief Fund and vaccinations will help return to a more normal college environment.