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Uber gift cards, glazed doughnuts, free beer, tickets to sporting events, a million dollars, or a college scholarship—depending on where you live, one of these prizes could be yours should you choose to get vaccinated against Covid-19. That’s right, in a growing number of states like Ohio, Oregon, and California, residents can win between $50.00 and $1.5 million simply for protecting their health and those around them. Meanwhile, other states like New York and Colorado are raffling off college scholarships to lucky inoculated teens. Individual institutions like Purdue University are even getting in the incentive game with free tuition giveaways.
Will it work? In a year when colleges and universities saw a 4.9 percent drop in undergraduate enrollment (seven times worse than the previous year’s decline), it is hard to know for sure. Ohio saw a 28% increase in vaccinations following the introduction of the “Vax-a-Million lottery”, which seems to suggest that some incentives will indeed pay off. But is a free college education compelling enough to influence behavior?
Business Bonuses
As companies throughout the nation face significant workforce shortages, they are betting that the lure of college tuition benefits will motivate job candidates. Some human resources offices have traditionally offered tuition remission to workers who want to earn degrees or certificates. Increasingly, however, large employers like Waste Management and JBS USA, desperate for job applicants, are using free college incentives not just for workers, but also their children. This begs the question, what else can we encourage with the carrot of educational access? And, what supports must be in place to make these incentives effective?
Enticing Education
Free college is not a new concept, nor are targeted scholarships. In fact, the United States military has been offering education benefits through the G.I. Bill since 1944. But by necessity, politicians and institutions are getting creative, as they waive tuition costs to achieve specific outcomes. Consider the recent announcement from the University of Massachusetts Amherst about their partnership with the nonprofit Digital Ready to encourage Boston Public School students to pursue degrees in STEM fields. Or the news that Grand Valley State University in Michigan will guarantee free tuition to 8th graders at a Detroit charter school. These are just two timely examples of colleges seeking to increase equity and access through targeted scholarships. I asked admission leaders about other ways we might harness the power of incentives and here is what they said:
Sue Willard, an associate director of admissions at Hobart and William Smith Colleges explains that “incentivizing school attendance as a way to earn college scholarships could be a great way to increase overall student success and wellness, high school graduation rates and college enrollment for many different student populations.” She adds, “This could assist in college affordability but also in their overall academic preparation for that next step by giving them another reason to be present and value the learning that’s done in secondary schools.” Ken Anselment, vice president for enrollment and communications at Lawrence University takes it even further, suggesting scholarship incentives to increase college retention and graduation. He says this could be done “by awarding micro-scholarships for taking all the steps you need to take (and doing so on time) to graduate, like meeting your advisor, declaring your major, and ‘leveling up’ by registering for and completing prerequisite courses.”
Aaron Basko, vice president for enrollment at Sweet Briar College, says “I wish we would incentivize students to take an active role in their financial future and to learn good financial habits. This could start with rewarding families for filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), even if they don’t know if they will benefit, or encouraging students to open a 401k so that it has the maximum time to grow.” He adds, “Many students have no real experience saving, handling debt, or planning for the future.”
Innovating Incentives
How else could we care for our communities with the carrot of college? Needless to say, there are other pandemics and epidemics that could benefit from creative incentives. What if addicts were rewarded with free college classes for continued sobriety? How about gun buyback programs or using scholarship incentives in gang prevention strategies? Perhaps we could address the climate crisis by awarding free college for those who reduced their carbon footprint. It seems these and other challenges could be confronted while also creating a more educated and engaged society.
Richard Weissbourd is a senior lecturer and faculty director of Making Caring Common (MCC), a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. As the lead author of the white paper, “Innovation and Justice: Reinventing Selective Colleges”, he proposes that colleges promote service to one’s community in similar ways. He says, “There are so many reasons why community engagement and service is good for young people and vital for the country right now. My hope is that colleges will find ways to give scholarships to high school students who do sustained and meaningful work in their communities.” He adds, “I also hope colleges will encourage their students to do public service for a year and take courses either in person or online and give these students tuition reductions.”
Supporting Scholarships
Access to higher education is an admirable incentive, but without proper guidance, opportunities are at risk of being lost or squandered. Just as lottery winners might need an attorney and/or financial advisor to help them manage their newfound riches, scholarship winners need the support to find the right match for their educational goals. Yet in our nation, access to quality guidance is incredibly inequitable. This has been especially pronounced during the pandemic as high school counselors have been stretched in so many ways—addressing everything from food insecurity to abuse to mental health challenges.
Whether we call it a guidance gap, counselor crisis, staffing shortage, or any other alliteration, the reality is that we need to better support the educators in schools who care for and counsel students. If we are going to offer the hope of free college as a carrot, we must incentivize our schools with resources and programs to expose students to, and help them access, opportunities. What if, in addition to every vaccine scholarship winner getting a free ride to college, states and institutions also contributed to the counseling budget at the winner’s high school? Or perhaps the companies who are attracting employees with education benefits should also donate significant funds to the public school counseling offices in communities where they operate. Maybe for every student who enlists in the military or commits to a year of community service, the federal government should contribute a percentage of the soldier or volunteer’s compensation to the local public school in their neighborhood.
Affording a college degree is undeniably a huge barrier for many students. So is filtering through the noise, myths, and marketing that dominate the admission experience. If we as a society are going to address access and equity, workforce shortages, and remain innovative and competitive on the world stage, then we must incentivize the whole system and create opportunities for all students and provide the resources for those who support them.
