Forbes: Rhodes College In Memphis Will Charge Unvaccinated Students $1500

While many colleges across the country are providing incentives to encourage students to get a Covid-19 vaccine, Rhodes College is charging a fee to students who are not vaccinated. The private liberal arts college in Memphis, Tennessee, informed students June 8 that those who are unvaccinated will have to pay $1,500 per semester to cover the costs of weekly testing. Unvaccinated individuals will need to test negative in the 14 days before returning to campus, wear masks indoors and socially distance from others outdoors. A decision regarding whether the fee will apply to unvaccinated employees has not been made yet. Kevin Volpp, director of the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, says it is “perfectly reasonable” to incentivize individuals with penalties. “I think there’s a good rationale that a stick-type incentive may be more effective at getting people’s attention,” he says. “It’s probably more efficient because the majority of students probably are going to get vaccinated, so rather than giving them all a reward, it makes sense to have a smaller percentage of them pay a penalty if they feel strongly about not getting vaccinated.” Read more on Forbes.