On Friday afternoon, the University announced it will reward students who get at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine with $20 in Bama Cash.

Students must report the vaccination by Saturday, Aug. 28 at 5 p.m. to receive the reward.

Students who reported their vaccination earlier this year will need to rereport it in order to receive the reward. This time, students will be asked for the date of their vaccinations and a picture of their vaccination card.

The University is offering the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to all UA students, including those who received their first doses off campus. Students can schedule a vaccination appointment by calling (205) 348-1471.

The announcement comes days after the University unveiled its health and safety plan for the fall semester, outlining a return to pre-pandemic operations. Some students and faculty have expressed concern over the new plan, particularly given the rise of the Delta variant, which now accounts for the majority of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S.

Alabama’s COVID-19 vaccination rate remains the lowest in the nation, with just 34% of the state’s population fully vaccinated.

Last month, UA spokesperson Deidre Stalnaker told The Crimson White that the University had provided about 15,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines through its medical facilities, while about 2,600 individuals had reported being vaccinated elsewhere.

According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, some 600 colleges across the U.S. have so far said they will require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. But almost all of these campuses are in politically liberal states.

In Alabama, where Donald Trump won 62% of the vote in the 2020 presidential election, not a single college has announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. A state law passed in May bans universities from requiring vaccines that were not already required by the institution before January 2021.