Vaccine photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

Local community colleges are creating incentives for students to get vaccinated and found a sweet spot for many — cash and free textbooks.

West Hills Community College District is offering fully vaccinated students $250. Students must be registered for classes and upload their proof of vaccination to the West Hills Safe App, which measures contact tracing and daily Covid-19 screening, by Nov. 1. 

West Hills has partnered with Aria Health and Kings County Department of Public Health for on-campus vaccine clinics, which will be open to students, employees and the public. 

Fresno City College is among community colleges offering incentives too. It offers students $250 vouchers to the bookstore, to be used on anything from textbooks and school supplies to food or apparel. 

Reedley College is offering a free meal from the cafeteria for students who receive their first dose. For their second dose students receive a free textbook. The book isn’t capped at a certain value, so it is up to the student to choose which book to receive free of cost. They need to be an active student and show proof of vaccination. 

Clovis Community College is offering a similar program to Fresno City College. Clovis Community will offer $150 gift cards to the bookstore for fully vaccinated students. While details are being finalized, students will get an email in the coming days about how to snag the gift cards.

Allocating money to the bookstore allows students to get their already expensive textbooks at a discounted rate. 

Stephanie Babb, director of marketing and communications with Clovis Communty College, said the money comes from federal CARES funds. This incentive will encourage students to be vaccinated and as people arrive back to school in person, the gift cards are a way to incentivize safety around the campus. 

Madera Community College will also offer a vaccination clinic next Wednesday, Aug. 18 from 10:30 to 1:30 p.m., offering students who get vaccinated a $150 Amazon gift card. They must show proof of vaccination by Sept. 15. If they refer a family member or friend, both parties will receive a $25 gift card.

The money for Madera Community College’s program comes federal CARES funds as well.