50 college scholarships being raffled off to students who get Pfizer vaccine in NY

Scholarship raffle for students who get vaccinated

New York is making a big push to get teens vaccinated by raffling off full scholarships to CUNY and SUNY schools. But you have to get the shot to be eligible.

NEW YORK - New York State is offering 50 college scholarships to students who get vaccinated against the coronavirus, announced Gov. Andrew Cuomo Wednesday.

New Yorkers 12-17 years old who get their first Pfizer shot between May 27 and July 7 will be eligible for full tuition, room and board at any public college or university in the state.

A random drawing will be held every Wednesday of those people who get the vaccine. Ten scholarships will be awarded weekly.

College scholarship raffle

Any 12-17 year old who gets their first Pfizer dose in NYS from May 27- July 7 is eligible for a college scholarship raffle. Fifty four-year scholarships will be offered to any public college or university in the state.

"This is a full four-year scholarship, to a SUNY school, to a CUNY school, to a community college and then moving on to a four-year program. It's a significant incentive for students. By the way, it's an incentive for parents. For parents, you worried about paying for college? Tell your 12-17-year-olds to go out and get a shot," said Cuomo.

Get breaking news alerts in the FOX5NY News app. Download for FREE!

The earlier the person gets the first shot, the greater their chances of winning a scholarship.

In an effort to encourage more New Yorkers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, the state is also offering scratch-off lottery tickets and a chance to win $5 million.

NY vaccination incentives

New York officials are trying all sorts of incentives to encourage more residents to get the COVID vaccine. Just over half the state's adults are fully vaccinated five months into the vaccination program.

The tickets, which are typically sold for $20 at retailers, are free. The 'Vax & Scratch' program runs through May 28 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

New York administered 788,145 doses in the seven days through Tuesday. That's down from just over 1 million in the seven days ending Tuesday, May 11.

About 45% of New York's 20 million residents are fully vaccinated, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, compared to the national average of 39.5%.

Few minors have been fully vaccinated so far: about 8.7% of people aged 12 to 17, according to state health data shared by Cuomo. That's compared with 37.5% of young adults below the age of 25, about half of people aged 35-54 and 69.5% of those over 75.

With the Associated Press

New York Education Coronavirus Vaccine Coronavirus Andrew Cuomo