Gerald Sastra/The Cougar
Students getting a COVID-19 test on campus will be paid $2 in Cougar Cash or ShastaBUCKS from the Cougar Card Office, UH announced.
The program was set up to be an incentive for students to get tested regularly and aims for those who are working, living or taking in-person classes on campus to get tested when they can.
“Getting tested is quick and convenient, and it’s a win-win,” said UH spokesperson Shawn Lindsey. “Students can earn Cougar Cash or ShastaBUCKS, and their participation increases testing among our campus community, which helps mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”
The incentive is temporary, but is projected to last until the first week of May.
Appointments at the COVID-19 kiosk in front of Student Center South are free, as advertised on the University’s Facebook page.
Many students were excited to hear about this program, but felt like the amount being given will probably not draw in more students for testing.
“I think it’s nice that UH is incentivizing students to get tested, but $2 isn’t really that much,” said pharmacy senior Alexis Hicks. “Especially for students like me who already have thousands of dollars of Cougar Cash from living on campus, it doesn’t really make a difference.”
This gesture may have been something UH thought would simply motivate students to get tested, but some students are seeing this as an insult.
“It’s ironic that the offer was made because it implies that the people against testing can easily be won over with $2,” said music education and composition senior Huy Nguyen.
“I believe the two-dollar Cougar Cash serves as an incentive to those unwilling to get tested, which in this day and age usually means a very specific demographic of people.”
For more of The Cougar’s coronavirus coverage, click here.