Several Colleges Will Require Students To Have The COVID-19 Vaccine Before Returning to Campus

Several U.S. colleges will require students to be fully vaccinated prior to returning to campus.

At least 14 colleges across the country have confirmed that they will require students to have the full dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, which will likely not sit well with state governors against the move.

Rutgers University was the first college to declare that all of its students need to be vaccinated to return to campus. Other colleges to follow suit include Notre Dame, Fort Lewis, Syracuse, Northeastern, Ithaca, and Cornell, which has created an online registration for students and staff to register their vaccination status. All of the institutions will make exceptions for medical or religious reasons.

St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, and Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Broward, Florida, will require students and employees alike to be vaccinated.

NSU’s vaccine policy is one example of a direct clash with state policy. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated that vaccines are available but not mandatory in an April 1st order. That order prohibits government entities or businesses from requiring “vaccine passports.”

St. Edward’s University also violates Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s order which forbids agencies from requiring a vaccine. Idaho Governor Brad Little has also signed a similar order recently.

It is unclear at this time what action will be taken against institutions whose vaccine mandates go against the governor’s order.