By Kennedi Combs
Broadcast version by Mary Schuermann reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As the Delta variant sweeps across the state, Ohio's public universities are taking a range of protective measures for the upcoming fall semester, from requiring students to report their vaccination status to implementing incentive programs to motivate students to get vaccinated.

All 14 state universities are requiring masks indoors for the fall semester, according to an examination of COVID prevention procedures as explained on schools' websites.

Universities - including Kent State University, Bowling Green State University, Miami University, and The Ohio State University - have implemented incentive programs for all students who are vaccinated and report their vaccination to their university. Vaccinated students are entered into raffles for the chance to win prizes on a weekly basis.

Some including Shawnee State University, University of Cincinnati, Wright State University, Miami University, and Youngstown State University - are offering all three vaccines for students, staff, and faculty on their campus.

Kent State University is requiring face masks to be worn regardless of vaccination status during all indoor activities. Along with this rule, KSU has also put an incentives program into effect for vaccinated students. All Kent State students who are vaccinated and register their vaccination on the University Health Services website are eligible to win prizes in twice-weekly drawings. The drawings take place through Oct. 12; prizes include free tuition for a semester, free room and board for a semester, a kayaking trip, Homecoming concert tickets, Beats headphones, and Apple Watches.

However, sophomore journalism major Jayla Forest thinks vaccinations aren't enough. "There are people who are vaccinated who are still contracting COVID," said Forest, who received the Moderna vaccine last May. "And honestly, even though they have rules and restrictions, not everyone is going to follow those rules and restrictions. So, I don't really know if being vaccinated is enough to go back on campus and become normal again."

Cleveland State University also requires students, faculty and staff to wear face coverings for the upcoming semester, and encourages students to get vaccinated. On its website, the school expresses a commitment to following CDC guidelines. It also lists exceptions and accommodations to the mask mandate for certain situations, such as when eating in the dining hall, when a student is alone in their residence hall room with a roommate, or when a person has been granted a university-approved medical or religious accommodation to not wear a mask.

"On a scale of one to 10, I feel like a 'six'as far as how safe I am on campus," said Jordan Hill, a sophomore engineering major at CSU."When they open up campus completely, I would give it within a month before there's a spike in cases, and we all have to go remote again."

Unlike all the other public universities in Ohio that just encourage students to register their vaccination status, the University of Akron is requiring students to report it.

"In order for the University to make informed decisions about COVID-19 and to further facilitate contact tracing, we are requiring all members of the campus community (faculty, contract professionals, staff and students) to report their vaccination status by August 20," said spokesperson Cristine Boyd in an email. "All members of the campus community who are unvaccinated or do not confirm their vaccination status will be subject to up-to-weekly testing, beginning the week of August 16 (employees) and August 30 (students)."

Boyd added the university will provide remote classes to accommodate students. "We currently have a variety of options available for classes, including in-person, hybrid and fully online as we try to meet the needs of all students," she wrote. "Not all courses are guaranteed to be available online."

Incoming University of Akron freshman Romeo Pitts-Medley appreciates the university's commitment to keeping students safe. "I think it's a really good idea that they are keeping track of who is unvaccinated and making them get tested," he said. "It's the only way to keep everyone as safe as possible with the delta variant on the loose."

Ohio has seen 1,180,986 total coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic. With 64,215 hospitalizations and 20,689 deaths, more and more Ohioans are making the decision to get vaccinated. Half the state's population, 51.22%, has received a vaccination. Of Ohioans ages 12-18, 59.87 % are vaccinated, while the vaccination rate is 62.15% for adults 18 and older.

This collaboration is produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.


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Nearly 1,200 Hoosiers are about to have some of their student-loan debt forgiven, as part of a multistate settlement with the student-loan-servicing company Navient.

The settlement includes more than $31 million for Indiana.

Scott Barnhart, chief counsel and director of consumer protection for the Indiana Attorney General's Office, said more than $26 million of Indiana's cut will go toward loan forgiveness for borrowers. He advised borrowers to visit navientagsettlement.com to determine if they're eligible.

"And that provides a lot of information for consumers who believe that they may be within that group," Barnhart pointed out. "To find details on whether they qualify and what they need to do."

In 2019, Indiana joined a coalition of more than three dozen states and Washington, D.C., in accusing the Delaware-based company of deceptive and unethical lending practices. Navient denied breaking the law and said the allegations were based on unfounded claims.

Barnhart noted the remainder of Indiana's portion of the settlement will go toward compensating more than 16,000 people who have already paid into their Navient-handled loans, and about $700,000 will go directly to the state.

"And I think this is a win for consumers to move forward," Barnhart contended.

The deal also requires Navient to follow several new rules going forward, including changes to its payment processing system, and limiting or reducing certain fees for late payments. Including Indiana borrowers.

More than 400,000 people across the country will have some of their loan amounts forgiven as part of the settlement, and 66,000 will have their loans cancelled.

Open-source textbooks, free for anyone to use, are a rising trend at colleges and universities looking for a way to make higher education more affordable, and now the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) is on board.

Students in the freshman seminar in the College of Liberal Arts can save $80 each by downloading the required textbook for free.

Denise Tillery, associate dean for students and professor of English in the College of Liberal Arts at UNLV, said the cost of textbooks can be a significant barrier for many low-income students.

"A lot of times, students will have to wait until their financial aid has been disbursed, or even then they can't afford it," Tillery observed. "Or they're scrambling around getting used copies that might be a different edition than the one that's being used in the classroom."

Collectively, the 375 students taking the class will save about $30,000. The average full-time undergraduate at UNLV spends more than $1,200 a semester on books. The book is one of many offered free on the internet at a site called OpenStax, run by Rice University. The University of Minnesota offers a similar service called Open Textbook Library.

Tillery pointed out other departments are taking initiative as well.

"Some faculty at UNLV in the computer science department," she explained, "are writing their own textbook, and they're going to make that freely accessible for any other class that might want to use it."

Students also should be aware of the American Opportunity Tax Credit for educational expenses, worth $2,500 a year. If the credit brings the tax you owe to zero, you can get up to $1,000 dollars in refunds.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

The State of California is launching a new program that will pay college students $10,000 to volunteer doing public service work for a year.

Announced on Tuesday, some 6,500 students will be able to join the new Californians for All College Corps and will be required to put in 450 service hours, working on issues such as COVID-19 recovery, climate change and education.

Josh Fryday, chief service officer for the state, said it's a way to help low-income students afford college, earn credits and gain valuable work experience.

"Like the G.I. bill," he said, "if you are willing to serve your community and give back in meaningful way, we are going to help you pay for college."

Across the state, 45 campuses will take part - including schools from the University of California and California State University systems, plus community colleges and some private institutions. On a Californians for All College Corps website, you can find a list of schools and details on how to apply.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said the shared experience of giving back is intended to foster a new generation of civic-minded leaders.

"And if this thing works, we can go back to the Legislature and take it to a whole another level," he said. "We can take it to the rest of the country, because nobody else is doing this. Nobody!"

Unlike AmeriCorps, this program will be open to the "Dreamers" - undocumented students who were brought to the United States as children. Students who receive Pell Grants also will be able to count the $10,000 grant toward their required personal contribution to their education expenses.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.