Official Rules: 'Vaccinate, Educate, Graduate' Vaccine Incentive

From Tuesday, November 9, 2021 through Sunday, December 19, 2021 at 11:59:59 p.m. EDT, eligible New Yorkers may enter the ‘Vaccinate, Educate, Graduate’ Vaccine Incentive drawing.

The drawings will be conducted weekly, for five (5) weeks, beginning on November 22, 2021.

Entries must be completed at governor.ny.gov/nysvaccineincentive.

Entries must be completed by a parent or legal guardian on behalf of each eligible 5- to 11-year-old New Yorker. Verification of entry by a parent or legal guardian of the eligible individual is required to receive an award, unless an eligible individual demonstrates proof of legal emancipation.

By successfully transmitting a completed online entry form, each participant will be entered into the drawing.

You are eligible to participate in the drawing if you meet the following requirements:

1. Your child is a resident of New York State.
2. Your child has received at least their first dose of an immunization against the virus that causes COVID-19 authorized for emergency use for their age group by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as of the date of entry.
3. Your child is or was between the ages of 5 and 11 on the date of their first vaccination.
4. Neither parent, step-parent or legal guardian, spouse, sibling, grandparent or residing household member of the entrant is an employee of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), Office of Information Technology Services (ITS), or the New York State Executive Chamber.

1. The top 10 adult entrants will receive notification requesting the submission of documentation to validate their eligibility and the eligibility of their child to receive the scholarship.
2. All notifications will occur by email from [email protected] and by phone if a response is not received. If an adult entrant does not acknowledge receipt of notification by noon each Tuesday following the drawing, they will be withdrawn from the prize, re-entered for any future drawings, and the next eligible entrant will be notified.
3. Entrants must confirm that they wish to claim the prize and agree to provide the necessary documentation.
4. Entrants must also agree not to notify anyone outside of their household of their status as a potential winner until verifications are completed and the official announcement is made.
5. To be eligible to win a prize, New York State must validate the following entry requirements: vaccination, child’s age at time of vaccination, residency, and that entrant does not have a parent, step-parent, legal guardian, spouse, sibling, grandparent or other residing household member who is an employee of the NYSDOH, the HESC, NYSITS, or the New York State Executive Chamber.
6. Adult entrants must provide an image of all necessary documents and/or grant the HESC and the NYSDOH permission to obtain information from an appropriate New York State agency to validate eligibility to receive the prize.
7. Following verification of eligibility, parents or legal guardians of winners will be required to enter into a prize agreement governing the terms and conditions of acceptance on behalf of their minor child.
8. Winners must attend a public college of SUNY or CUNY in order to claim the prize. If a winner chooses not to attend a public SUNY or CUNY institution, the prize will be forfeited.

Winners will receive funding for the full scholarship (including tuition, fees, room-and-board, and expenses) to a two-year or four-year New York State public college or university.

Winners must be matriculated in a degree program on a full-time basis to maintain eligibility to receive funds.

Funds will be available for eight semesters of full-time attendance. “Step-out,” part-time and hardship exceptions will be available in certain circumstances as governed by the prize agreement.

Any funds not utilized by the end of the semester in which a winner reaches age 30, will be forfeited and revert to the public university systems.

Parents or legal guardians of winners will be required to enter into a prize agreement governing the terms and conditions of acceptance on behalf of their minor child.

1. The ‘Vaccinate, Educate, Graduate’ Vaccine Incentive program and any prizes awarded thereunder are NOT A GUARANTEE OR ASSURANCE OF ADMISSION OR ENTRY into any college or university. Students must independently meet all requirements for admission and continued attendance at an institution, including but not limited to all academic performance requirements, degree program requirements, health requirements, and student conduct policies.

2. By agreeing to participate in the program, entrants agree to authorize the NYSDOH to verify vaccination information on behalf of their child, the NYSDOH to disclose this information to HESC, and HESC to obtain vaccination information from NYSDOH.

3. By agreeing to participate in the program, entrants agree to authorize HESC to verify employment information with their employer, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (NYSDTF) or the New York State Department of Civil Service (NYSDCS), and agree to authorize their employer, NYSDTF or NYSDCS to disclose any information necessary to HESC for the purpose of verifying they are not an employee of a prohibited participating State entity.

4. The COVID-19 vaccination is not required to be obtained in the State of New York, however, proof and verification of vaccination, to the satisfaction of the State of New York, is still required. At least the first COVID-19 vaccination must be obtained prior to the entry deadline. New Yorkers ages 5 to 11 who participated or are currently participating in a clinical trial for other COVID-19 vaccines are also eligible. Your child will be required to achieve full vaccination (the second dose of an FDA and CDC authorized 2-dose COVID-19 vaccine) in order to remain eligible to receive the prize. Future booster shots, should they become necessary, will not be required to retain eligibility.

5. By agreeing to participate in the program, entrants agree that New York State and its entities may utilize and publish their name, likeness and any other information submitted as part of the program for promotional or other purposes in perpetuity without further compensation.

6. Individuals are responsible for the information submitted as part of this program. Entry submissions will include attestation of accurateness of information under penalty of perjury.

7. Winners are responsible for any tax liability that may be incurred from receiving a prize under this program.

8. Any attempt to undermine or manipulate the entry or prize drawing process will be met with prosecution under applicable law. Further, any individual found to have committed such act in the discretion of HESC will be ineligible to receive a prize.

9. Neither the State of New York, the HESC, nor any of its employees or agents shall be responsible for late, inaccurate, lost, misdirected, or incomplete entries, regardless of the reason.

10. Neither the State of New York, the HESC, nor any of its employees or agents shall be responsible for inaccessibility of the entry website or other means of entry or communication, or for the incompatibility with the program website of any individual’s computer, internet connection or other technical hardware or software, regardless of the reason.

11. Neither the State of New York, the HESC, nor any of its employees or agents shall be responsible for any inaccurate, missing, or misinterpreted information in any program documents or communications.

12. By accepting a prize, winners agree to hold New York State and its employees and agents harmless against all claims arising out of receipt of the prize.

13. By participating in the program, all entrants agree to be bound by these Official Program Rules.

14. Prizes are for the benefit of the winners only and are not transferrable to any other person.

15. These rules may be revised at any time at the sole discretion of officials of the State of New York.

16. New York State reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate, modify or suspend the program.

17. Program Rules, Registration, and Prize Information can be found at governor.ny.gov/nysvaccineincentive or by calling our Call Center at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).