No COVID Vaccine? You'll Pay $750 More At This College

Students at West Virginia Wesleyan College will need to show proof of vaccination or cough up a nonrefundable $750 COVID fee.

The fee will be charged to each student that is not vaccinated or does not show proof of their COVID inoculation by Sept. 7, according to the college’s website as reported by WSAZ, an NBC affiliate out of Huntington, West Virginia.

Students without vaccination status will also be required to submit to weekly COVID testing conducted by school officials, with costs covered by the $750 COVID fee.

Students, faculty, and staff who have received their COVID shot are able to go maskless on campus if they choose, while unvaccinated attendees must wear a mask indoors at all times and maintain social distancing guidelines in classrooms, dining halls, residence halls, the wellness center, and at all other indoor venues at the school.

Unvaccinated students are also limited to which facilities they may use as well as access to some indoor venues, according to the college’s website. They may also be subject to “judicial action” if they do follow the school’s policies for mask-wearing, COVID testing, and social distancing guidelines.

Wesleyan does not require students to get the COVID vaccine but does encourage vaccination among its attendees, staff, and faculty for the start of the Fall 2021 semester.

According to Wesleyan’s website, about 90% of the college’s faculty and staff have been vaccinated against COVID-19, with a large percentage of the student body confirming their vaccination status.