Topline
Virginia Tech has withdrawn more than 100 students who did not submit proof of vaccination prior to the start of the fall semester. Officials at the university said Tuesday that Virginia Tech was the second college to announce its crackdown against violations of Covid-19 protocols.
2 Sep 2000: This is a general view of Lane Stadium from the stands during the match between the Virginia... [+] Tech Hokies and the Akron Zips in Blackburg. The Zips were defeated 52-23 by the Hokies. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger/Allsport Getty Images
The Key Facts
Fox8's associate vice president for University Relations Mark Owczarski stated that 134 students failed to submit their vaccination documentation and did not receive a religious or medical exemption before the beginning of classes on August 23. They were thus disenrolled. Owczarski stated that the university doesn't know if any of these students are not returning for reasons not related to the Covid-19 vaccination requirement. However, Owczarski noted that some students withdraw from school due to unforeseeable circumstances each year. Owczarski stated that the university attempted to contact these students regarding the requirement, which was announced in June. If they provide proof of vaccination, Owczarski would be happy to welcome them back. According to the dashboard of Virginia Tech, 95% of 37,000 students have been vaccinated against Covid-19. 88% of university employees have until October 1st to comply with a requirement they set earlier in the month. Out of over 2,000 tests, 31 students and one employee tested positive so far.
Surprising Fact
About 0.4% of Virginia Tech's student population are disenrolled because they violate the Covid-19 vaccination mandate. The Roanoke Times estimates that they could cost between $2 million to $3 million in undergraduate tuition fees and room & board.
Important Background
Virginia Tech seems to be the first to crack down on its mandates. This follows the University of Virginia (UVA), which announced two weeks ago that it had disenrolled over 200 students who failed to comply with the school's vaccine requirement. These included 49 students enrolled in fall courses. Brian Coy, a spokesperson for the university, stated that many students may not have intended to return to the university in fall. A few smaller colleges, such as Xavier University, Louisiana, have begun disenrolling students, but have not released complete statistics.
What to Watch
Colleges will likely make more announcements over the next few weeks, as most have already set their vaccine mandate deadlines in September. Montclair State University in New Jersey, for instance, stated last week that it was at risk of losing approximately 480 students as the September 2 deadline is fast approaching. Covid-19 is required for hundreds of colleges in the United States.
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