DeKALB – NIU will require all on-campus students to be vaccinated for the fall semester, according to an email sent to students Wednesday. 

On-campus students include those who live in residence halls or participate in face-to-face classes or in-person research or artistry. Students who have only online courses are exempt from the requirement.

“Making this decision was not quick or easy, nor will it be embraced by all,” NIU President Lisa Freeman wrote in the email. “There are members of our community who are reluctant to get vaccinated because of concerns about side effects, mistrust of our health systems or a lack of understanding the science involved in creating the vaccine.”

Students living on campus must be fully vaccinated before their move-in date and students with in-person classes must be fully vaccinated by Aug. 20, according to the email. Instructions on how to provide authorization for disclosure of vaccination records or to upload a copy of the vaccination record card will be released soon. 

Students who show proof of vaccination to the university on or before their respective deadlines will get $100 each, which they may choose to receive in a refund or have applied directly to their Fall 2021 account balance.    

Students can request exemption from the vaccine requirement for documented health or religious reasons but they will be required to participate in weekly COVID-19 surveillance testing. 

More information on COVID-19 vaccine requirements can be found here.