COLUMBUS – Ohioans ages 12-25 who have received a COVID-19 vaccination can now enter to win one of 150 $10,000 scholarships, or one of five $100,000 grand-prize scholarships through the Ohio Vax-2-School program. Registration is now open online using the Ohio Vax-2-School portal at www.ohiovax2school.com.
Eligible Ohioans can enter using the online portal or by phone at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634) to win one of the scholarships, which will be awarded in Ohio 529 College Advantage plans, and can be used at the Ohio college, university, technical/trade school, or career program of the winner’s choice.
Entering using the Vax-2-School online portal is quicker, and the odds of winning one of the scholarships is the same as entering by calling.
The Ohio Department of Health is using a portion of its Coronavirus Relief Funds to fund this innovative public outreach campaign and initiative.
Last week, Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA, and Ohio Lottery Commission Director Pat McDonald announced that the prize money has been doubled to a total of $2 million in scholarships. In addition, the state hopes to expand the age group to include younger Ohioans as young as 5 years old, pending an emergency use authorization being granted to those ages 5-11 for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Ohio Vax-2-School is an opt-in program, meaning that you must enter to be eligible for the prize drawings.
Any Ohioan in the eligible age group, currently 12-25, with possible future expansion to ages 5-25, can choose to enter after receiving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at any time since the vaccines have been available.
Vaccination records will be verified for winners. Individuals who previously entered, but did not win, Ohio’s Vax-A-Million scholarship drawings are eligible, but they must enter the Ohio Vax-2-School program, as entries do not carry over from Ohio Vax-a-Million.
A deadline to enter and drawing dates have not yet been announced. The Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Lottery Commission will share those details in the weeks ahead, allowing as much time as possible for an emergency use authorization (EUA) to be granted for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for those ages 5-11.
