32 Ways to Reward and Incentivize College Students
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32 Ways to Reward and Incentivize College Students ๐
One big challenge that educators and student affairs administrators can sometimes face is motivating their students. This can apply both in and outside of the classroom and affects all levels of education, from kindergarten all the way through college.
To help support student success, persistence and retention through graduation, many college leaders are creating reward systems and programs.
Recognizing studentsโ accomplishments and efforts encourages academic achievement. These rewards and incentives also help create an environment in which achievement is valued!
You might be asking what makes a great reward for students. We believe that a great place to start is considering intrinsic motivation, as many students are not quite as driven by extrinsic motivation such as grades.
When intrinsically motivated, a student is moved to act or complete an activity that is personally rewarding to them. They are interested in the subject matter, they enjoy the challenge. They are motivated by a sense of making progress and increasing mastery.
Either way, rewards and incentives are powerful students to inspire students to take action and complete tasks!
Check out our list of 32 ideas to consider implementing on your campus!
1. Nominate students for a campus award ๐
Host an awards ceremony to celebrate studentsโ achievements! Invite the campus community at large to attend!
Fellow students, staff, faculty and departmental heads can all take a moment to recognize studentsโ dedicated hard work, efforts and impact. Depending on budget, consider awarding a trophy, plaque, medal or certificate for a tangible reminder of their accomplishment!
2. Award virtual badges ๐
Badges help students feel they are progressing, display they have mastered a skill, and help showcase their achievements in a meaningful way.
Highlight studentsโ accomplishments in and out of the classroom by launching a campus badge program! Create fun, custom badges that demonstrate resume-worthy transferable skills and leadership experiences.
3. Allow students to earn points to redeem for items, snacks & activities โญ
Remember when you were in kindergarten earning gold stars for your good deeds? When you finished a task, your teacher would add another star on a posterboard on the wall that everyone could see. And the coolest part, when you earned 10, you were delighted to get to pick your very own sticker or toy out of the treasure box. ๐
That hasnโt changed much for college students! The chance to redeem earned points for items, snacks or fun activities is a great motivator to incentivize them to complete tasks.
4. Give recognition in an email blast ๐ง
Most people enjoy a congratulatory shout-out! Showcase studentsโ accomplishments by getting the word out to everyone in a highly visible way.
An email marketing tool for campus communications can make it easy to build beautiful emails and newsletters to share student success stories with everyone in your community.
5. Showcase student activity on a leaderboard๐
Most students are highly motivated by a sense of competition! A live leaderboard ignites studentsโ competitive spirits to participate more.
Updated with real-time data, Leaderboards empower students to watch their scores and position increase as they complete tasks and assignments.
6. Offer VIP sporting event tickets ๐๏ธ
Offer free admission to a popular sporting event! Spice it up by allowing students to sit in a VIP seating area with great views. This is a great, budget-friendly option that students will LOVE.
7. Free dinner at a local restaurant ๐
Connect with nearby restaurants and cafes to negotiate a night out for your hardworking students! (Popular coffee shops can also be a great option!) Getting off-campus is a fun treat and encourages students to support local fare.
8. Movie tickets ๐ฟ
A night at the movies is a sweet reward for busy college students! Be sure to treat them to a food and beverage voucher to make it extra special. Check in with local theaters to coordinate a donated package or discounted ticket price.
9. Front row parking spot ๐
Finding a good parking spot and getting to class on time can be a major pain point for some students. This is especially true for sprawling campuses where students may also need to take a shuttle from the parking lot to the actual campus. Earning a front row parking spot for a day or week is a huge incentive for students!
10. Smart Watch Giveaway โ
Promote health and wellness by rewarding students with fitness technology. A FitBit or Garmin smart watch makes for a fabulous prize! On a budget? Look for refurbished tech options or donations from local businesses or alumni network.
11. Give away University swag ๐ฝ
Campus-branded merchandise makes for one of the best giveaways! Itโs low-budget and showcases campus spirit, and students love it. Mugs, hoodies, hats, water bottles, sweaters, backpacks and more - its hard to go wrong!
12. Win a professional headshot photo shoot ๐ธ
High quality headshots help people to stand out on networking channels like LinkedIn, and students are no exception. That said, many students wonโt have the budget to spend on an expensive photo shoot. Accordingly, offering a free professional photo shoot is a great incentive for your career-minded students!
13. Feature them in marketing advertisements/campaign ๐ฅ
Your schoolโs admissions or marketing teams may be delighted to showcase a student who is making a difference in the community. This can translate into a great opportunity for a contest! Many students would jump at the chance to become the next face of a campus advertisement or campaign.
14. Social media post feature ๐
Acknowledge a studentโs achievements with a social media featured post! Consider implementing a regular series such as a student leader of the week or month and encourage everyone on campus to submit nominations!
A really great example of a campus maximizing social media to celebrate student leaders is Binghamton Universityโs B-Engaged Instagram channel.
Learn more about their strategies to engage and showcase student leaders in our interview with Giovanna Bernardo, Student Engagement Specialist at Binghamton.
15. Field trip or Company ๐ผ
A company visit, trek or tour is an incredibly rewarding incentive for students eager to explore career paths and industries firsthand. Support students success on campus while simultaneously bolstering their future career opportunities!
Choose field trips with educational value that relates to studentsโ academic and professional interests and goals.
16. Social Media account takeover ? ๐คฉ
Hereโs a mutually beneficial incentive for your students, especially those studying subjects like photography, communications, public relations or marketing. Invite them to run your departmentโs social media account for a day or week!
They will get firsthand professional experience running a branded social media account. At the same time, your department will greatly benefit from the boost in engagement driven by student-created content that truly resonates with their classmates!
17. Dorm door balloons ๐
Residence life leaders know all about the power of door decorations to celebrate and engage students. Connect with your campus RAs to surprise a worthy student with an explosion of colors and praise as they arrive home. Now, thatโs a memory they will cherish forever!
18. Flex dollars ๐ธ
Does your institution offer a flex dollar program for students to use at local and campus dining locations or in the bookstore? Reward a student by adding a designated amount to their account. This allows them to choose however they would like to spend it.
19. Feature them on your departmental blog ๐ฅ๏ธ
Incentivize student participation by offering a feature article on your departmentโs blog or campus newsletter. This is a great way to acknowledge student achievements publicly! Another option is to ask the student to write a reflection on their experience.
Because digital content is so easily shareable, students will be thrilled to share the spotlight article with their friends, family and social networks. (Great promotion for your campus or department at no extra cost!)
20. Earn a spot on a committee ๐ง๐ปโ๐คโ๐ง๐พ๐ง๐พโ๐คโ๐ง๐ฟโ๐คโ๐ง๐ป๐ง๐พโ๐คโ๐ง๐ผ
Adding student representatives to campus committees is a win-win for everyone. For students, they earn a unique opportunity to elevate their voice, opinions and ideas in an impactful leadership role! (Bonus: they can add this experience to their co-curricular transcripts when applying for jobs and internships!)
Having diverse perspectives in campus-wide initiatives, including student representation, has enormous positive impact overall. As they work to shape supportive policies and processes, staff and faculty members will be able to directly hear from and consider the needs and experiences of students.
Staying in touch with the opinions and needs of students helps them to feel heard, seen and valued.
21. Lunch, Brunch and Snackboxes ๐ณ
EVERYONE LOVES FOOD. Itโs why we dangle a carrot in front of someone to try to persuade them to do something. Some folks use the same strategy with candy, but as higher education educators, administrators, and advisors, we love a healthy option like a tasty brunch with friends!
Got hungry students to reward? Host a brunch or luncheon in your departmentโs office or other suitable spot on campus. (Need a quicker solution? The tried and true pizza party is great value and easy to organize!)
22. Art show/exhibition ๐ผ๏ธ
A truly inspiring reward for artistic students is offering a unique opportunity to show off their talent and skills! Whether showcasing visual or performing arts, student artists, musicians, singers, dancers and thespians will be sure to show up for a contest allowing them a slot to publicly share their work.
23. Prize wheel ๐
Spin the wheel, earn a prize! Using a prize wheel in or outside of the classroom is a tried and true method of motivating students.
Brainstorm budget-friendly ideas for engaging prizes such as campus-branded merchandise, gift cards, gift baskets, or no-cost perks (e.g., dropping your lowest grade).
Need more ideas? Youโre in the right place! This blog includes a lot of perfect prize wheel possibilities!
24. Spa package or Visit ๐ง๐ฝโโ๏ธ
Promote self-care and wellness by rewarding students with an all-expenses paid spa visit! Who isnโt motivated by a stress-relieving day of pampering?
Reach out to local day spas to inquire about customizing a special student package for your school. Or offer them free advertising on campus in exchange for a complimentary spa day package.
25. Free workout class or personal training session ๐๏ธโโ๏ธ
Rewarding students with fitness incentives is a great opportunity to promote wellness and active lifestyles. Admission to a popular class (such as Orange Theory, Solidcore or SoulCycle), sporting lesson or even a free personal training session are great options.
This helps students juggling heavy workloads to find balance, destress and release some tension in a healthy way.
26. A good old-fashioned handwritten note card ๐
One of the best ways to show your appreciation for someone is by writing a personalized note to them. (Case in point: arenโt you much more likely to notice and eagerly open mail thatโs handwritten to you?)
A simple card will suffice. You can pick one up at a paper shop or even a dollar store. Add a stamp and send it snail-mail style! The huge smile on your studentโs face when they receive it in the mail will be worth the extra effort.
27. Prize-worthy Book ๐
Awarding students with a beautiful hardcover book is great reward for students. (Bonus points if itโs signed by the author!)
Explore bestselling titles within your major academic department, area of study or industry of interest. A book on leadership can be a great option to engage and empower student club leaders!
28. Skip an assignment or drop the lowest quiz grade ๐
Getting to drop the lowest test or quiz grade for a grading period (or skip a daunting class assignment) is enough to incentivize pretty much anyone! Another option: reward the winning student with a day off from class to do something fun and enriching of their choice!
29. Canvas paint party or escape room event ๐จ
Earning a spot at a fun group event is a great reward for your hardworking students! Paint parties are always a hit, and their finished masterpiece can be hung up in their dorm as a trophy, reminding them of their accomplishment. Escape rooms, laser tags and amusement park trips are other great options for a group outing.
30. Chalk the Walk ๐๏ธ
Chalk and DIY promotion go hand in hand on college campuses! Some fun options to promote your studentsโ achievements:
Surprise them with a sidewalk chalk shout-out in a high-traffic spot on campus such as the quad or student center.
Unleash their inner Picassos: Allow them to design and decorate a popular walking path or graffiti wall! Variation: Let student choose a theme (such as positivity) and design a student-created bulletin board.
31. Surprise lunch delivery ๐ฑ
Everyone loves a free lunchโฆ Surprise the winner with a yummy lunch delivery, delivered straight to their dorm or home if off campus. DoorDash, GrubHub or UberEats are great options for local options.
32. Golf cart ride to class for a day! โณ
Who doesnโt want their own personal chauffeur for a day? Give the winning student a ride from class to class for the entire day as they beam with pride all across campus.
What ideas have you used to reward and incentivize students? Do you have a great idea that would be a perfect addition to our list? Let us know in the comments! Weโd love to hear whatโs working well on your campus!
Are you a higher education professional supporting campus life initiatives and student activities? Contact us to chat about how CampusGroups can help you cultivate an environment of happy, active and engaged students on your campus!
