Rowan and Stockton universities are both requiring students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 this fall.

Rowan sophomore Briana Sistrunk says that she is hopeful that this school year will feel more like a normal college experience when students return in a few weeks.

“I got vaccinated. I kind of just wanted a little more normalcy this year,” she says.

But what happens to students who choose not to get the vaccine, or are not able to? Rowan officials say that those students will receive weekly COVID-19 tests.

“They come in, it’s literally a five-minute process and they’re done,” says Rowan Dean of Students Kevin Koett. “We’re being very flexible with that timeframe, but they will have to test weekly if they are not vaccinated.”

Stockton University is not requiring weekly testing for the unvaccinated at this point. But school officials say that they predict about 75% of students will have at least one dose of the vaccine before classes start. Vaccines are mandatory for certain staff members.

"The Stockton Federation of Professional Teachers, as well as managers and temporary employees, are being directed to be vaccinated before Sept. 1,” says Stockton Chief Planning Officer Peter Baratta.

As for masks – at Rowan University, masks will only be required indoors for those without the vaccine. But some vaccinated students say that they will still wear their masks.

"Personally, I still like to wear my mask…with the new variant going around and everything I just feel a little more comfortable. What everybody else feels is up to them,” says Sistrunk.

“Outside maybe less, but inside I’ll still wear mine,” says Rowan senior Nick Dales.

Stockton University has the same mask policy. Both schools say that they are following the delta variant closely and that an indoor mask mandate is still on the table.