Some Tri-State colleges are back in the classroom Monday, and there are some changes in place at these schools to keep students and staff healthy and safe.

Northern Kentucky University and the University of Cincinnati are back in session, and both schools have mask policies in place for their students.

"Unfortunately, the risk of infection with the delta variant of COVID-19 is very high in our region and we must take steps to protect our campus community," NKU officials wrote in a release. "Given the high level of community spread of the Delta variant... we have no choice but to require masks indoors on campus for all persons, vaccinated and unvaccinated."

NKU will provide reusable masks to all faculty, staff and students. Limited quantities of disposable masks may be available at the Welcome Center, Student Union and University Center Information Desks, Steely Library Distribution Desk, and Campus Recreation during normal business hours.

NKU is offering free COVID-19 vaccines at their Health, Counseling and Wellness office. Call 859-572-5650 or email hcsw@nku.edu for an appointment. Kentucky residency is not required.

UC is also requiring masks for all students, regardless of their vaccination status. Outdoor masks will also be required for people who are not fully vaccinated if they cannot also maintain social distancing.

Students who are vaccinated can send a picture of their vaccine card to UC Public Health. Students who are not vaccinated must either show proof that they have recently tested negative or receive a COVID-19 test from the university and consent to restricted campus access until their results arrive. UC will provide COVID-19 tests for students.

UC will also hold a drawing each week for students who have been fully vaccinated to win cash prizes of $2,500 or $5,000. The university plans on distributing $50,000 this semester for the drawings.

DENVER — Across the country, a growing number of colleges are making it mandatory for students and staff to be fully vaccinated by the fall semester. Many colleges are saying this can help higher education get back on track.

“This past year, it wasn’t an optimal decision for students or staff for the remote learning,” said Ken McConnellogue, the vice president for communication at the University of Colorado. “We are now working towards operating at normal capacity in the fall. That’s what our staff and students want.”

McConnellogue said that the University of Colorado, a public University, will require its students to be fully vaccinated to go back to in-person learning on campus.

“We are working towards full vaccinations as one of the strategies we need to put in place before fall,” McConnellogue said. “However, just as with our measles and mumps immunization policies we are allowing our students to opt out for medical and religious reasons. There are schools around the country who were out ahead of us on this, but we didn’t so much take our lead from them as much as the state health department and local health department. Plus, we are a research institution with an academic medical campus, and we have substantial expertise in that as well. We feel like we made a very well-informed decision.”

Colleges from California to New York are now moving toward mandating students and staff to be fully vaccinated by the fall semester as well.

However, for some private colleges, like the University of Denver, that offer more flexibility for their requirements.

“As a private school, as long as we are clear about our requirements, we have the flexibility to implement them,” said Sara Watamura with DU. “For example, in the fall we required the flu vaccine and that was not something the state schools felt they were able to do in the timeline they had.”

Watamura said that DU has even been providing vaccines for their students.

“We have provided the opportunity for almost 30,000 vaccinations on campus for DU students and faculty as well as the broader community,” Watamura said.

All 50 states have at least some vaccine mandates for students attending public schools, such as polio, tetanus and whooping cough.

Of course, not all colleges and universities will require a vaccine. But for those colleges that are requiring them, experts believe this could be the key to getting campus life back to normal.