Colleges Pay Students to Participate in Events on Campus

Lynn University in Florida created an awards program for students to incentivize on-campus engagement.

Lynn University

Since 2020, faculty, staff and administrators have noticed a trend among incoming college students: They don’t know how to make friends . Data affirms this—fewer students said they studied with classmates, volunteered or participated in clubs or organizations in 2023 than in 2019, according to a 2025 report from the Student Experience in the Research University Consortium.

At the same time, student engagement and belonging correlate with academic success. Past surveys show that students who engage in extracurricular activities are more likely to feel that they belong on campus and that it’s easier to make friends. Extracurriculars can advance students’ career skil