Want to earn free tuition for next year? How about a meal plan, or free housing, a free tablet, or just get amazing deals with coupons for the place you already visit around campus? Have we got the app for you…

A trip to the library, time at a study table, cheering at an athletic event or attending a lecture – these staples of collegiate and student engagement can also lead to prizes and benefits with a new free phone app recently introduced at Eastern Michigan University.

The Eagle Rewards program is designed to encourage students to adopt habits to help them successfully navigate college by becoming involved with the University in various ways.

Students earn points for activities such as meeting with a tutor or success coach, attending campus events and more. Points accumulate and can be used to purchase items in a prize store or used at the end of the year to bid on major benefits such as free tuition, housing, a meal plan, a tablet device or gift cards to the campus book store.

The University is also going to sponsor “challenge weeks,” where students will be competing for specific prizes such as tickets to Halloweekends at Cedar Point.

The program began last year, and is being broadened in scope this semester. Last year, activity at EMU study tables increased from about 250 scans per day to more than 1,000 scans on an average day, says Christine Deacons, director of academic support programs at Eastern.

“We’re hoping to build on last year, and have a positive impact on student participation at other events across campus, including athletic events,” Deacons said. “Most importantly, we see this as an excellent and timely opportunity to positively influence student success, persistence in remaining in school and ultimately graduation.”

The Eagle Rewards webpage enables students to download the app, and notes the many campus events and academic related activities that can help you accrue points, including various interactions on social media and by generating content.

Deacons said that the program came about last year through a collaborative effort between EMU athletics and the Holman Success Center, a primary resource of tutoring and academic support at Eastern; and is now supported by several other departments across campus.

“College students practically live on their mobile devices, and this app provides a highly engaging platform for them to interact with and significantly enhance their collegiate experience,” Deacons said.