Lyman Briggs freshman Becky McNabbhas added some green to her 1994 white Mazda.
McNabb is one of 7,873 people to purchase an MSU license plate since their inception in October. The plates are part of the Secretary of State’s “Be True to Your School” program.
“I think it is a great way to show school spirit,” McNabb said.
“Most people have stickers on their cars but this is something unique that not too many people have.”
MSU leads the other 14 schools with the most plates sold, followed by the University of Michigan Ann Arbor campus, which has sold 6,604 plates.
Western Michigan University, Central Michigan University and Michigan Technological University round out the top five.
According to Secretary of State spokeswoman Julie Pierce, MSU has led since the beginning of the program.
“The program is certainly working well, she said. “We are very pleased so far.”
Pierce said more than 21,000 of the college license plates have been ordered, which have raised $500,000 for schools across the state. MSU has received almost $200,000 from the sales.
For each MSU license plate sold at $35 each during the promotion’s first year, $25 will be donated to the university's scholarship fund. For every year after, $10 per plate will be donated.
Pierce said there has always been an interest in college license plates, and the Secretary of State has finally been able to fill the demand.
“There are so many strong colleges and universities in Michigan, she said. “The support is so great from students and alumni and I think we will see a lot more sold as the years go on.”
Vice President for Governmental Affairs Steven Webster said he and the people in his office have been advocates of the license plate program for a few years.
“This program is great because money comes back to the school for scholarships,” Webster said. “As people support their favorite university, they are also supporting its students.”
But Webster said the benefits reach beyond the money.
“MSU, being top in the sales, shows clearly the great amount of spirit and pride for the school, he said. “It is a wonderful display of support and gets more people in the communities familiar with MSU when they see people driving around.”
Communication senior Mark Wills said when he heard about the plates, he knew he wanted one for his car.
“It’s just another way of showing school spirit, he said. “It’s just a bonus that something so many people are going to be interested in also raises money for the school.”
Wills said he was happy to do his part.
“It’s great that it raises money for something important like education and not just another way for state officials to make more money,” he said. “I am seeing them more and more when I drive around and I’m not surprised.
“MSU has always had great spirit and I think this shows how great the fans are.”
