University officials say a recent study regarding low-income students choosing not to attend elite universities does not reflect conditions at MSU.

The study, conducted by the Century Foundation in Washington, D.C., found students who are accepted to universities choose other higher education options because they, along with their families, cannot afford to pay the increasing cost of tuition.

But Rick Shipman, director of MSU's Office of Financial Aid, says MSU provides a number of need-based programs, including grants and scholarships for students coming from low-income households.

According to the study, 51 percent of U-M's 2002 freshman class came from households earning $100,000 or more per year.

"If you compare us to the University of Michigan, we definitely have more needy students at MSU," Shipman said.

The number of Federal Pell Grants - financial aid which does not have to be repaid - are on the rise, Shipman said.

Shipman says many students who are accepted to universities do not know the total cost until they receive their financial aid offers. But MSU provides financial information to potential students at high schools and through its Web site, www.finaid.msu.edu.

"We talk to families this time of the year to decide what option is best for them," he said. "We want to help as many students as we can."

Shipman says students who come from middle-class families are having the hardest time finding aid.

"The only thing available is a loan and work," he said. Alternative loans are commercially provided financial aid, but usually at a high interest-rate of repayment, Shipman said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.