College is expensive. The estimated cost of tuition for MSU in-state students in the 2014-2015 school year was $13,954. With tuition rates this high, MSU provides a myriad of financial aid options to students to lessen the blow of paying for an education.
Loans, grants and scholarships are all available to MSU students through various departments. While loans have to be paid back, grants and scholarships are what Val Meyers, the associate director for the Office of Financial Aid, called “free money” for those who fit the criteria.
The Office of Financial Aid provides students with need-based financial aid opportunities. In order to access these funds, students must apply for a Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
Though students have to take the time to fill out the FAFSA, the rest of the work is done by the government who forwards the information on to the Office of Admissions once it has been processed.
Meyers said that filling out this form is the first step toward receiving aid. Once the FAFSA is sent to them from the federal government, the Office of Financial Aid is able to delegate funds to students based on their financial need as determined by federal guidelines.
Any student who is a United States citizen is eligible to fill out a FAFSA and apply for need-based aid.
Common grants include the Federal Pell Grant, which is offered to high-need students working toward their first bachelor’s degree, according to the Office of Financial Aid website.
Some students above the Pell Grant eligibility receive the MSU Assistance Grant, which is given to first-degree students whose family contributions are less than $10,001.
Outside of need-based grants, the university also has merit-based scholarships that are available to students.
“You can fill out the FAFSA if you are a U.S. citizen or if you have permanent residency in the United States,” she said. “So the only people who can’t fill out a FAFSA are international students. And that’s just because it’s mostly federal aid which comes from tax dollars so that makes sense.”
In order to be eligible for many of the scholarships offered through the Office of Financial Aid, students are still required to submit a FAFSA form.
According to the Office of Financial Aid website, some commonly awarded scholarships include the MSU Detroit Compact Scholarship, which is awarded to Detroit public school students, and the MSU Wade McCree Jr. Incentive Scholarship, which is awarded based on academic merit. Both scholarships cover the average cost of tuition and fees.
Meyers said that various colleges and majors also have financial aid opportunities available to returning students.
Almost every department offers some kind of unique scholarships for students. More information regarding departmental scholarships can be found on the websites of individual colleges.
The MSU Scholarship Search can provide further assistance to students looking for specific financial aid opportunities.
