Make Your Impact

"There really are things worth investing in, things worth remembering, things worth celebrating. And this place is one of them."

June Pierce Youatt
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

By investing in our students, Michigan State is preparing the next generation of thinkers, problem solvers, artists, and leaders. 

We have always believed education can change the course of an individual's life. As a land-grant institution Michigan State University was founded on the idea that all academically qualified individuals should have access to an education and to the opportunity to create a better future for themselves and others. This tradition of investing in students excellence and potential is integral to the fabric of our university. 

The University Scholarships and Fellowships Advancement Office is a collaboration between Undergraduate Education, the Graduate School, and the Honors College, established to support the needs of all students, at all levels, who are pursuing degrees in all disciplines. Our team seeks to raise $65 million for undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships through Empower Extraordinary, the campaign for Michigan State University. This ambitious goal aligns with MSU's overall campaign priorities: 

• As an Engine of Opportunity, we will expand our ability to provide opportunities for growth and learning for talented men and women from all sectors of society who thrive in challenging academic environments, especially for those who, because of economic or social circumstances, might have seen higher education as an unattainable goal. 
• As a Force for Creativity, Discovery, and Learning, we will seek the most promising students - undergraduate and graduate - immersing them in the MSU intellectual community, where they will learn from world-class faculty as well as each other. 
• As a Global Problem Solver, we will understand persistent obstacles - current and emerging - that face the state, the nation, and the world, and prepare students through research and education to confront and overcome them. 
• As a Vibrant Community, we will combine vision and execution in ways that best serve the state, the nation, and the world. Through the cultivation of unique talents in a community that promotes diversity we will find solutions to the challenges that face a global community. 

Supporting MSU Students through University Scholarships & Fellowships Advancement

Enhancing our leadership position among land-grant universities will require an extraordinary commitment from our leaders, faculty and staff, and particularly from our alumni and friends. We must build upon our strengths as a destination for advanced learning and scholarship. It is imperative that we provide an environment where talented men and women enjoy an engaged learning experience that nurtures their potential. 

More importantly, we must accomplish this while serving students from a variety of backgrounds and from all sectors of society. We believe talented men and women deserve the very best in higher education, and this aspiration should not be denied because of financial circumstance. Supporters of university scholarships and fellowships can help by:

• Investing in Undergraduate Education - Undergraduate scholarships provide access to higher education, allowing academically qualified students the opportunity to use their knowledge and skills for success and strengthen our academic community. 
• Investing in Graduate Education - Graduate fellowships bring students to MSU who have dedicated themselves to the pursuit of knowledge in specific academic fields. They work collaboratively with faculty and other graduate students to advance research, help teach and mentor undergraduates, and lay the groundwork for leadership in their own careers. 
• Investing in the Honors College - The Honors College serves academically talented undergraduates who wish to pursue and achieve academic excellence, and attracts the highest caliber students from across the country to MSU. Students admitted to the college enjoy the intimacy of a small-college atmosphere at one of the world's leading research universities. The freedom and flexibility to customize programs gives these students the opportunity to create unique experiences that are challenging, engaging, and often multi-disciplinary, thus preparing them for future graduate study or extraordinary careers. 

You can learn more about the University Scholarships & Fellowships Advancement Office campaign priorities by exploring the different areas of this website, viewing our case statement (PDF), or visiting our campaign portal on the University Advancement website.