Spartan Advantage

The MSU Spartan Advantage Program covers:

• Costs for full-time tuition and fees during the fall and spring semesters.
• Food and housing based on the cost of a standard double occupancy residence hall room and silver meal plan.
• Estimated cost of books and course materials. Students with documented needs for course materials in excess of this standard amount should contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional funds.

Note: Because Work-Study is part of your award and you will be paid every two weeks, you might want to consider a Short Term Loan to cover the purchase of books at the beginning of the semester. You can repay the loan out of your earnings.

Please note that the Spartan Advantage Program is intended to supplement grant funds that you receive from federal, state, MSU, or private sources, so this award will be reduced if you receive other grant funds after the initial award has been made.

The MSU Spartan Advantage Program DOES NOT cover:

There are other costs of college that vary depending on the individual. Some needs are the same as you would have at home (laundry, bus pass or other local travel costs, entertainment, clothing, etc.). The Spartan Advantage program does not cover these costs with grant funds. 

Students can meet these costs through additional work, savings, funds from family, or through low cost federal loans. We hope that students will budget carefully so as to avoid borrowing except when it is absolutely necessary. The Office of Financial Aid will be happy to assist any student who needs help in reviewing available options for acquiring funds for these personal expenses.

There is no separate application form for the Spartan Advantage Program. All you need to do is: 

• Submit your FAFSA.
• Meet all of the eligibility requirements listed herein.

The Office of Financial Aid will grant you the award if you are eligible and it will then appear on your award notice. Awards will be renewable each year for students who continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

To be eligible for the Spartan Advantage Program, you must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be a dependent Michigan student.
• Be eligible for the maximum Federal Pell Grant.
• Be from an economically disadvantaged background as indicated by total assets and total income from current and prior years. This means that your family income has been and will continue to be at or below the federally established poverty guidelines and your total family assets are low enough that the family cannot use the income from them to rise above the poverty threshold.
• Be an entering freshmen with no prior college experience or a continuing student who received the award in the prior year. Transfer students are not eligible for this award.
• Be enrolled for and carry to the end of each semester a minimum of 12 credits in a program leading to your first undergraduate degree. While students must be enrolled for at least 12 credits to receive this particular award, all recipients are highly encouraged to enroll for at least 15 credits each semester to stay on pace to graduate in four years.

Eligibility for the award is limited to 8 consecutive semesters, excluding summer sessions but including other semesters of non-enrollment.