Financial Aid

Michigan State Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid

Michigan State gave merit aid averaging $11,014 to 764 first-year students who had no financial need, about 14% of the freshmen without need.

Merit aid

Scholarships Michigan State gave to first-year students who had no financial need.

Average merit award

$11,014

Freshmen who got one

764

of 9,373 in the class

Share of those without need

14%

who received merit aid

Need-based aid

For first-year students the college found to have financial need.

Average need-based grant

$13,950

Average percent of need met

61%

Freshmen with need

43%

4,007 students

The average total aid package, which can include loans and work-study, was $18,115.

How to read these numbers

Merit aid is awarded for grades, scores, or talent. Need-based aid is awarded for family finances. A student can receive both.
The merit figures count only students with no financial need, so they show what a family that will not qualify for need-based aid can expect.
A grant does not have to be repaid. A package can include loans, which do.

Email me Michigan State's aid numbers

A link to this page, plus the merit aid comparison for every college we track.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Michigan State give merit scholarships?

Michigan State gave merit aid averaging $11,014 to 764 first-year students who had no financial need, about 14% of the freshmen without need.

How much is the average merit scholarship at Michigan State?

$11,014 for first-year students without financial need, according to Michigan State's 2025-26 Common Data Set. That is an average across everyone who got an award, so individual offers run higher and lower.

Does Michigan State meet full financial need?

Michigan State reports meeting 61% of need on average for first-year students who were awarded need-based aid. A figure under 100% means the average student was left with a gap to cover.

What share of Michigan State freshmen have financial need?

4,007 of 9,373 first-time, full-time freshmen, or 43%, were found to have financial need.

Source: Michigan State’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section H, for first-time, full-time freshmen. Last checked 2026-10-08. These are averages for one entering class, and some colleges report the prior year’s class in this section. Your own offer depends on your family’s finances and your application.