Joseph R. and Sarah L. Williams Scholarship

About this scholarship

The Joseph R. and Sarah L. Williams Scholarship is one of Michigan State University’s most comprehensive awards for exceptional incoming first-year students. It pays university tuition and fees plus food and housing for as many as eight consecutive fall and spring semesters of undergraduate enrollment. Recipients also receive a one-time $7,500 stipend for an approved summer experiential-learning opportunity. MSU does not publish a fixed number of Williams Scholars or a separate public scholarship application. Instead, the university selects a limited group from its first-year applicant pool using strong academic achievement and related indicators considered in admission. Fall 2027 applicants should submit a complete MSU, Common, or Coalition with Scoir admission application and all required materials by November 1, 2026, selecting Early Action, to receive maximum scholarship consideration. The official Apply page linked below is therefore the actionable application route. Renewal requires at least 12 completed credits each semester and continued good academic standing; award semesters remain within the eight-semester limit even if funding is temporarily interrupted. For comparison and sorting only, the annual value shown uses MSU’s published resident tuition and campus food-and-housing costs as a conservative proxy and includes the $7,500 stipend in the first award year; a nonresident recipient’s actual tuition benefit can be substantially higher.

Eligibility

• Apply to Michigan State University as an incoming first-year undergraduate student
• Submit the complete Fall 2027 admission application and required materials by November 1, 2026 for maximum scholarship consideration
• Enroll at Michigan State University for the semester in which the scholarship is first awarded
• Complete at least 12 credits each fall and spring semester while receiving the award
• Remain in good academic standing at Michigan State University