MSU Alumni Distinguished Scholarship Commended Semifinalist Award
Offered by Michigan State University
About this scholarship
The MSU Alumni Distinguished Scholarship Commended Semifinalist Award provides renewable merit support to 65 semifinalists in Michigan State University’s Alumni Distinguished Scholarship competition. The university pays $1,500 per academic year, split between fall and spring, for as many as eight consecutive semesters. A student who remains eligible can therefore receive up to $6,000 over four undergraduate years. This is not a stand-alone scholarship with a public form. MSU identifies its strongest incoming first-year candidates from the admission pool, sends selected students invitations to the scholarship competition, and chooses commended semifinalists from that process. Students seeking Fall 2027 consideration should submit a complete first-year admission application and all supporting materials by November 1, 2026 and choose Early Action. MSU accepts its own application, the Common Application, and Coalition with Scoir; the official Apply page linked below presents all three routes. Selection is based on the high-achieving admission record and performance in the competition, not on a claimed universal GPA or test-score cutoff. Once enrolled, recipients must complete at least 12 credits in every funded fall and spring semester and remain in good academic standing. The award cannot be deferred to a later initial semester, interrupted enrollment requires advance university approval, and MSU may modify the amount in light of other university scholarship offers.
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
- Receive an invitation from MSU to participate in the Alumni Distinguished Scholarship competition
- Be selected as one of 65 commended semifinalists in the competition