A new partnership between Michigan State University and the Lansing community seeks to give local students the opportunity to attend MSU and support their journeys in higher education.
MSU hosted a kickoff event with Lansing community leaders at Cowles House on Thursday, March 20, to unveil the cohort program, Lansing Spartan Scholars. A presidential initiative administered by the Office of Undergraduate Education, the program is designed to help support local high students achieve their goals through higher education. This support includes scholarship and financial aid resources, academic resources, academic advising and peer mentoring, internships and career development opportunities, and community and service-learning experiences to support the Lansing area.
“Our university is a great talent activator for the state of Michigan,” said MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., adding that nearly two-thirds of Spartan graduates starting their careers land jobs in-state. “That’s why I like to say that MSU is Michigan’s state university. And that’s why I’m excited about launching the Lansing cohort program and helping Lansing residents attend MSU and thrive here and beyond.”
The Lansing Spartan Scholars program is open to incoming MSU students who qualify for the Lansing Promise, which offers college and career readiness, personal and professional development, and scholarships for students who lived, attended and graduated from a public or private school within the Lansing School District boundaries — including up to $20,000 toward the completion of a bachelor’s degree at MSU. Lansing Spartan Scholars will receive an additional renewable scholarship from MSU and have access to additional financial aid to support cocurricular experiences like education abroad and undergraduate research.
Two dozen Lansing-area and MSU leaders worked together to create a framework for the Lansing Spartan Scholars program, culminating in the first cohort of 40 Lansing Spartan Scholars who will be welcomed to campus this fall.
Lansing Spartan Scholars will have access to high-impact experiences like first-year seminars, internships and service-learning engagements, all with a Lansing-centric focus. The first-year seminar will be designed based on the needs of the cohort, and the internships with Lansing businesses, municipalities and organizations will help students build stronger connections to their city. Service-learning projects in Lansing will foster meaningful community and civic engagement, creating a positive local impact.
Additionally, Lansing Spartan Scholars staff will help students learn about and navigate other key high-impact experiences like undergraduate research opportunities or education abroad. Students will be able to request funds to support these experiences.
“Bringing us together today to launch this new cohort program provides the opportunity to deepen relationships and discover more ways to collaborate with one another with the singular goal of activating the immense amount of talent that exists in Lansing,” said Mark Largent, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Education.
By offering high-impact learning opportunities, financial aid resources and cooperative opportunities, the Lansing Spartan Scholars program will not only support the academic and professional growth of local students but also strengthen partnerships within the Lansing community.
“We continue to work hard to provide opportunities for the broadest range of students and scholars to pursue their studies and professional development here at Michigan State University,” said Thomas Jeitschko, interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “We see this commitment as foundational and as a perpetual charge that guides our actions and our aspirations. Today, we’re grateful for everyone who has contributed to opening MSU’s door more broadly by way of the Lansing cohort program and to everyone who has helped to make this presidential initiative a success.”
James Jackson, a dedicated Lansing leader in community development and workforce diversity and a Lansing resident of more than two decades, celebrated the announcement of the program at the March 20 event. He reflected on his childhood, sharing a story about a sandbox where he wanted to play, but he did not have the shovels and buckets to enrich his experience. The Lansing Spartan Scholars program, he explained, will act as the shovels and buckets for Lansing students, partnering with them to provide additional enhancement and support. This partnership expands the opportunities within students’ “sandboxes,” enabling them to shape their futures and dreams as Spartans, equipped with the resources and support they need to thrive both at MSU and beyond.
“My charge to you is enlarge the sandbox. You have everything in the room to provide the shovels, the buckets,” he said. “And let’s change that moat, that’s really like a force field, into a swimming pool, where people can build, and they can come and go as safely as they please.”
Incoming MSU students who could benefit from the Lansing Spartan Scholars program can email LansingSpartanScholars@msu.edu to get connected; any individuals interested in learning more or getting involved as the program develops can reach out as well. The program is also actively seeking a program director.
