Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a federal program designed to provide early intervention services and programs to students in middle school and high school. The mission of GEAR UP is to significantly increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. MICHIGAN GEAR UP (MI GEAR UP) targets low-income students in the state of Michigan providing them with support services to increase their opportunity to succeed in higher education at Michigan's higher educational institutions.

Awarded to in-state Honors College invitees who have been offered a Professorial Assistantship; $5,000 annually, renewable for eight semesters.

Awarded to a limited number of Michigan residents who are National Merit Finalists and name MSU as their first-choice institution.

Michigan State awards multiple scholarship levels to students based on academic achievement and financial need