It doesn’t take much to throw life off balance.
Unexpected expenses have a pernicious way of multiplying. A car repair becomes missed work. Missed work becomes a late rent payment. Late rent becomes a source of stress that follows students into the classroom.
For Michigan State students balancing class, work and everyday life, unexpected challenges can make it difficult to stay on track. Every student’s needs are different, but no one should face those challenges alone.
The Support Our Spartans Student Emergency Needs Fund, better known as the SOS Fund, provides temporary support when unexpected hardships arise. For emergencies that compromise a student’s ability to stay enrolled, the SOS Fund extends a critical lifeline.
"Students facing unexpected challenges often need immediate, temporary support to stay on track toward completing their degree," said Dr. Jim Hintz, vice president for the Division of Student Affairs at MSU. "The SOS Fund reflects the power of our community coming together to help students navigate difficult circumstances.”
The program’s success is demonstrated in its impact on positive student outcomes, Hintz added. During the 2025-26 academic year, the SOS Fund received 364 applications and awarded more than $407,000 in emergency assistance. The average award of $1,200 can cover a month’s rent, a major car repair, a tuition hold, the replacement of a laptop and more. Most importantly, 98.8% of students who received assistance remained enrolled throughout the academic year.
Emily Sing, ’19 (Eli Broad College of Business), is an ardent supporter of the university’s emergency assistance programs. She made her first gift to the SOS Fund a year after graduating and has continued to give ever since.
“Unexpected challenges can arise for anyone, and having support during those moments can make all the difference,” Sing said. “I hope my support helps provide stability and reassurance to students during difficult times. When students are facing an unexpected challenge, they should be able to focus on the issue at hand and find a path forward without worrying about how they will be able to continue their education.”
MSU is built on a culture of Spartans helping Spartans, and the SOS Fund “reflects the best” of that community, said Sing. “Supporting students through difficult moments not only helps them succeed today, but also empowers them to become future leaders, mentors, and community members who will help others in turn.”
Many alumni who benefited from the program as students return to give back later.
One anonymous donor shared their student journey after making a gift this past Give Green Day in March 2026. During their time as a student, clashes with a roommate led to physical and mental health struggles, mounting hospital bills, homelessness and legal issues. Support services like the SOS Fund helped them stay enrolled and earn a degree, all while helping other students succeed alongside them:
“As I write this from home, I miss MSU, which is where my heart is. I have realized that challenges outside classroom can deter students from learning well even when they constantly try to do their best. Teachers and schools don't teach us how to solve these issues, but only going through them helped me become an empathetic and gritty human. The unconditional generosity of MSU and Americans fills my heart and I trust that every dollar I donate to MSU will save someone's soul and improve their quality of life. I was in a manic/ecstatic state on Give Green Day 2026, it almost felt like a festival; the more I gave, the happier I felt. There is so much suffering all around that I wish I could eradicate, and MSU is the foundation through which I can do that. I'm investing in my Spartan family and if I had more, I'd give more. I believe in No Spartan Left Behind, you've done miracles on me.”
While students from many backgrounds applied for assistance, nearly half were seniors and nearly three-quarters were upperclassmen. This suggests that financial emergencies often arise during the final years of college.
More than half of applicants needed help with university debt, buying food or covering housing costs. One in three were struggling with two or more of those needs at once. Other common requests were for help paying utility bills, transportation assistance, unexpected life circumstances and medical expenses.
Last year, requests for assistance exceeded available funding by more than $320,000. Gifts from donors help close that gap and provide critical support to students facing financial emergencies.
“If someone is down on hard times and needs just a little bit of extra support to pay for a class or materials, I want to help contribute so they can get the support they need and stay in the classes they need,” said Drew Markel, ’23 (College of Engineering), who also donated to the SOS Fund on Give Green Day. “Ultimately, what we're helping to do is raise the next generation of Spartans, the next generation of thinkers. It's good to be part of that network."
LEARN MORE about support for the SOS Fund by contacting Senior Director of Development Madison Dugan at duganmm@msu.edu. Or check out the SOS Fund CrowdPower here.