MSU Government Relations

Nearly 8,000 Michigan residents graduated from Michigan State University this weekend, including 6,351 undergraduates who came to MSU from Michigan high schools.

Future classes deserve that same state investment. Funding for MSU helps support access and opportunity for Michigan students, while also advancing the university’s land-grant mission through education, research, outreach and service across the state.

Take two minutes to support continued funding for MSU: https://go.msu.edu/advocacy26

The current Michigan State House budget proposal would cut nearly $199 million from Michigan State University’s general operations funding — a 62% reduction in state support — while also reducing support for MSU Extension and AgBioResearch.

These cuts would harm Michigan students, weaken vital research and outreach, and reduce MSU’s ability to serve communities across the state.

MSU is a smart investment in Michigan’s future: more than 32,000 current Michigan undergraduate students, 300,000+ alumni living and working in Michigan, and community support in all 83 MI counties.

Sign on in support of continued investment in MSU, MSU Extension and AgBioResearch: https://go.msu.edu/advocacy26

Thank you to Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet and the bipartisan members of Congress who supported continued federal funding for the Flint Registry.

Sustained investment in the Flint Registry matters because recovery is long-term. This support helps ensure Flint residents impacted by the water crisis can continue to access health monitoring, outreach, and connections to services that improve well-being and accountability over time.

Congresswoman McDonald Rivet Celebrates Support for Flint Water Crisis Victims in the Federal Budget FLINT— Today, Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08) celebrated securing impactful support for Flint residents affected by the Water Crisis in the FY 2026 Health and Human Services Budget, which was signed into law by President Trump this week.

At MSU, our work in Lansing and Washington is about outcomes for Michigan—protecting research, sustaining financial aid, and advancing community priorities that grow talent and strengthen our economy.

As Vice President for Government Relations Rebecca DeVooght put it, “The pace of federal action has required deeper coordination across campus and a more proactive engagement.”

Michigan’s public universities operate as a collaborative advocacy ecosystem. At MSU we’re aligning stories and evidence so policymakers see how public investment translates into real results for students, employers, and communities statewide.

Advocacy works best when it includes voices from across higher education—students, alumni, faculty, parents, patients, farmers, and partners—so leaders see the people behind the policies.

Coverage: The Detroit News (subscription may be required).

How Michigan universities' lobbying changed amid threats to higher education Michigan's top universities are changing tactics and tapping alumni to push back against the rising skepticism about higher education's mission.

Join Spartans across Michigan in showing support for students, research, and Michigan communities.

Michigan State University is home to more than 50,000 students representing 130 countries, all 50 U.S. states, and every county in Michigan. And with nearly 300,000 Spartan alumni living and working in Michigan, our impact reaches every corner of the state.

The Spartan Advocate Pledge gives students, alumni, and supporters of MSU the opportunity to add their names in support of continued state investment in MSU.

It takes less than one minute to sign—and your support helps advance student accessibility, MSU Extension, and AgBioResearch across Michigan.

go.msu.edu/pledge25

From growing up as the child of parents who didn’t finish high school—to watching those same parents pursue their own higher education degrees - Malachi Anthony Keener has lived the transformative power of education.

Financial aid opened the door for him to attend MSU, setting him on a path from the classroom to working with NASA, and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory on projects that required high-level security clearance, and now a doctoral student.

His trajectory is proof that investing in students changes not only individual lives, but also strengthens our economy, drives innovation, and supports our national security.

Malachi shared his story directly with his congressional representative, reminding them—and all of us—that without federal and state financial aid, his reality could have been very different. “I might still be hoping to save enough to take a class here or there,” he reflects.

Malachi, thank you for sharing your story and the importance of financial aid.

Financial aid is more than a line in a budget—it’s a reinvestment in our future, our communities, and the advancements that keep our nation competitive.

https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/08/student-view-financial-aid-opened-the-door-to-engineering-and-opportunity?collectionName=Student%20Views

MSU research is making a difference for Michigan’s dairy industry—and it’s possible because of investment from the State of Michigan and support from the state legislature.

This work helps farmers improve cattle health, increase sustainability, and strengthen the state’s agricultural economy.

When Michigan invests in research, we all benefit.

https://apnews.com/article/dairy-cattle-cow-research-michigan-032ac794930bf8d3860da592bf9994da

Federal research investment changes lives.

Michigan State University researchers, in partnership with Henry Ford Health, have received a major NIH grant to tackle head and neck cancers—aggressive diseases that impact thousands of people and families each year.

This work has the potential to improve early detection, treatment, and outcomes for patients across Michigan and beyond. It's science with purpose—and with people at the center.

Behind every grant is a team of researchers.
Behind every discovery is a patient who benefits.
This is why public research matters.

Read the full story:

New $3M NIH grant supports Henry Ford + MSU researchers studying HPV-positive head and neck cancers MSU and Henry Ford Health researchers receive $3M NIH grant to explore immune-targeted therapies for HPV-positive head and neck cancers.

The Flint Registry has championed Flint’s recovery from the water crisis, connecting those affected to health care & other vital resources.

That's why a group of Michigan Democrats & Republicans are calling for the Registry’s continued funding.

Thank you to our bipartisan coalition for standing up for Flint residents: Senator Gary Peters, Senator Elissa Slotkin, Rep Tim Walberg, Rep. Bill Huizenga, Rep. Debbie Dingell, Rep. Jack Bergman, Representative Haley Stevens, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Representative Lisa McClain, Congressman John Moolenaar, Rep. Hillary Scholten, Rep Shri Thanedar, U.S. Representative Tom Barrett.

The 2025 State of the Region report confirms what many of us in Greater Lansing already feel—momentum is building, and we can speed up.

Since 2019, our region has seen measurable gains in educational attainment, workforce growth, and overall economic development. These trends reflect both the strength of our local institutions and the dedication of our community to building a more prosperous future.

Michigan State University is proud to be one of many drivers of this progress.
We’re preparing students for high-demand careers in health, tech, education, advanced manufacturing, and more. We’re fueling local innovation through entrepreneurship and research translation. And we’re attracting new talent and investment that strengthens communities across the region.

The opportunity ahead is to build on this growth—strategically, equitably, and collaboratively. We’re ready.

How does Lansing match up against Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids? New study tackles question A new study compares the Greater Lansing area to 11 similar communities in Michigan and elsewhere. Here's how the capital city is doing.