Cost & aid
What it costs
In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $13,505 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $10.8K less than the national median. The 98% who received grants paid $11,546 on average; the other 2% paid the full sticker price of $26,280 in-state / $42,792 out-of-state.
- Full price, in-state
- $26,280 a year
- tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
- Need-based aid
- Little need-based aid above $110K
- aid thins out for families above that income
- Merit aid
- 32% · avg $10K
- of first-years without need got merit aid
Cost by family income
Per year for a typical family of four with one child in college. Up to $110K it is the average price federal aid recipients paid (2023–24).
Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys to read the price at an income.
- Published federal figures
- With an average merit award: $16K · 32% got one. A possibility, not a promise
View as a table
| Family income | Price per year |
|---|---|
| $0–30K | $10K a year |
| $30–48K | $20K a year |
| $48–75K | $20K a year |
| $75–110K | $19K a year |
| $150K | Published data end at $110K |
| $200K | Published data end at $110K |
| $250K | Published data end at $110K |
| $300K | Published data end at $110K |
| $350K | Published data end at $110K |
| $400K and above | Published data end at $110K |
At $150K: Published data end at $110K
Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for a number.
Your own number depends on the details below, so use the college's calculator for it.
What can change this
- Savings and investments above a typical amount raise the price. The curve assumes typical assets.
- Home equity: some colleges that use the CSS Profile count it. Check this college's own aid page or calculator.
- Divorced or separated parents: colleges with their own formula usually ask for both parents' finances.
$13,505
Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24
98% got grants averaging $13,512; 2% got none.
Housing and food use the college's on-campus rates, so the estimate runs high where many students live at home. “Other expenses” is the college's estimate of personal and transportation costs. Loans aren't subtracted because they're repaid.
Who pays what
Share of first-year students, 2023–24.
Sticker price by residency
| Rate | Tuition & fees | First-years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state | $12,240 | $26,280 | 97% |
| Out-of-state | $28,752 | $42,792 | 3% |
Full cost adds books, on-campus room & board, and other expenses ($14,040) to tuition and fees.
$27,280 in-state before aid
Tuition, fees, and on-campus food and housing · up 14% in-state from 2023–24.
Show the full next-year estimate
- Tuition, fees, food & housing$27,280
- Books and supplies$1,220
- Transportation$278
- Other expenses$1,340
- Total for a student living on campus$30,118
$25K
≈ $265/month for 10 years
1.0 yrs
of median salary to cover 4 years of net price
About 1 in 2 undergrads borrows federally.
Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.
Three years into repayment
Where former undergraduates stand on their federal loans.
- Paid in full10%
- Paying it down19%
- Payments paused36%
- Not paying it down25%
- Behind or in default10%
- Forgiven or discharged1%
Some shares are published as a small range to protect privacy.
Who actually gets aid
Aid generosity
GenerousGrants cover 50% of the $26,775 full price on average across all first-years (generous), more than at 74% of colleges. The sticker price overstates what most students here actually pay.
$13,270 in grants per first-year ÷ $26,775 full price.
Who gets grants and scholarships
Full-time first-year students (1,284), 2023–24
Where the aid comes from
Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.
Aid by family income
By family income: only students who received federal aid, because income is only reported for them.
Aid by family income isn't reported.
From Saginaw Valley State University's Common Data Set
First-years and all full-time undergraduates, 2025–26 (estimated).
| First-years | All full-time | |
|---|---|---|
| Have financial need | 67%886 students | 62%3,405 students |
| Need met, on average | 88% | 77% |
| Need fully met | 32% | 24% |
| Average aid package | $20,216 | $17,620 |
| Average need-based grant | $16,324 | $13,775 |
| Average need-based loan | $3,208 | $4,066 |
| Merit aid without need | 32%average $9,854 | 33%average $8,381 |
| Athletic scholarships | 69average $8,093 | – |
41% of the college's own grant dollars were awarded without regard to need.
Each college decides what a family needs, so “100% of need met” can mean different prices at different colleges. Merit awards that went toward a student's need count as need-based here.
Applying for aid
For fall 2026 entrants.
Deadline: none · Aid offers: on a rolling basis
Dates for fall 2026 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.
What the college's own scholarships consider
| Academics | ✓ | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Alumni connection | ✓ | not marked |
| Art | ✓ | not marked |
| Leadership | ✓ | ✓ |
| Music or drama | ✓ | not marked |
A blank means the college didn't mark it, not that it never counts.
In the college's words:
“Cardinal Commitment – Provides a free-tuition guarantee to new students with a family AGI at or below $70,000 (eligibility criteria was recently expanded). Saginaw Valley Opportunity Grant (SVSU’s primary need-based grant) expanded to undergraduate transfer students, in addition to first-time students. Automatic merit scholarships based on high school GPA were increased. The Red & White Scholarship for out-of-state and international students was increased to bring tuition costs down to in-state levels ($10,320 scholarship annually).”Saginaw Valley State University Common Data Set
International students
Need-based and merit aid offered.
International applicants file: the CSS Profile, the college's own form ().
Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;Saginaw Valley State University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2026–27;Saginaw Valley State University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26 (estimated);Saginaw Valley State University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;Common Data Set, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)