EAST LANSING, Mich. — As the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting on the Michigan State University campus approaches, the Spartan Strong Fund is offering free mental health services for all students, staff, faculty and first responders.
On Feb. 13, 2023, three students were killed and five were critically injured after a gunman opened fire on the school's campus before killing himself.
Brian Fraser, Arielle Anderson and Alex Verner were the three students who lost their lives in the MSU campus shooting.
Fraser, a 20-year-old sophomore was from Grosse Pointe; 19-year-old Anderson, a junior, was from Grosse Pointe; and 20-year-old Verner, a junior, was from Clawson.
All three students received posthumous bachelor's degrees in their field of study.
After the shooting, the Spartan Strong Fund was created. More than 4,200 community members donated over $2 million to support the University as they heal.
A quarter of the fund, $500,000, will be allocated to reimburse out-of-pocket expenses for mental health services.
Qualifying expenses include:
- Outpatient counseling and mental health care services, including tele-health
- In-patient hospitalization with a mental health diagnosis
- Residential mental health treatment
“Utilizing the Spartan Strong Fund to support mental health services for students, staff, faculty and first responders affected by Feb. 13 is critical for facilitating their journey towards recovery,” said Assistant Provost and UHW Executive Director Alexis Travis, Ph.D.
The rest of the ways the Spartan Strong Fund will be used to support students, including paying medical bills of students injured and the creation of memorials for the three students lost, can be found here.
“Each of us is impacted differently by Feb.13,” said Travis. “Trauma is experienced uniquely by individuals and each of us is on our own path toward healing. Not all Spartans may feel traumatized by Feb. 13, and that is OK too.”
You can submit your application for reimbursement here.
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