An affiliated person is a person who works with MSU in various capacities, and is not an official employee, student, or retiree. This includes visiting researchers, contractors, vendors, spouses and members of official affiliate groups, such as Visiting International Professional Program, MSU Extension County-paid employee, MSUFCU employee, etc. Below are the most common inquiries our office receives regarding affiliated persons. If you are not finding an answer to your question, please reach out to us at idoffice@msu.edu for additional assistance.
Please note that at MSU an Affiliate login and a Guest login are different. A Guest login is created and used when a person needs a login for a non-credit course or when a student is interested in allowing another individual to access their student information account. For additional information about Guest logins, please go to the Guest Account page.
An affiliated person is a person who works with MSU in various capacities, and is not an official employee, student, or retiree. This includes visiting researchers, contractors, vendors, spouses and members of official affiliate groups, such as Visiting International Professional Program, MSU Extension County-paid employee, MSUFCU employee, etc.
Persons who are affiliated with MSU but are not employees, students or retirees may have a need for an MSU login. This type of login-only account must be sponsored by a current MSU employee. To request an affiliate MSU login, please fill out the "Request Affiliated FPID" form in TDX (This form is NOT for users who will be processed through the SAP system. Any user processed through HR (paid or unpaid) will receive a NetID automatically). The affiliation can be established for up to one year from the date of the request. The ID Office will process the request within 5 business days after receiving the request.
Affiliation can be established for up to one year. If the affiliation is set to expire or has expired, an MSU employee may ask for the affiliation to be extended by emailing us the request at idoffice@msu.edu. When requesting extension for an affiliate, please include 1) Affiliated person’s NetID, 2) Affiliated person’s name and 3) New end date for the affiliation.
The login-only NetID offers limited access by default and may require an Access Request to be filed for other systems access. Login-only NetIDs DO NOT include an MSU email address or access to library electronic resources (LER).
Spouses or Other Eligible Individuals (OEI) of students, faculty, staff and retirees may obtain Spartan Cards. The student or employee and the spouse/OEI must both appear in person at the ID Office, with 1) the employee or student's Spartan Card, 2) proof of marriage or passport with J2 visa, 3) and the spouse/OEI's physical government issued photo ID such as a US driver's license, passport, state ID or military ID. A non-prox card costs $15. A prox card costs $20 and can be used for door access and/or dining.
For IM Sports membership for spouses, please review the "Guests" section here.
For dining options for spouses, please visit Eat@State.
To request a NetID for a researcher, collaborator, or other individual, please fill out the "Request Affiliated FPID NetID" form in TDX. Please note, only current MSU faculty or staff can fill out the form. The affiliation can be established for up to one year from the date of the request. Identity Services will process the request within 5 business days after receiving the request.
To request both a NetID and a Spartan Card for a researcher or visitor who will be at MSU in-person for up to one year, please fill out the Visitor Form. As noted on the form, the visitor must bring the printed, completed form and a government issued photo ID (passport, US driver's license, or US State ID) to the ID Office to obtain the card and login information. Please note, visitors do not get full access to MSU systems, such as library electronic resources (LER) and MSU email. If full access is needed, please consider processing the individual through MSU Central HR.
To request a NetID for a contractor, please fill out the "Request Affiliated FPID NetID" form in TDX. Please note, only current faculty or staff at MSU are authorized to complete the form. The affiliation can be established for up to one year from the date of the request. Identity Services will process the request within 5 business days after receiving the request.
To request a door access card, a vendor, contractor, or volunteer must come into the ID Office with a completed Vendor Form. The form must be completed by a current faculty/staff person to authorize the request. There is a $20 fee for a vendor card. The fee may be paid by the individual (cash or card), or by the department using an account number which must be included on the vendor form. Door access can be added to the vendor card by the department by contacting ID Access Control once the card is printed.
Please note, if a vendor needs a replacement card, they must bring a new vendor form for the replacement.
To request a NetID for a contractor, please fill out the "Request Affiliated FPID NetID" form in TDX.
To request a card to be set up for door access, a contractor must come into the ID Office with a Vendor Form completed by the department.
| Vendor | Visitor |
Form | ||
PID on ID card | VPID | FPID |
User type | A person who requires door access and/or parking, such as a Vendor, Contractor or Volunteer working on campus. Examples include: postal workers, volunteers, elevator technicians, electricians working on a building project, Manpower employees, IT or other Contractors, etc. | A person who will be on campus working with a department for a limited amount of time, e.g. 1 semester, 1 academic year. Examples include: visiting researchers working in labs, international scholars working with an MSU department, etc. Not to be used for a person who is being processed as no-pay/adjunct faculty or who has a contract with an MSU department to provide services. |
ID Card | Yes – Door access only
| Yes – If prox card is chosen, it can be setup for Door Access, Meal Plans, Parking |
Prox | Always, $20 fee required (cash, credit or MSU account number) | Prox ($20) or non-prox ($15), depending on user or department choice (cash, credit or MSU account number) |
Meal Plan Eligible? | NO | YES |
Login | If needed, must be requested separately through TDX form. Will be an FPID login. | Yes – will provide FPID PIN letter |
A Guest login is required for specific access such as logging in to attend a non-credit course or logging into a student’s account. In these cases, a Guest login is indicated by the person granting the access (e.g. the non-credit course owner or the student) and the Guest login is created by the person who needs to login.
An Affiliate login is requested by an MSU employee for a person that will require login access to MSU systems that require an Access Request. For example, an MSU contractor or collaborator may need access to the HPCC or Athena or the VPN. In those cases, an Affiliate login is required as it must be requested and sponsored by an MSU employee. This type of account is more secure than a Guest login.
To request logins for computer lab access, please reach out to us at idoffice@msu.edu to request a “Login-only FPID” spreadsheet. You will need to fill out the spreadsheet with participants’ first and last names, non-MSU email addresses, and birthdates. We will need at least two weeks to process the spreadsheet. We cannot guarantee timely processing of a spreadsheet submitted less than two weeks before the start date.
Please email Identity Services at idoffice@msu.edu to discuss the needs of your group. When reaching out, please include your name, your department, name of the group, its activities, and its time frame with MSU. Please reach out well in advance of the group’s arrival date as the approval process for a new affiliate group can take 2-4 weeks, and processing records for the group can take an additional 2 weeks.
Once your email is received, we will set a time to meet with you to discuss your group's needs and the affiliate process in detail.
MSU Official Affiliate Group Worksheet
If you have any troubles with the document linked above, please email us at idoffice@msu.edu to request the “MSU Affiliate Group” spreadsheet. We will need at least two weeks to process the spreadsheet. We cannot guarantee timely processing of a spreadsheet submitted less than two weeks before the start date.
Affiliate Spartan Cards with a prox chip can be used for door access, meals and other services.
For door access, please reach out to your sponsoring department or manager to submit the appropriate door access request forms for your card. See also “My Spartan Card is not opening doors, who do I contact?”
For IM Sports information for affiliates, please review the "Guests" section here.
For dining options for affiliates, please visit Eat@State. See also "How do I purchase meals?" below.
For information on checking out library materials, please visit Library Borrowing Information Page.
Individuals with an Affiliate Spartan Card are eligible to purchase meal plans. Individuals with a vendor card are not eligible to purchase meal plans. A prox card is required to purchase meal plans.
Before your first purchase, your account will need to be added to the Transact system. You can do this by calling Spartan Cash at 517-355-2274 or by coming into the ID Office to make your first purchase.
After your first purchase, if you wish to purchase additional meals, you may do so online at Eat@State or in-person at the ID Office and other on-campus locations.
If you tap your card to open a door and the card reader beeps/flashes a green light, but the door remains locked, you do not have appropriate permissions on your card to open that door. Door access, such as access to a specific academic building or office, can be added by the department that desires you to have that access. Please reach out to the department and they will get the appropriate door access added. You may also visit ID Access Control website for additional help.
If you tap your card and the card reader does not beep/flash a green light or open the door, there may be an issue with the chip in your card. You may come to the ID Office during our business hours to troubleshoot your card and/or obtain a replacement Spartan Card.
If tapping your Spartan Card makes a beeping sound, but you are unable to access locked doors or parking lot gates – most likely, your card has no technical issues even if it does not grant access. If you tap your card at a door or a parking gate, and it does not make a beeping sound – your card may have a technical issue. You may bring your Spartan Card to the ID Office for further troubleshooting.
If you are trying to use your Spartan Card at a cafeteria, and the card beeps but does not pull up your information in Transact system – most likely, your card has no technical issues. However, there may be an issue with your record in our systems – please contact us for further troubleshooting in-person or 517-355-4500.
If you are trying to use your meal swipes or a combo exchange, and the card will not swipe, there may be an issue with the magstripe on the back of the card. Please bring your Spartan Card to the ID Office f for further troubleshooting
Please note, it is extremely rare for a newly printed card to have technical issues.
Vendor – must bring a new vendor form, completed by the sponsoring department, and government issued photo ID. There is a $20 fee for replacement card, which can be paid by the department or the vendor.
Employee Spouse or Student Spouse – the currency of the employee or student must be verified prior to a replacement Spartan Card being issued. If the currency of the employee or student cannot be verified, then a replacement Spartan Card cannot be issued. The current employee or student does not need to be present for a replacement Spartan Card to be issued to a spouse. Please make sure to bring your government issued photo ID with you. There is a $15 fee for non-prox and $20 fee for prox card replacements.
Visitor – user’s affiliation must be current to be eligible for a replacement Spartan Card. Please make sure to bring your government issued photo ID with you. There is a $15 fee for non-prox and $20 fee for prox card replacements.
Official Affiliates – user’s affiliation must be current to be eligible for a replacement Spartan Card. Please make sure to bring your government issued photo ID with you. There is a $15 fee for non-prox and $20 fee for prox card replacements.
You will most likely need to have your supervisor or sponsor submit an Access Request.
If you are getting “Unable to Sign In” for an error message, it is most likely a password issue and you will want to contact the MSU IT Service Desk at 517-432-6200.
If you previously had access to a system and are now receiving “Access Denied” or “Access Forbidden” error message, we would recommend contacting our office at 517-355-4500 so that we can further troubleshoot the issue with you.
If you have not previously had access to a system and are getting “Access Denied” or “Access Forbidden,” you may need to have your supervisor or sponsor submit an Access Request to grant you access to that system.