Page management tools

Title

Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) Program

Body
Sections

The Postsecondary Enrollment Options program allows high school sophomores, juniors and seniors to take college-level courses on one of M State's campuses or online and earn both high school and college credit.

The PSEO program, funded through the Minnesota Department of Education, covers the high school student's tuition and cost of textbooks for college-level courses (numbered 1000 level or higher). PSEO students are responsible for the cost of equipment that becomes their property, such as tools and computers.

Benefits

  • Save money: Tuition, fees and textbooks free of charge to you.
  • Save time: Completing college courses in high school means it will take you less time to earn your degree after high school.
  • Add variety: You're provided with a greater variety of course offerings, beyond what is available at your high school.
  • Challenge yourself: College courses will offer you a challenging and rewarding educational experience.

PSEO eligibility

Minnesota high school sophomores, juniors and seniors may be eligible to take one or more college-level courses through PSEO if they meet the following requirements:

  • Senior/12th grade: High school GPA of 2.8 or greater
  • Junior/11th grade: High school GPA of 3.2 or greater
  • Sophomore/10th grade: Complete the 8th grade Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) reading test and meet the proficiency of "meets or exceeds." Sophomores who qualify for PSEO may enroll in one career and technical education course. For a list of courses, visit PSEO for 10th Graders at M State.

Appeals

If a high school/home school student does not meet the GPA requirement, a PSEO admission appeal form must be submitted along with a letter of recommendation (attached to the form) that specifically outlines the applicant's readiness for college-level courses. The letter must be provided by the high school counselor, principal or instructor for consideration.

Placement

PSEO applicants are not required to take the Accuplacer assessment to determine final PSEO eligibility. Course placement guidelines are available at Placement Testing. 

Preparing for PSEO

Students are encouraged to take M State's College Readiness Self-Assessment and review Guidelines for PSEO Students. 

Sign up for PSEO

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. When a student enters a postsecondary institution at any age, the right to access and control disclosure of education records under FERPA transfers from the student's parents (as in the K-12 setting) to the student.

In most circumstances, family members will need to show an authorization form signed by the student to allow the release of information. An electronic form is located below. Any document that includes the following would also be valid: who is authorized to release the information; to whom the information may be released; what information may be released; the purpose for which the information may be used; the student's signature; and a date. A simple email from a student is not a sufficient authorization.

School officials may honor a copy of a valid release, including a fax. An authorization could permit disclosure of information by phone or e-mail so long as an otherwise valid release is on file. A form could also authorize ongoing disclosures, such as grades each semester.

Student Release of Information Form