Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO)
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Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) is a program that allows 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students to earn both high school and college credit while still in high school, through enrollment in and successful completion of college nonsectarian courses at eligible participating postsecondary institutions. Most PSEO courses are offered on the campus of the postsecondary institution; some courses are offered online. Each participating college or university sets its own admissions requirements for enrollment into the PSEO courses. Eleventh and 12th-grade students may take PSEO courses on a full- or part-time basis; 10th graders are eligible to enroll in PSEO on a more limited basis (see note below). Students must meet the PSEO residency and eligibility requirements and abide by participation limits specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09. If a school district determines a pupil is not on track to graduate, she/he may continue to participate in PSEO on a term by term basis.

By March 1 of each year, or three weeks prior to the date a student registers for courses for the following school year (whichever is earlier), schools must provide PSEO information to all students in grades 8-11 and their families. To assist the district in planning, a student must inform the district by May 30 of each year of their intent to enroll in postsecondary courses during the following school year. To do this, you must fill out and return the Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) Program Notice of Student Registration 2022-23. The fillable document can be found at the bottom of the page on the following website. https://education.mn.gov/mde/fam/dual/pseo/

There is no charge to PSEO students for tuition, books or fees for items that are required to participate in a course; however, students may incur fees for equipment that becomes their property when the course or program is completed, textbooks that are not returned to the postsecondary institution according to their policies, or for tuition costs if they do not notify the district by May 30 and the district does not waive this date requirement.

Funds are available to help pay transportation expenses for qualifying students to participate in PSEO courses on college campuses. For more information on these funds, access the PSEO Mileage Reimbursement Program Instructions.

Enrolling in a PSEO course does not prohibit a student from participating in activities sponsored by the high school.

School districts must allow a PSEO student reasonable access to the high school building, computers and/or other technology resources during regular school hours to participate in PSEO courses, whether on-line or on campus.

Each year, districts must publish their grade-weighting policy on their website, including a list of courses for which students can earn weighted grades.

All courses taken through the PSEO program must meet graduation requirements. Districts must transcript credits earned in PSEO by a ratio prescribed in statute. Districts have the authority to decide which subject area and standards the PSEO course meets. If there is a dispute between the district and the student regarding the number of credits granted for a particular course, the student may appeal the board's decision to the commissioner. The commissioner's decision regarding the number of credits will be final.

Postsecondary institutions are required to allow PSEO students to enroll in online courses consistent with the institution’s policy regarding postsecondary student enrollment in online courses.

Tenth-grade students may initially enroll in one Career and Technical Education (CTE) PSEO course if they receive a reading proficiency score of “meets” or “exceeds” on the 8^th grade MCA. If 10th graders taking a CTE PSEO course earn at least a grade C in that class, they may take additional postsecondary courses. If the student did not take the MCA in 8^th-grade, another reading assessment accepted by the enrolling postsecondary institution can be substituted. For students with disabilities, there is an alternative option to demonstrate reading proficiency.

For current information about the PSEO program, visit the Minnesota Department of Education’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) webpage.

Students registering for PSEO courses must meet with Ms. Sirianni, complete appropriate applications, and meet the enrolling schools' criteria.

SEHS students, including PSEO students, are expected to carry a minimum of 3.5 high school credits per semester. PSEO students need to be mindful that 1 high school credit is equivalent to 4 college credits. There is a risk for students in this program. If a class required for high school graduation is not successfully completed, the student may not be able to graduate with his or her class, and a grade will be recorded on a permanent college or university transcript.

Additional Information

• Generally, SEHS students are juniors in the top 1/3 of their class or seniors in the top 1/2 of their class.
• 10th grade students may enroll in one Career and Technical Education (CTE) course through PSEO.
• In order to receive an SEHS diploma, students must still meet all SEHS graduation requirements. Students need to consult with Ms. Sirianni to determine if PSEO courses will meet SEHS course requirements.
• It is YOUR responsibility to ensure you are meeting postsecondary admissions requirements and deadlines.
• As an alternative to PSEO, consider taking Concurrent Enrollment courses at SEHS through Southwest Minnesota State University.