Post Secondary Enrollment Option Program (PSEO)

1. The student must have junior or senior status in a Minnesota public or private high school, or have senior-level equivalency in a home school program, for the year they are applying.
2. The student must have a 3.5 GPA if applying for the PSEOP as a junior (part-time only) and a 3.0 GPA if applying as a senior in high school (full-time or part-time). Homeschooled students will be evaluated individually to determine eligibility for the program. Standardized test results are encouraged to help assess the eligibility of homeschooled students. Achievement test results or college entrance exam results are acceptable.
3. The program is limited to 40 participants per year. Participants will be selected from the pool of qualified applicants. The College reserves the right to accept fewer than 40 students in any given year.

Students accepting a place in the Post-secondary program at St. Scholastica, agree to participate in orientation sessions, semester meeting, semester advisement and other activities as arranged by the Post-secondary Enrollment Options Coordinator.

The state of Minnesota, according to the PSEO program payment guidelines, pays for tuition for courses taken for secondary credit by students at Minnesota public high schools. The maximum allowable reimbursement by the state covers about 20-25 percent of the total cost. The remainder of the cost (about 75-80 percent) is paid by The College of St. Scholastica.

• Courses that are not taken for high school credit, but for post-secondary credit only are not paid for by the state. Students who elect to enroll for a course for post-secondary credit only are responsible for the full tuition cost for that course.
• Lab fees are paid for by the state.
• PSEO students are not eligible to receive state or College financial aid. This means PSEO students are not eligible for student employment positions on campus.
• The state will not pay for the expense of room and board for students electing to live on campus.

Application Procedure

• The application deadline is May 1 for Fall semester and December 1 for Spring semester. PSEOP is not an option during the summer semester.
• Students must complete and submit ALL of the following:
  • Online Application You will be asked to upload the following documents directly into the application (Download the forms for a, b, c.):
    • a. The Early Entry Student Waiver
    • b. The Early Entry Student Transcript Release
    • c. Guidance Counselor Form (high school guidance counselor must complete this form)
    • A completed, current Minnesota State Department of Education PSEO Notice of Student Registration form
    • A written letter of recommendation from the student’s high school principal, guidance counselor, or a teacher
    • A 500-word essay on why the student would like to participate in this program
  • An official copy of the student’s high school transcript.
    Send to:
    The College of St. Scholastica Admissions
    1200 Kenwood Avenue
    Duluth, MN 55811
• The program coordinator reviews all applications. Students who have submitted complete applications and who meet the qualifications will advance to the interview portion of the process. The interview will be with the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Coordinator.
• Students interested in on-campus housing are required to meet with the Director of Residential Life after the initial interview.

Acceptance to the Program

• Availability in courses is limited. Participants will be selected from the pool of qualified applicants.
• Students will be notified of the final admission decision upon completion of the interview and in writing.

Students are able to obtain their textbooks, free of charge per PSEO regulations, through our online bookstore at St. Scholastica.

The College of St. Scholastica textbooks are the property of the College. Students must return the books to the PSEO coordinator at the end of each semester. Students who wish to keep their books must consult the program coordinator.

Transcripts are not issued to PSEO students until all books are returned

On-campus housing for full-time PSEO students will be reviewed on an individual, first-come, space-available basis. The College limits the number of PSEO students living on campus to no more than five.

A student’s permanent residence must normally be outside a 40-mile radius of campus to be considered for the residence hall.

All PSEO students requesting on-campus housing must come with a parent or guardian for a required interview with the Director of Residential Life. The purpose of the interview is to clarify responsibilities, procedures and policies for living in the residence hall as well as to determine the student’s suitability for on-campus living.

Priority for space in on-campus housing is given to traditional, full-time degree-seeking students. PSEO students are not guaranteed housing. On-campus housing availability is determined after Aug. 1 each year. Therefore, it is recommended that students needing housing make arrangements to live off campus, to be prepared in the event housing on campus is not available.

The state of Minnesota under the Post-secondary Enrollment Options Act does not pay room and board costs. These costs are the responsibility of the student/parents.