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230 - Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) Program

Responsible Office: Academic Affairs
Responsible Officer:  Vice President of Academic Affairs
Reference: Minnesota State Board Policy 3.5
Reference: System Procedure 3.5.1
Reference: Minnesota State Statute 124D.09

 

Part 1. Purpose

To promote rigorous educational pursuits by encouraging and enabling high school students to enroll in postsecondary courses or programs.

Part 2. Authority

Minn. Stat. § 124D.09 Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act allows high school students, including home school students, to earn both secondary and postsecondary credits through enrollment in college or university courses.

Part 3. Definition

For the purposes of this policy only, the following definition applies.

Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) Program A program that provides Minnesota high school students the opportunity to earn both secondary and postsecondary credit for college or university courses completed on a college or university campus, online, at a high school, or another location.

Part 4. Postsecondary Enrollment Options Expectations

Colleges and universities across Minnesota State shall provide opportunities for students to participate in the PSEO Program. Students must be admitted according to criteria that promote progress through college-level coursework and that augment their continued academic growth consistent with board policies and system procedures.

Subpart A. Enrollment on campus

Enrollment of PSEO students in courses is allowed on the basis of available space. 

Subpart B. Compliance with standards

PSEO students to perform to the college's academic and student conduct standards.

PART 2.  POLICY

In accordance with Minn. Stat. §124D.09 and Minnesota State Policy 3.5, this procedure governs the implementation of the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options program.

Part 1. Definitions

Concurrent enrollment course:
A college or university course made available through the PSEO program offered at a high school site.

Early or middle college program:
A program that allows high school students to earn both high school and college credits with well-defined pathways towards earning a postsecondary degree or credential in addition to a high school diploma. For the purpose outlined in Minn. Stat. 124D.09, Subd. 9(b), early or middle college programs are partnerships approved by the Minnesota Department of Education between State-Approved Alternative Programs (SAAP) and eligible postsecondary institutions. Students participating in these approved programs may enroll in developmental education courses.

National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnership (NACEP):
The national accrediting body for concurrent enrollment partnerships, providing standards and requirements to ensure high quality concurrent enrollment programming.

PSEO by contract:
An agreement between the college or university and a school board or governing body that covers the costs of PSEO courses.

PSEO course
A course taken by eligible high school students and taught by college or university faculty on the college or university campus or online.

Part 2. Admissions Requirements and Course Placement for PSEO and Concurrent Enrollment Students

Subpart A. Eligibility Standards for 11th and 12th grade students 

PSEO participation must be available to 11th and 12th grade students who are enrolled in a Minnesota public or nonpublic high school and present evidence of the ability to perform college-level work. Such evidence includes the following:

 

  1. For 11th grade students, class rank in the upper one-third of their class, or a GPA of 3.0 or higher, or a score at or above a nationally standardized, norm-referenced test specified in 4 of this subpart;
  2. For 12th grade students, class rank in the upper one-half of their class, or a GPA of 2.5 or higher, or a score at or above a nationally standardized, norm-referenced test specified in 4 of this subpart; or
  3. For 11th and 12th grade students, documentation other than that specified in 1 and 2 of this subpart that demonstrates the student's readiness and ability to perform college-level work. 
  4. Test Scores:
    1. Next-Gen Reading score of 250 or higher
    2. Accuplacer Reading Comprehension score of 78 or higher
    3. ACT Reading score of 21 or higher
    4. MCA Reading score of 1047 or higher
    5. SAT Reading/Writing Composite score of 480 or higher

 

Subpart B. Eligibility standards and access for 9th and 10th grade students 

These students must meet 1 or 2 and 3 below.

 

  1. Rank in the upper one-tenth of their class, or
  2. attain a score at or above the 90th percentile on a nationally standardized, norm-referenced test, AND
  3. have a favorable recommendation from a designated high school official to enroll in college courses.

 

Eligible 9th and 10th grade students may only enroll in a course offered through concurrent enrollment or through PSEO by contract under the following conditions defined in Minn. Stat. 124D.09, Subd. 5b:

 

  1. The school district and the eligible postsecondary institution providing the course must agree to the student's enrollment; or
  2. The course is a world language course currently available to 11th and 12th grade students, and consistent with Minn. Stat. 120B.022 governing world language standards, certificates, and seals. Indigenous languages and American Sign Language (ASL) are eligible under this provision.

 

Subpart C. Exception for 10th grade students and Career and Technical Education PSEO courses 

Notwithstanding the eligibility standards established in Part 3, Subpart B of this procedure, Minn. Stat. 124D.09, Subd.4(b) requires a student who is in 10th grade and has attained a passing score (850) on the 8th grade Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment in reading and meets any of the other course prerequisites or course enrollment standards established by the college, including but not limited to assessment test scores, program admission, or other requirements, may enroll in a career or technical education course at the college.

If the student receives a grade of C or better in the course, the student must be allowed to take additional courses in subsequent terms including, but not limited to, career and technical education courses.

A current 10th grade student who did not take the 8th grade Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment in reading may substitute another reading assessment accepted by the enrolling college.

Students admitted under this provision may be required to attend academic advising sessions at the discretion of the college.

Subpart D. Eligibility Review Process 

Evidence presented by students seeking to participate in the PSEO program will be reviewed as part of the admission process. This process shall address each of the criteria in Part 3, Subparts A and B of this procedure and may include faculty participation as appropriate. Students must have successfully completed all PSEO admissions requirements to the college.

Students who are in the 11th or 12th grade who are applying for Technical coursework, and do not meet the eligibility requirements, will be required to demonstrate that they have the ability to successfully complete college coursework at a C level or higher. One or more of the following criteria may be reviewed before an admission decision is determined - recommendations from a high school contact person, coursework taken in high school, GPA, class rank, New Student Assessment Testing and Minnesota State recognized nationally standardized, norm-referenced test results. A student who seeks to change their declared major must meet stated PSEO criteria at the time the request is made. 

Subpart E. PSEO Admission Appeal

An applicant who is denied acceptance into the PSEO program has the right to appeal the decision to the college. The appeal process requires:

  • Student must submit a PSEO Admission Appeal Form
  • Student must submit a letter of appeal
  • Student must submit a letter of support from a school contact person

A student cannot appeal if denied based on an incomplete application by the deadline date. Appeals must be received prior to the start of the academic term.

Subpart F. Course Placement 

Students choosing to enroll in PSEO courses or concurrent enrollment courses shall meet the requirements of Board Policy 3.3 and System Procedure 3.3.1 Assessment for Course Placement, before enrolling in courses that require a specific level of reading, writing, or mathematics skills.

Part 3. Courses Offered through PSEO and Concurrent Enrollment 

Subpart A. Concurrent enrollment course offerings

Concurrent enrollment courses must be college-level courses approved through the college or university curriculum process, meet standards required for applicable accreditations, and follow the college- or university-approved course outline.

Subpart B. Access to online courses

Pursuant to Minn. Stat. 124D.09, subd. 9 (e), students may enroll in online courses through PSEO or concurrent enrollment consistent with the college or university's policy regarding general student enrollment in online courses.

Subpart C. Developmental education courses 

A college or university must not enroll students in remedial, developmental, or other courses that are not college level except when a student is eligible for the graduation incentives program under Minn. Stat. 124D.68, and enrolled full time in a middle or early college program that is approved by the Minnesota Department of Education.

Part 4. PSEO Student Support and Performance

Subpart A. Student support

Through the orientation process, PSEO students are provided with information that:

  1. describes available academic and student support services, and
  2. outlines student responsibilities, including communicating their academic performance in PSEO courses with their high school.

Subpart B. Access to learning resources 

A college or university offering courses through the PSEO program, shall ensure that all PSEO students, including those not on a campus site, have the same level of access to learning resources (libraries, laboratories, databases, etc.) and learning management systems as the college or university students and faculty in the same higher education courses or programs.

Subpart C. Student performance and program effectiveness 

The college shall collect data about the performance of each student enrolled in PSEO or concurrent enrollment courses for use in monitoring student progress and measuring PSEO program effectiveness. Students enrolled in PSEO or concurrent enrollment courses shall meet the college or university policy for Academic Standing as defined in Board Policy 2.9 and System Procedure 2.9.1.

Part 5. Concurrent Enrollment Agreements 

Subpart A. Concurrent enrollment agreement requirements 

The college, and school district or governing board shall complete an agreement to offer one or more concurrent enrollment courses, signed by the appropriate representative of each party, which must address at a minimum:

  1. each party's role in adhering to National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnership (NACEP) standards and requirements relevant to the agreement;
  2. qualifications and responsibilities of high school instructors as defined in Part 8 Subparts B and C of this procedure, including documentation of high school teacher qualifications;
  3. college support provided to the instructor as defined in Part 8, Subpart A of this procedure;
  4. other resources, such as laboratory space and course materials, needed to support quality concurrent enrollment teaching and learning;
  5. compliance with student participation requirements as specified in Part 3 of this procedure;
  6. financial arrangements for offering the course(s);
  7. duration of the agreement and frequency of its review, which must be at least annually; and
  8. a high school teacher's compliance with all expectations for communicating with the college or university faculty member and participation in the required orientation and professional development activities.

The agreement between a school district or governing board and college and the financial arrangements for delivering concurrent enrollment courses must be in conformance with the Minnesota State common pricing structure and practices for concurrent enrollment agreements that exist at the time the agreement is signed.

Subpart B. Concurrent enrollment exception 

A high school may allow non-concurrent enrollment students to take concurrent enrollment courses for high school credit only. The concurrent enrollment instructor and college faculty member shall ensure that all concurrent enrollment students are held to college-level course standards.

Part 6. Concurrent Enrollment Program Requirements 

Subpart A. NACEP accreditation 

The college is and will continue to implement the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnership's program standards and required evidence for accreditation. Minn. Stat. § 124D.091, Subd. 1.

Subpart B. Advisory boards

The college has an established an advisory board. The purpose of the advisory board is to engage stakeholders in concurrent enrollment decisions. The advisory board's duties, structure, and additional board requirements are described in Minn. Stat. § 124D. 09 subd. 10b.

Part 7. Concurrent Enrollment Instructors 

Subpart A. Concurrent enrollment instructor support 

For each high school teacher approved to provide instruction as a concurrent enrollment instructor, the college shall:

  1. adhere to all NACEP standards related to this subpart;
  2. provide a college or university faculty member who shall communicate regularly with the concurrent enrollment instructor and monitor assignments, exams, projects, student academic achievement, and instructional effectiveness to ensure that the course meets the learning outcomes contained in the course outline approved by the college or university and that students are held to college-level standards;
  3. provide each concurrent enrollment instructor with a required orientation to the concurrent enrollment program and on-going opportunities to participate in appropriate campus-based and/or program-specific faculty development activities; and
  4. provide the same level of access to learning resources (libraries, laboratories, databases, etc.) and learning management systems as the college or university's students and faculty in the same higher education courses or programs.

Subpart B. Concurrent enrollment instructor qualifications

The minimum qualifications for concurrent enrollment instructors must be determined by the college, consistent with Higher Learning Commission expectations for minimum faculty qualifications and Board Policy 3.32 Faculty Qualifications and System Procedure 3.32.1 College Faculty Qualifications.

Subpart C. College and university evaluation responsibilities for concurrent enrollment instructor qualifications

The college will document the evaluation and approval of concurrent enrollment instructors within the specified technology identified by Minnesota State.

Part 8. Funding Information

  • Tuition, textbooks, and fees are covered by the PSEO program. The student is responsible for other costs incurred at the college (library fees, transportation and supply/classroom fees not covered in tuition costs).
  • Student is financially responsible for supplies, tools, clothing and consumable supplies.
  • Student is financially responsible for books not returned by the end of the business day on the last day of the semester. The student will be charged at a used price of the textbook for books that are not returned on time and in the same condition as when received. CD's or supplemental materials must be returned with the book
  • PSEO Funding will cover additional course fees up to $100 per credit

Approved: May 2021
Reviewed: March 2021
Revised: March 2021