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.

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.

Concurrent Enrollment Program

Online learning provides a unique way for students to continue, expand or enhance their education. Online learning offers students the ability to engage in learning opportunities they have not had access to before. Some online learning combines traditional classroom courses and online courses at the student's local school, while others allow students to attend classes from home and other locations.

Minnesota public school students may enroll in a full-time online program or they may choose to take supplemental courses (taken in place of a course period during the regular school day). All online courses offered through department-approved programs are:

• Taught by Minnesota licensed teachers.
• Meet or exceed state academic standards.
• Transfer to other public school districts.
• Apply toward high school graduation.

 
All department-approved online learning providers must, as a part of the approval process, outline expectations for actual teacher contact time, student-to-teacher communication, student participation (attendance), and provide definitions for progress, completion, hours online, excused/unexcused absence, and report an absence for purposes of compulsory attendance.

Residency 
Students who live with parents in Minnesota are considered residents for purposes of generating state aid (SAC 15). Students on extended family trips (for example, students traveling outside Minnesota) are considered non-Minnesota residents while they are outside Minnesota and are ineligible to generate Minnesota state aid (MARRS Manual, Appendix K, p. 350).

The guiding document used by School Finance to determine residency is a 1985 Attorney General Opinion. According to that opinion, the Minnesota Supreme Court held that in the context of section 120A.20 (formerly 120.06), the term “residency” does not require an intent to remain indefinitely, and is to be distinguished from the more restrictive term “domicile”. In the context of education, residency is based upon physical presence and a “determination of the source and location of the child’s care and financial support.” In other words, when a child is within a district for the purpose of receiving “personal care, attention, supervision and nurture, such as is usually provided in a home, such child is a resident of the district.”

When students are not physically present in Minnesota and are receiving all “personal care, supervision and nurture” from their parent/legal guardian outside of Minnesota, the students are no longer be considered a resident of Minnesota and are not eligible to generate state aid.

Online Learning is Not New
Online learning is not a new educational delivery model, but it is one that is different than what most students experience in a bricks-and-mortar classroom. Approved public online programs provide information to orient students and parents to the world of online learning, and after a student enrolls in an approved supplemental or full-time program, technologies and people are in place to help students reach their educational goals.
  
Each of the approved programs has its own website. However, some online learning language may get in the way of understanding the information provided. The documents below will help you understand terms and find a program. Access the Online Learning Vocabulary for a list common online learning terms and definitions.

Minnesota Approved Public Online Learning Providers
Access to and the quality of online learning in Minnesota is governed by statute language. These are limited to public school providers (public school districts, intermediate districts, school districts operating under a Joint Powers of Agreement (JPA), and charter schools) that provide online learning in department-approved programs. The process for becoming an approved online provider includes ongoing annual reporting and a three-year review process. Parents, students, and other stakeholders may access information about the MDE approval process for public online learning providers on the Minnesota Office of Revisor Statutes page.

Students over the age of 21 seeking a Minnesota GED Diploma are encouraged to read MDE's warning regarding misleading GED claims.

Accreditation and Accrediting Agencies for Non-Public-school Providers
Parents, students, and other stakeholders can find information about the accreditation of non-public school providers on the Non-Public Education Council page. Resources about the accreditation of online schools are offered by the U.S. Department of Education. Please see the list of Related offsite resources provided. 
 

• Minnesota Approved Online Learning Providers - 2/14/17  PDF  
  List of approved K-12 public online learning providers in Minnesota.
• Frequently Asked Questions: Online Learning - 4/20/16
• Online Learning Supplemental Notice of Student Registration Form - 9/9/15 
  Form for student to submit to apply for a supplemental online learning course from a MDE approved public school online learning provider.
• Online Learning Vocabulary - 11/7/14