PSEO

What is PSEO?

Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) offers eligible juniors and seniors a chance to take college courses at an institution of choice while still in high school. PSEO is funded by the State of Minnesota, meaning that you can earn college credits at no cost to you.

PSEO classes are taken on-site at your college of choice (on-line options may be available depending on the college), and taught by college professors. Full-time and part-time PSEO options are available.

Learn more about PSEO on the Minnesota Department of Education Website.

Is PSEO Right For You?

PSEO might be the right fit for you if you:

Are looking for more independence and a change of scenery
Are ready for a more rigorous course load
Want to get a jumpstart on earning college credits

Keep in mind that PSEO comes with a lot of responsibility and independence. You are responsible for finding and applying to your college of choice, all transportation to and from classes, and for keeping on top of your course load. Big Lake High School counselors and staff are NOT able to reach out to your college professors on your behalf.

If you are looking to earn some college credits but aren't quite ready for the college environment, check out College in the Classroom classes!

Who Qualifies?

To qualify for PSEO, students must be in good academic standing and on track to graduate. Incoming juniors must be in the top 1/3 of their class and incoming seniors must be in the top 1/2 of their class the prior year.

To get started with PSEO, you must first talk to your counselor to complete the required paperwork.

Contact

Ms. Penner
BLHS Counselor

Last Names A-L

Ms. Fischer
BLHS Counselor

Last Names M-Z

Quicklinks

PSEO Parent Presentation

PSEO Student presentation

Class Registration Home

More to Explore

Registration Process

Register for the classes you would like to take the upcoming school year.
This could be in person, online, and/or PSEO FS and PSEO SS.

Schedule a meeting with your respective counselor.
In this meeting you will review credits, discuss the enrollment process, and receive a signed Notice of Student Registration (NOSR), a state document that prevents you from getting a tuition bill.
Apply.
You can choose the college, but it must be located in Minnesota (list of eligible colleges). See the "Applying to a College" tab for more information.

College Application Tips (PSEO)

Once you have chosen a college for PSEO, you are responsible for selecting and applying to that college.

Most colleges have details regarding their PSEO admissions process readily available on their website. Checking under the "Admissions" or "Apply" tab is always a good place to start. When you go to apply, make sure to select “PSEO." This will ensure that you will not receive a tuition bill! Do NOT click on General Admission, Undergraduate Admission, Transfer Student, or New Student.

Star ID

To apply for PSEO, you will most likely need a StarID. A starID is a universal username and password that is used across many Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. A star ID allows you to create a single username and password that you can use anywhere that accepts StarID.

If you have previously taken a CIC course, you may already have an account.

When creating a StarID account, do NOT use your Big Lake email address! It is difficult to change email addresses after creating an account, and your Big Lake email will be deactivated after graduation.

Screenshot demonstrating how to apply for a college's PSEO program. — For this college, clicking on PSEO in the admissions tab will bring you to a page with more information about PSEO. From here, clicking on “Apply” will give you directions o how to apply to the college.

FAQs

What's the Difference between PSEO and CIC?

Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) and College in the Classroom (CIC) are both options to earn free college credits while in high school.

CIC courses are classes you take at Big Lake High School, and are taught by Big Lake Teachers.

PSEO classes are taken at the college, and are taught by college professors. You may enroll in PSEO full time, or just take a few classes.

Learn About CIC

venn diagram that highlights College in the Classroom and PSEO

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