College tuition costs have soared over the past 30 years. The average price tag for a four-year college degree can run upwards of $65,000 at a public university and as much as $120,000 or more at a private institution. To help defray a bit of these costs, some high school students in Woodbury participate in a program called Post Secondary Enrollment Options.
Post Secondary Enrollment Options, or PSEO, allows high school juniors and seniors to take college courses and earn college credit while still in high school. Students, teachers and parents list a host of benefits related to PSEO; not least among them is college cost savings. Any applicable tuition, fees and textbooks for PSEO classes are completely free to participating high school students.
Michael Mayer, who graduated from Math and Science Academy in 2011, took part-time PSEO coursework at Century College during his senior year. “I did PSEO for the free college credit,” Mayer says. “Also, PSEO provided a real-world college experience other advanced high school coursework couldn’t deliver.”
Mayer is currently a student at St. Olaf College in Northfield and believes PSEO helped prepare him for the pressures and independence of college life. “My high school was small and everybody knew each other,” Mayer says. “Attending PSEO classes at Century College during high school put me in a world of new faces and professors.” The experience helped Mayer learn to navigate the college world as well as build on his organizational skills long before moving into dorm life at St. Olaf.
Woodbury High School senior Rachel Veenbaas is currently in her second year of PSEO coursework at Inver Hills Community College. For Veenbaas, an athlete with a busy extracurricular schedule, PSEO provides greater freedom and less stress. She says, “I’ve learned better study skills and enjoy working independently.” After two years of PSEO participation, Veenbaas will most likely be positioned to graduate college after only three and a half years.
Rachel’s mother, Justy Veenbaas, says a college orientation visit opened her eyes to the enormous cost of college tuition and textbooks. So the tuition cost savings associated with PSEO was enticing. But she notes other benefits. “It’s been great,” Justy says. “Rachel has gained tremendous time management skills and gotten a jump start on her college career.”
Transportation is among the factors families must consider when deciding if PSEO is right for them. Mayer and Veenbaas have access to a family vehicle. And some students can utilize metro transit depending on where they live and where they choose to attend PSEO classes. “Winter was hard,” Justy says. “Knowing Rachel had to drive during poor weather conditions to get to Inver Hills Community College was a concern for us as parents.”
High school counselors also recommend students investigate whether PSEO coursework they’re interested in will transfer to the college or university they hope to attend after high school. And each participating PSEO college has differing PSEO admissions standards. So it’s important students understand the requirements when deciding where to apply.
Counselors can help families determine the best path for individual students. East Ridge guidance counselor Melissa Munoz says, “Good candidates for PSEO are self-motivated and mature students who understand the commitment.” That said, Munoz typically doesn’t recommend PSEO for students whose desire is to be fully present for events and activities happening daily at their high school. She says, “Seniors who want to be involved in traditional senior year activities can strike a balance by taking only part-time PSEO classes.”
For Veenbaas, being away from Woodbury High School for part-time PSEO classes isn’t a big deal. She says, “We all have phones and Twitter feeds. We’re all pretty connected no matter where we are.”
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For more information: education.state.mn.us and click on student success then college and career readiness
