PSEO Litigation Information
Keep up to date on what UNW is doing in regards to new legislation passed in May 2023
Dear PSEO Families,
We would like to share some positive news that we received last week related to our PSEO litigation.
The Minnesota Attorney General’s office, which is representing Governor Walz, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), and its commissioner, Mr. Willie Jett, has agreed to a voluntary preliminary injunction through the completion of the entire litigation process. This means that the court is requiring a pause on the state’s implementation of the new PSEO eligibility law that was scheduled to take effect beginning July 1, 2023, and the University of Northwestern will remain eligible for on-campus PSEO throughout the litigation.
Consequently, our previously stated assurance to you that Northwestern would reimburse on-campus PSEO participants amidst the legislative uncertainty is no longer necessary and shifts to a guaranteed reimbursement from the state of Minnesota.
Looking to the future, Northwestern would like to provide the same assurance for admitted on-campus PSEO students, who may wish to enroll in our program for the spring 2024 semester and beyond, throughout the course of litigation. If you know of students who missed our May 1 deadline, please encourage them to apply for the spring 2024 term! The spring 2024 application will open on August 16, and it will remain open until the November 15 deadline.
While this recent development is good news, our legal counsel has advised us that the voluntary preliminary injunction has no impact on the greater overall suit that was filed in May.
Please continue to pray with us for all parties involved in this case.
| Janet Sommers, Ph.D. Provost/Sr. Vice President for Academic Affairs | Erick Klein, M.B.A. Vice President of Enrollment Management |
Questions From Families
UNW’s online PSEO offering will remain intact, as it is compliant with the new legislation. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has confirmed that the new language (i.e., requirement of a faith statement) would only impact UNW’s on-campus PSEO program.
Looking to the future, Northwestern would like to provide the same assurance for admitted on-campus PSEO students who may wish to enroll in our program for the spring 2024 semester and beyond, throughout the course of litigation. If you know of students who missed our May 1 deadline, please encourage them to apply for the spring 2024 term! The spring 2024 application will open on August 16, and it will remain open until the November 15 deadline.
Since UNW’s online program is compliant with the new legislation, it will also be guaranteed.
Students will need to apply for the spring 2024 PSEO on-campus semester by November 15.
Dual Enrollment is an umbrella term for any student who is enrolled in high school and also taking college courses.
Online – These students take classes online only. Northwestern is the largest provider of online dual enrollment courses among private colleges and universities in the state of Minnesota. We offer more than 60 online courses in semester-length formats, including at-your-own-pace learning and collaboratively based learning. Our online courses do not meet at a specific time, rather, all course work can be completed within the given course deadlines.
On-Campus – On-campus students have access to hundreds of courses each semester and can participate in many extracurricular groups such as musical ensembles, theatre, clubs, intramural sports, and even intercollegiate sports. Students can take many of our courses on-campus; however, we recommend checking with a high school guidance counselor and your dual enrollment academic advisor to determine which courses to take for high school graduation requirements.
University of Northwestern – St. Paul exists to provide Christ-centered higher education equipping students to grow intellectually and spiritually, to serve effectively in their professions, and to give God-honoring leadership in the home, church, community and world.
Because of our mission, we will not be changing the policy that requires all students taking courses on UNW’s campus to make a statement of faith.
Students are asked to write a brief essay about their personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and agree to adhere to a standard of personal conduct as a member of the Northwestern community.
No. Only PSEO students who take courses on-campus are required to make a statement of faith.
If you have questions about the admission process, please email Tami Treder, Director of Non-Traditional Admissions, at [email protected].
For general questions about our PSEO programs, please contact Heidi Hoefs, Director of Dual Enrollment, at [email protected].
