PSEO Legislation Status
PSEO Families –
In summer of 2023, we provided an update stating that the federal court reviewing our PSEO case is requiring a pause on the state’s implementation of the new PSEO eligibility law. This means that the University of Northwestern will remain eligible for PSEO throughout the remainder of the litigation. We anticipate the litigation will continue through at least the 2024-25 school year. In the meantime, the guaranteed reimbursement from the state of Minnesota remains in place and Northwestern’s PSEO enrollment process will stay the same. There will be no cost to students.
Please see below for more detailed information on our most common questions, or reach out to our Dual Enrollment Office, by contacting Heidi Hoefs, Director of Dual Enrollment, at [email protected].
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.
Enrollment for admitted on-campus PSEO students is guaranteed for the fall 2024 semester and for the duration of the litigation. Northwestern will provide updates as appropriate.
The fall 2024 application is closed for on-campus students, but the online application will be open until August 1, 2024.
The spring 2025 application will open on August 16, 2024.
More deadlines can be found on our PSEO Application page.
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].
