PSEO Litigation Information

Dear PSEO Families,

The Minnesota Attorney General’s office, which is representing 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.

Dear PSEO Families,

As we approach the end of this school year, we would like to express our sincere gratitude for your unwavering patience and support as we’ve navigated the legislative changes affecting our PSEO (Post-Secondary Enrollment Options) programs. Your prayers and encouragement have been invaluable. Today, we have an important update to share with you.

Recently, legislation concerning the exclusion of PSEO at schools that require a faith statement as part of their PSEO admission requirement was passed into law. This law will have an impact on our on-campus PSEO program; however, be assured your online and on-site options remain unaffected by this new regulation.

We want to assure you that Northwestern is fully committed to your education journey. In the event that any PSEO expenses are not covered by the state, Northwestern is dedicated to covering the costs for the remainder of your PSEO eligibility period. Your education and success remain our top priority.

At Northwestern, our mission is to provide Christ-centered higher education, enabling you to grow intellectually and spiritually, to serve effectively in your professions, and to provide God-honoring leadership in your home, church, community, and the world. It is crucial for us to maintain the faith component in our on-campus PSEO program. Therefore, we firmly believe the legislation passed by the legislature is not only unconstitutional but also discriminatory. Consequently, we will be filing a lawsuit to challenge this exclusionary language.

You have numerous education options available, and our Northwestern faculty and staff truly appreciate your support. We want to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude for entrusting us with your education. It means a great deal to us.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to reach out to us by contacting Tami Treder in Admissions at tjtreder@unwsp.edu or Heidi Hoefs in our Dual Enrollment office at hahoefs@unwsp.edu. We are here to assist you in any way we can.

Thank you, and may God bless you abundantly.

Sincerely,

Dear PSEO Families,

Since its founding in 1902, the University of Northwestern – St. Paul (UNW) has existed to equip students to grow intellectually and spiritually in order to serve effectively in their professions, and to give God-honoring leadership in the home, church, community and world. In light of recent activities and what we expect to take place in the Minnesota legislature in the near future, we remain committed to that mission and those students and families who share in it. As such, we want to share some encouraging news with you but we are also asking you to act quickly.

As you’ve heard from UNW and our colleagues from other Christian colleges and universities throughout the state, the Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate have introduced and advanced omnibus education bills that propose eliminating our eligibility to facilitate on-campus postsecondary enrollment options (PSEO) due to our admissions process. The threat of this legislation will not cause Northwestern to deviate from its purpose; we will not alter our ethos to comply with a government directive such as that written in the education omnibus bill. However, in anticipation of potential changes to Minnesota law, UNW has made alterations to its application window:

• On-campus PSEO applications are being accepted through May 1, 2023. Regardless of government funding, any current high school student who is eligible to participate in PSEO and is accepted into Northwestern’s on-campus program for 2023-2024 (this includes current on-campus PSEO students), either as a residential or commuter student, will have their enrollment honored. The initial application for this program takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.
  
• UNW’s online PSEO offering will remain intact, as it is compliant with the proposed 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. Students who have submitted their application by May 1, 2023, and are accepted into the on-campus program may also take online courses concurrently.

We are committed to offering students an excellent PSEO experience at Northwestern and value the partnership that we have with our students and their families. If the proposed changes to PSEO eligibility become law, as we anticipate they will, we will consider all legal options. For additional information related to UNW’s response to the proposed legislation and our PSEO program, please call us at 651-631-5126 or email at AdmissionsDE@unwsp.edu.

Northwestern's online PSEO offering will remain intact, as it is compliant with the Spring '23 legislation update. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) confirmed that the new language (i.e., requirement of a faith statement) only applies to Northwestern's on-campus PSEO program.

Northwestern will provide the same assurance for admitted on-campus PSEO students through the duration of their enrollment experience.

Since Northwestern's online program is compliant with the new legislation, it will also be guaranteed.

Northwestern's leadership team is committed to revisiting this for students who will become high school juniors and seniors in years to come.

Students will need to apply for the fall 2024 PSEO on-campus semester by May 1.

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 Northwestern'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.

For general questions about our PSEO program, visit our PSEO and Early College page.

If you have questions about the admission process, please email Tami Treder, Director of Non-Traditional Admissions, at tjtreder@unwsp.edu.

For any questions not addressed on our website, please contact Heidi Hoefs, Director of Dual Enrollment, at hahoefs@unwsp.edu.