Minnesota schools breaking law on free college program

More than two-thirds of Minnesota public schools are violating state law by failing to provide students and families with required information about a free college program that can save families tens of thousands of dollars, according to a report released at the State Capitol on Friday.

The 2026 PSEO Information Gap Report, published by People for PSEO and Catalyst for Systems Change, found that 68% of the state’s 386 school districts and charter schools are out of compliance with Minnesota statute 124D.09, which requires schools to share up-to-date information about the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options program. Only 51% of charter schools and 28% of traditional school districts were found to be fully compliant.

PSEO allows eligible 10th through 12th grade students to take free college courses, earning both high school and college credit simultaneously. The program has been available since 1985 and serves more than 10,000 Minnesota students per year. Research has found it saves Minnesota families nearly $60 million annually and state taxpayers about $15 million per year.

For students at under-resourced schools, the information gap can be decisive.

“I go to a school that’s majority low income, and a lot of the students I’ve talked to are scared to go to college. Not because of the education or the workload, but mainly because of the disparity in income and how expensive tuition is,” said Samia Mohamud, a full-time PSEO student and school board representative. “PSEO provides an opportunity to take two years off your college experience as a high school student. That’s valuable.”

The report found that many school websites fail to inform students that transportation funds are available for low-income families, that school computers can be used for online courses, that students can continue participating in extracurricular activities while enrolled in PSEO, and that 10th graders are eligible for both academic and career and technical courses after their first semester.

Researchers and student advocates say the gaps are not uniform, they fall hardest on students in rural and lower-income districts.

“My public school does a really good job of making sure students have access to PSEO information, maybe because we’re the fourth-largest school district and have the resources,” Mohamud said. “But when we look at rural schools or schools without the same income level, there is a disparity. Students don’t have access to links… they’re either dead or they just route to the MDE website.”

Ella Palm, a student advocate with Catalyst for Systems Change, said the consequences extend beyond college savings. “When districts aren’t providing accurate and up-to-date information, it makes it hard for students to access PSEO, which builds college readiness skills like time management that are really important for all students to have,” she said.

Henry Brick, PSEO team lead for Catalyst for Systems Change, pointed to a deeper structural issue: a long-running funding dispute between high schools and colleges over which institution receives money when a student enrolls in PSEO. He said that instability has rippled into inconsistent information across the state.

“Students do what students are told, especially in a field they don’t know much about,” Brick said. “Consistency is one of the biggest factors we can improve on. Students from rural to urban should get the same information, because it’s the same program no matter where you go.”

The funding conflict has created other barriers as well. Students who remain at their high school receive free lunch, but those who travel to a college campus for PSEO courses do not. For low-income students, that tradeoff can be a deciding factor.

“Young people throughout the state have said there’s a disincentive to take advantage of the program because they have to choose between eating lunch and going to college,” said Khalique Rogers, executive director of Catalyst for Systems Change. “That should never be a choice a young person has to face, especially as they’re taking a positive risk into their future.”

Brick added that transportation costs compound the problem for rural students. “A lot of students from rural areas aren’t in close proximity to institutions that offer PSEO. They’ve been discouraged because they don’t want to spend $40 or $50 in gas every three days to take a college class,” he said.

People for PSEO and Catalyst for Systems Change are calling on legislators to direct the Office of the Legislative Auditor to conduct a comprehensive study of the program. The organizations say a formal audit could examine the funding formula, identify barriers to participation, and produce recommendations that bring all parties across high schools, colleges, and the state to the table.

“Right now it’s just a lot of telephone going back and forth around the issues,” Rogers said. “This gives everyone an opportunity to be at the table and design a way to strengthen and protect PSEO.”

Beatrice Handlin, board president of People for PSEO and a former PSEO student herself, said the program changed the trajectory of her life. “It saves so much money, and I think it’s so important that every student knows about this opportunity and has access to it,” she said. “For students to not know about these opportunities is directly taking away their chances to succeed and learn their capabilities.”

On funding, the organizations said they are not opposed to changes to the formula but want balance. “We don’t want to see colleges lose funding, and we don’t want to see districts suffer,” Handlin said. “We want to see a good balance so we don’t have to constantly see attempts to hurt the program.”

A small legislative victory came Friday, when the OLA study recommendation advanced to a wider legislative survey. The organizations are now urging constituents to contact legislators on the OLA subcommittee before a vote on which topics to prioritize.

Students interested in enrolling in PSEO for the fall semester have until May 30 to submit a notice of student registration. The deadline for spring semester enrollment is Oct. 30.

“A student’s future should never depend on whether their school decided to fully inform them about their opportunities,” Rogers said.

For the report and more information on People For PSEO, visit www.peopleforpseo.org/research.

For more information on Catalyst for Systems Change, visit www.catalystforsystemschange.org/.

Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@spokesman-recorder.com.