Riverland Community College will host a Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) information session at the Owatonna campus located in the Owatonna College and University Center at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 10.  This meeting is designed for area high school students and their parents who are interested in learning more about PSEO and will explain how high school juniors and seniors can build their college transcript while still enrolled as a high school student, as well as how to apply for it at Riverland.

The PSEO program is a Minnesota state program that allows qualified high school juniors and seniors to earn college credit that also counts toward their high school graduation requirements. There is no tuition cost for the credits to the PSEO student  because the program is funded by the state of Minnesota . To be eligible, students who will be juniors in the 2012-13 academic year must rank in the top one-third of their class or score at or above the top 30 percent on a nationally standardized, norm- referenced test. Seniors must rank in the upper one-half of their class or score at or above the top 50 percent on a nationally standardized, norm-referenced test.  Students must also score at college level on the Accuplacer placement assessment in order to take classes.

"The decision to participate in PSEO is an important one, and it is not for everyone," says Stephanie Shea, Riverland counselor.  "The student will be expected to be a responsible, self-starting independent learner.  Several advantages of participating in PSEO include, earning college credits toward a degree, getting a feel for what college is like without having to leave home.”

The Minnesota Transfer Curriculum that consists of general education courses, guarantees transfer to all Minnesota state public colleges and universities, and most of the private colleges in Minnesota. In fact, past students have successfully transferred Riverland degrees or courses to colleges across the country.  In addition to our general education courses in the liberal arts and sciences, Riverland has a wide variety of career and technical programs, from accounting to wind turbine technology that offer hands-on training that could lead toward a career.

PSEO night will be held in the Owatonna College and University Center at 965 Alexander Drive SW at 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 10.  Students or parents who want more information should contact Stephanie Shea at 507-431-2216.