“ I was a straight A student, active in Math League, but when I found out I was pregnant my junior year at North Branch High School everything changed,” says Ashley Mages current Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Post Secondary Education Opportunity student.
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“When I asked my high school counselor to help me become a PSEO student, she discouraged me from the program,” states Mages, “telling me I would miss out on Math League and participating in activities.” Although Mages worried, she really wanted to work on her AA degree and did not want to continue to attend high school classes while pregnant.
ARCC Vice-President Michael Seymour reports that ARCC “has the largest number of PSEO students in MnSCU.” He also states that “the college cannot promote the option to the public due to state rules.” Seymour also reports that local high schools “lose money when students sit in our seats not theirs. They prefer students take AP of College in the schools.”
Kim Bienfang, ARCC Financial Manager says that high schools will sometimes promote PSEO “when they are over capacity. Now that enrollments have leveled off I think counselors address the opportunity if asked.”
Nora Morris, ARCC Analyst says that “There are several ways to measure success but one that is used by the MnSCU system measures students at various points in time to determine if they have graduated, transferred to another institution or are still enrolled (as opposed to students that have left school without graduating or transferring). High school students that started in fall 2008 post a success rate of 80.2% when measured in fall 2009. This compares to a success rate of 69.7% for regular undergrad students for the same time period. This high success rate for PSEO students has been quite stable over time.”
As for Mages, she will graduate with her AA degree May 13, 2011 and intends to pursue an engineering degree at the University of Minnesota. She says “PSEO was the right choice for me and I wish my high school counselor would have helped me sign up and plan my classes at ARCC.”
Joe Call another PSEO student currently attending classes at ARCC, Cambridge Campus is the fourth child in his family to obtain college credit while in high school. Call also reports that North Branch High School did not mention PSEO. Call says “I don't remember talking about it once. There were a lot of people who didn't know about it when I was in 10th grade. I would say PSEO and they would give me a blank stare.”
Although PSEO works for Call he thinks students should only do it “if they can handle it. I had a surprising amount of friends go back to high school after doing PSEO for one or two semesters. They usually miss their friends and the whole high school experience. But I would recommend it to friends if they can handle being lonely and doing college work.”
ARCC does not receive full compensation for PSEO students from the state. Beinfang reports “the state department of education pays ARCC 179.57 per credit which includes books and fees.”
With the cost of education rising, PSEO is becoming an attractive option for high school students. Each school district decides rules for qualification for PSEO. Call reports in North Branch School District students “must be in the top 25 percent of their class to qualify for PSEO.” Call also says he “I was a wrestler and a knowledge bowler”, at his high school.
Mages had a different experience stating that “if you are PSEO you are not openly invited to participate in senior activities or events.” She also noted, “as a PSEO student I was not considered for local scholarships even though I was a straight A student and active community member.”
Kirsten Kennedy, ARCC Student Senate President says “students complain that some professors do not believe PSEO students should be attending college courses and are prejudiced against them.” During her two years serving as president, Kennedy has not personally heard any professor, administrator or staff member belittle PSEO students. Recently, Kennedy served on a college wide hiring committee and was surprised to learn that allowing high school students to take PSEO classes actually hurts K-12 districts by averting money to the colleges.
Jordan Kennedy, a PSEO student who graduated from North Branch High School in 2009 says “taking PSEO classes was the smartest decision for my education and family.” She liked that she could participate in cross country while earning college credits. She says “it was the best of both worlds and now I will graduate with my bachelor’s degree a semester early because all my PSEO credits transferred.” Kennedy currently attends Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah and is majoring in Arabic.
Cindi Gilbert, ARCC Activities Director and High School Outreach Coordinator says “unless the high school asks us to promote the PSEO opportunity, we are not allowed to promote it while out at high schools.” Gilbert also stated that “PSEO students can fully participate in college clubs and hold offices, even in student government.”
With families struggling to make ends meet and many parents out of work having the choice to have students earn college credits during their junior and senior years of high school is a very attractive option.
