Jan. 26 -- ROCHESTER -- Minnesota State Chancellor Scott Olson addressed the growth of Post Secondary Enrollment Options students in higher education during a recent meeting with the Post Bulleting editorial board.
These are students who attend college in their sophomore, junior and senior years of high school and can earn college credit equal to their first two years of college for free. They've become a growing part of the Minnesota State's student population.
The challenge for high schools is that what started out as a trickle has now become more of a torrent.
At Rochester Community and Technical College, the number of PSEO students has nearly doubled in six years from 601 students in spring 2018 to 1,121 students in spring 2024. Many of those students come from Rochester Public Schools. And because K-12 is financed on the basis of student numbers, a growing tide of RPS students taking PSEO means a greater loss of funding for the public schools.
Last month, Rochester Superintendent Kent Pekel told school board members that RPS would no longer hold high schools harmless as it once did for students who take PSEO.
The surge at the local level is mirrored statewide. From 2018 to 2023, the number of Minnesota high school students taking PSEO grew from 14,584 students to 21,165 students -- a 45% jump. Concurrent enrollment programs -- offerings where high school students take college-level courses in high school and the retain the funding -- also grew but by not as much.
In districts where student enrollment is declining, the situation can create a fierce competition for students. International Falls School District found itself in a bitter conflict for students with Minnesota North College -- Rainy River, which is a next-door neighbor to the high school.
"In a low population area, where we have a community college right next to a high school, (there was a war-like contest for students). It's better because they worked some things out," a college official said.
On a brighter note, the Minnesota State system saw an 8% rise in student enrollment. That follows a 2.3% increase for the system in 2023. The increase comes after a slump lasting more than a decade that coincided with a decline in high school graduates.
A big reason for the jump was that a new program providing free college tuition for Minnesota students took effect last fall. Called the North Star Promise, the scholarships are available to students and families with a gross income of $80,000.
Olson said the North Star Promise was a reason for the enrollment boost. The scholarship opportunity clearly brought back students who otherwise felt priced out of a college education. But Olson said the national narrative of out-of-control higher education costs was never true for the Minnesota State system, where average annual tuition increases were modest and tuition was "actually going down" if adjusted for inflation.
"Does that look like runaway tuition cost?" Olson said.