PSEO Family Members
This page is contains important information for family members of PSEO/Concurrent Enrollment students.
Family members
As a family member, you are an integral part of helping ensure your student’s success! Its important to remember that when your student registers for courses with Minnesota State Mankato, they become a university student, and therefore, are subject to university policies and protections. You can learn more about these further down.
what information do i have access to?
As a university student, regardless of age, your student is protected by Family Education Rights and Protection Act (FERPA) which limits the information institutions can share with someone other than the student. This includes grades, course registrations, admission status, and academic standing among others. This is a BIG change from what you might be used to with high school. The university does have a FERPA release form that your student can fill out if they would like you to have access to your records.
FERPA Release Form
supporting my student
First and foremost, understanding the purpose of concurrent enrollment and PSEO courses is important. On the surface, the tuition savings is nice, but a close secondary purpose of the programs is to help students successfuly transition to postsecondary. Here are a few ways you can support your student in helping with this transition:
IF YOUR STUDENT IS A CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT STUDENT
- Helping your student understand that the course they are registered for is a college level course that they are taking in their high school, not a high school course that they happen to get college credit for.
- Support the teacher and their methods. Concurrent enrollment courses are required to be aligned to campus courses. This helps to ensure students are getting the same experience our campus students are getting.
- Ask questions about the course and what they are learning, not just about the course content, but about what it means to be a college student.
- If they are struggling, encourage them to talk with their instructor.
IF YOUR STUDENT IS A PSEO STUDENT
- Talk to them about a reasonable credit load. Saving tuition dollars is a big motivator, however, students need to understand that their academic record is permanent. We recommend students enroll in 1 - 3 courses (3 - 12 credits) the first semester, just to get their feet wet before jumping into being a full-time university student.
- Help them manage their time and priorities. If your student is planning on splitting time between PSEO and high school, help them map out what their travel will look like (especially if they are taking courses on campus). University courses will require more time outside of class to study, we typically recommend 2-3 hours per credit hour. How will this affect their other activities (work, friends, extracurriculars, etc.).
- Encourage them to talk with their faculty and PSEO advisor. We are all here to help students get the most out of their experience.
- Higher education has changed a lot over the last couple of years. As tempting as it might be to share your experience as a student, we encourage you to have your student contact the PSEO Office with any questions about process or concerns they may have.
We've put together some resources that will help answer some of the most common questions. Take a look through them!
Concurrent Enrollment Family Guide
This resource expands on your role and provides additional guidelines on what can be shared with you.
student forms
This link will take you to our student forms page. Here you'll find common forms and links such as the NOSR (or MDE/PSEO) form, FERPA form, among others.
admission requirements
This link will take you to our admission requirements page where you will learn what your student needs to be admitted to campus as a PSEO or concurrent enrollment student. Admission is guaranteed if students meet the benchmarks.
Student Resources
PSEO and concurrent enrollment students have access to, and can participate in, most campus resources. Encourage your student to take advantage of our student organizations, academic resources, and get involved on campus.
Campus Advisors
All students associated with the PSEO Office have access to a campus advisor. We work closely with our PSEO students to help them identify purposeful courses. Learn more about the advising resources available. This page is mostly designed for traditional PSEO students, however, concurrent enrollment students can also take advantage of our advisors.
visiting campus
If your student is planning on taking courses through traditional PSEO or concurrent enrollment, its definitely encouraged to visit our campus, afterall, they will be Mavericks! Come see what our university and community has to offer.
Concurrent Enrollment High School Counselor Guide
traditional PSEO application process and admission requirements
Concurrent Enrollment application process and admission requirements
