English Composition 1
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →MinnesotaHomeschool
PSEO for homeschoolers: grades, deadlines, limits
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
PSEO for homeschoolers in Minnesota is open in 11th and 12th grade, and in 10th grade only for career and technical courses after a passing reading score. Students register with the Minnesota Department of Education, give notice by 30 May or 30 October, and can take part for up to two academic years from grade 11.
Which grades qualify
Minn. Stat. 124D.09 defines an alternative pupil as a 10th, 11th or 12th grade student who is not enrolled in a public school, and it names home-schooled students in that group. In practice that gives homeschool families three possible years.
Eleventh and twelfth graders can take any college-level course the college offers to PSEO students. Tenth graders are limited to a career and technical education course, and only after a passing score on the 8th grade reading assessment or another accepted reading test. A 9th grader does not qualify as a homeschool student.
Deadlines
The statute sets notice dates of 30 October and 30 May for courses in the next term. Homeschool students also register with the Minnesota Department of Education before taking part. Each college sets its own PSEO application deadline, which is often earlier than the statute's dates, and some fill their seats early.
Start planning in the spring of 10th grade for a fall start in 11th grade.
| When | Step |
|---|---|
| Spring of 10th grade | Pick colleges and read each PSEO page |
| By the college deadline | Apply to the college as a PSEO student |
| Before taking part | Register with the Minnesota Department of Education |
| By 30 May (fall) or 30 October (spring) | Give notice of intent to enrol |
Limits
Participation is capped by the grade in which the student first enrols: two academic years from grade 11 and one from grade 12. Partial years are prorated. Colleges must give priority to their own postsecondary students, so a PSEO seat in a popular course is not certain, and a college cannot place a PSEO student in non-college-level remedial courses.
- Up to two academic years from grade 11
- One academic year from grade 12
- College students get priority for seats
- No remedial or developmental courses
Cost and credit
For courses taken for high school credit, the student pays no tuition, fees, textbook or materials charge. Under the statute, four semester college credits, or seven quarter credits, equal at least one full year of high school credit, and smaller amounts are prorated. Courses taken only for college credit may carry fees.
PSEO is the best value once your student qualifies. The question for younger students is how to use 9th and 10th grade well.
Before PSEO: 9th and 10th grade
A student who is ready for college-level work can start at home. English Composition 1, College Algebra and US History 1 and 2 are common choices, and each UPI Study course is 3 credits with an NCCRS recommendation. As the homeschool parent you decide how they appear on the high school transcript.
These courses are not PSEO courses. If you want them to count as college credit later, the credit has to reach a college via a college transcript; TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. Ask the college in writing before you rely on it.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the college in writing whether named ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, recorded via a college transcript, would count toward its credit before you rely on them, and ask a tax adviser in writing before you claim any course on Schedule M1ED.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
when do homeschoolers apply for pseo
Apply to the college by its own PSEO deadline, which is often in the spring for fall courses. Register with the Minnesota Department of Education before taking part, and give notice by 30 May for fall or 30 October for spring, the dates the statute sets.
how many years can a homeschooler do pseo
Up to two academic years for a student who first enrols in grade 11, and one year for a student who starts in grade 12. A 10th grader taking a career and technical course starts the clock earlier, with a three-year cap under the statute.
do pseo courses cost anything for homeschoolers
For courses taken for high school credit, the statute says the student is not charged for tuition, fees, textbooks or materials. Courses taken only for college credit may carry fees. Check the college's PSEO page for any other costs.
can my homeschool 10th grader take pseo courses
Only career and technical education courses, and only after a passing score on the 8th grade reading assessment or another accepted reading test. Academic courses open in 11th grade. Until then, college-level courses at home can fill the gap.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
College Algebra
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
US History 1
Self-paced online US History 1 course (HIST 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
One price for all courses for homeschool families: start college-level work in 9th or 10th grade, before PSEO opens.
Sources
- Minnesota Revisor: Minn. Stat. 124D.09, Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act (official)Subd. 4: alternative pupils include home-schooled students in grades 10-12, who register with the commissioner; a 10th grader only for a CTE course after a passing reading score. Subd. 7: notice by 30 October or 30 May. Subd. 8: participation cap by grade of first enrolment (two academic years from grade 11). Subd. 12: four semester credits equal at least one full year of high school credit. Subd. 19: no charge to the pupil for fees, textbooks or materials when taken for secondary credit. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.