Earning College Credit
ACADEMICS
Earning College Credit
Three ways for PACT students to earn real college credit before they graduate.
High school students can earn college credit before graduation — saving time and tuition while taking college-level coursework. PACT offers three ways to do this: AP, CIS, and PSEO.
Advanced Placement (AP)
AP courses are college-level classes taught at PACT by PACT teachers, following a nationally standardized College Board curriculum. These courses mirror the rigor of introductory college classes. Students may earn college credit or advanced placement at participating colleges based on their AP exam score.
College in the Schools (CIS)
CIS is a concurrent enrollment program: students take college-level courses taught at PACT by PACT teachers, earning both high school and college credit upon successful completion.
PACT is steadily expanding CIS course offerings, with a goal of at least one CIS course in every subject area:
- Mathematics
- English Language Arts
- Social Studies
- Science
- PE / Health
- Music
- Art
- World Language
Full implementation is expected within 3 to 4 years as new courses are added each year.
Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO)
PSEO allows eligible students to take courses at a participating Minnesota college or university, full- or part-time, earning both high school and college credit.
Eligibility
PSEO is open to 11th- and 12th-grade students. Each participating college or university sets its own additional admissions requirements for PSEO enrollment.
When information goes out
PACT shares updated PSEO information with families each year by whichever comes first:
- Three weeks before course registration for the following year, or
- March 1
Registration deadlines
- October 30 — to enroll for the following semester
- May 30 — to enroll for the following school year
A signed application (student and parent/guardian) must be submitted to your school counselor by the applicable deadline. Once submitted, a student is bound by that decision — talk with your counselor before the deadline if you're still deciding.
Credit
Qualifying PSEO credit that meets or exceeds a state graduation standard counts toward PACT's graduation and credit requirements.
An Unbiased Guide to PSEO →
PSEO Credit Transfer Guide →
Interested students should contact their school counselor to get started.