How do I apply for PSEO at Southeast?

Email your enrollment form, high school transcript, and MCA or ACT scores to PSEO@southeastmn.edu, and consider meeting with the PSEO Coordinator first, which the college encourages. Your signed NOSR from myPSEO completes the packet.

When are Southeast's PSEO deadlines?

In the latest cycle, fall materials had a July 1 priority date and an August 15 final deadline. Spring materials follow a December 1 priority date and a December 15 final deadline. Keep the statewide district notification dates in mind too — May 30 for fall, October 30 for spring.

Can I really study guitar building or instrument repair through PSEO?

The Red Wing campus houses Southeast's nationally known band instrument repair and guitar-related programs, and PSEO covers tuition at the college. Seat availability and course sequencing vary, so talk with the PSEO Coordinator about which courses in these programs a high school student can realistically start.

Which campus should I pick, Winona or Red Wing?

Follow your program. Instrument repair lives in Red Wing, while Winona offers its own mix of technical and transfer coursework in a town with two other colleges. The campuses are about an hour apart along the Mississippi, so for most students the deciding factors are program location and drive time.

Can I earn a certificate before I graduate high school?

Yes, Southeast offers certificate programs that PSEO students can pursue, and finishing one means graduating high school with a workforce credential that cost you nothing. Ask the PSEO Coordinator which certificates fit within a junior and senior year timeline.

Community & Technical College

Minnesota State College Southeast

Red Wing, Winona, Minnesota

Where else can a high schooler take free college classes at a school nationally known for repairing band instruments and building guitars? Minnesota State College Southeast, with campuses in Winona and Red Wing, mixes that one-of-a-kind musical instrument repair tradition at Red Wing with a full community and technical college catalog, and PSEO students in the bluff country of southeastern Minnesota get access to all of it without paying tuition.

Start NOSR Application

GPA Requirements

Juniors (11th Grade)

2.6 GPA

Seniors (12th Grade)

2.5 GPA

Program Details

Accepts 10th GradersYes (CTE only)

CTE Courses AvailableYes

Term Systemsemester

About the PSEO program

Getting in is manageable: juniors qualify with a 2.6 GPA and seniors with a 2.5, lower bars than many colleges set, and a qualifying 8th grade Reading MCA score opens the CTE-only door for sophomores. Southeast encourages applicants to meet with its PSEO Coordinator before applying, a genuinely useful step at a college where the technical programs differ so much between the two campuses.

For fall, materials were due August 15 in the most recent cycle (July 1 priority), with the enrollment form, transcript, and test scores emailed to PSEO@southeastmn.edu. The college also offers certificate options PSEO students can pursue, meaning you can leave high school with a workforce credential already in hand. myPSEO prepares your official NOSR and signatures so the file you email is complete.

Why choose Minnesota State College Southeast for PSEO

Programs that exist almost nowhere else

The Red Wing campus is nationally recognized for musical instrument repair and construction, drawing students from around the country to a program you can sample tuition-free through PSEO.

Accessible GPA requirements

A 2.6 for juniors and 2.5 for seniors keeps the door open for solid students who would miss the 3.0 cutoffs common elsewhere.

A coordinator who will actually meet with you

Southeast points applicants to its PSEO Coordinator for a conversation before applying, which helps students pick the right campus and courses the first time.

Certificates you can finish in high school

PSEO students can work toward certificate programs, stacking a real credential on top of transferable credits before graduation.

Programs & courses

Musical instrument repair and construction
The Red Wing campus's signature offerings in band instrument repair and guitar building, unique programs with a national reputation.
General education and transfer courses
MNTC-aligned coursework in writing, math, and sciences that transfers across the Minnesota State system, including nearby Winona State.
Skilled trades and technical programs
Career and technical training across the two campuses serving the region's manufacturing and trades employers.
Health sciences pathways
Foundation courses for students heading toward nursing and allied health fields in the Winona and Red Wing areas.
Certificate programs
Short workforce credentials that PSEO students can complete alongside or instead of transfer coursework.

Campus & getting there

Southeast operates two Mississippi River campuses about an hour apart: Winona, in the college town it shares with Winona State and St. Mary's, and Red Wing, home of the instrument repair programs, an easy drive from Hastings and the southeast exurbs. Students attend whichever campus hosts their program, so check locations before planning a schedule. Ask the PSEO Coordinator about online and hybrid sections if you live between the two or beyond daily driving range.

Will my credits transfer?

General education credits at Minnesota State College Southeast carry Minnesota Transfer Curriculum goal areas and move cleanly through the Minnesota State system; Winona State University, blocks away from the Winona campus, is the natural transfer destination and accepts MNTC coursework directly. Technical and certificate credits transfer best into related programs at other two-year colleges or apply toward AAS degrees. Instrument repair coursework is career training first, so treat it as a credential rather than transfer currency.

Minnesota State College Southeast PSEO FAQ

Juniors need a 2.6 cumulative GPA and seniors a 2.5. Sophomores can qualify with an 850 or higher on the 8th grade Reading MCA and, per state law, may only take career and technical courses.