People for PSEO
People for PSEO is a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps high school students (grades 10-12) access free college credits through the state's PSEO program via counseling, a Boot Camp curriculum, a handbook, and legislative advocacy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSaint Paul, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What People for PSEO does
People for PSEO is a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2018 that operates as the state's only organization dedicated solely to promoting, defending, and expanding the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program, which enables high school students in grades 10-12 to earn free college credits at Minnesota colleges and universities. The organization delivers a suite of free student-facing services including a 20-page PSEO Handbook, a curriculum-based PSEO Boot Camp, 30-minute Free PSEO Enrollment Assistance counseling sessions (booked via online calendar), a downloadable PSEO College Database, an Interest Form matching service, and the PPSEO Community membership program. It also runs the Free PSEO Workshops for school counselors.
The organization's go-to-market motion is community-led: staff and a youth-majority Board of Directors (drawn from current and former PSEO students) conduct AVID classroom presentations reaching over 1,000 students per session, participate in community tabling events, host webinars, and conduct one-on-one counseling meetings. In 2023-24 the organization engaged 3,264 individuals (a 105% year-over-year increase) and advised 126 students on PSEO enrollment, up from fewer than 10 the prior year. Revenue is generated through donations, a $100-per-student sponsorship program, and grants (notably from the ECMC Foundation in July 2024).
Beyond direct service delivery, People for PSEO functions as a legislative and regulatory advocate. It partnered with Catalyst for Systems Change to produce annual PSEO Information Gap Reports — the 2026 edition found 68% of 386 Minnesota public schools non-compliant with state law requiring PSEO notification. In the 2023-24 Minnesota legislative session the organization, in collaboration with Christopherson Advocates, secured four statutory policy changes affecting PSEO. Headcount is 1-10, the office is in Saint Paul, and all services are free to end users.
People for PSEO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- People for PSEO
- Legal name
- People for PSEO
- Website
- https://peopleforpseo.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- People for PSEO is a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps high school students (grades 10-12) access free college credits through the state's PSEO program via counseling, a Boot Camp curriculum, a handbook, and legislative advocacy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
People for PSEO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Advocacy and Dual Enrollment Support Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- First-Year Experience & Transition Programs (EDALABAE)
Keywords
Where People for PSEO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Paul
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
People for PSEO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, People for PSEO generates revenue through donations from supporters, former PSEO students, and community members. The organization also offers a sponsorship program where donors can contribute $100 to prepare a student for PSEO enrollment and provide application assistance. Annual reports are published to document organizational activities and financial performance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free services to students |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Student Sponsorship |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
People for PSEO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
People for PSEO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes, defends, and expands the Minnesota Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program, enabling high school students in grades 10-12 to earn 2+ years of free college credits. The organization delivers free services including a PSEO Handbook, PSEO Boot Camp curriculum, one-on-one enrollment counseling, a downloadable college database, an interest-matching form, a community membership program, and annual PSEO Information Gap Reports. It also conducts legislative advocacy at the Minnesota State Capitol to advance PSEO policy.
Product overview
People for PSEO is a non-profit organization offering a suite of educational support services centered on the Minnesota Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program, which enables high school students in grades 10-12 to earn free college credits. The core offerings include: the PSEO Handbook (a free 20-page guide), PSEO Boot Camp (preparation curriculum), Free PSEO Enrollment Assistance (personalized 30-minute counseling), PSEO College Database (downloadable spreadsheet), PSEO Interest Form (matching service), and PPSEO Community (membership program). The organization also produces annual PSEO Information Gap Reports and provides PSEO Workshops for counselors. Together, these products form an integrated ecosystem supporting students from awareness through enrollment and advocacy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PSEO Handbook A free 20-page comprehensive guide that provides expert advice on a successful PSEO experience, helping Minnesota high school students and their families navigate the enrollment process.
- PSEO Boot Camp A curriculum-based program that prepares Minnesota high school students for the PSEO program, built on 6+ years of research and feedback to address real challenges and opportunities. Connects participants with a statewide PSEO community.
- Free PSEO Enrollment Assistance A free 30-minute personalized counseling session with People for PSEO expert staff, available online via scheduled booking, to assist students with PSEO enrollment, course selection, and college choice matching.
- PSEO College Database A downloadable database containing all PSEO-participating colleges in Minnesota with contact information, GPA requirements, and other enrollment details, available through the Resource Library.
- PPSEO Community Membership A free community membership program that helps students and supporters navigate PSEO with confidence, channels member voice into action at the Minnesota Legislature, and elects PSEO students and alumni to the Board of Directors.
- PSEO Research & Data Reports Annual PSEO Information Gap Reports measuring PSEO compliance on school websites across all 386 Minnesota public schools, plus research on program impact including quantified savings data (e.g., $60 million annual savings for Minnesota families).
- PSEO Interest Form (Matching Service) A matching service that aligns student academic and career interests with appropriate PSEO programs and colleges, supporting informed enrollment decisions.
- PSEO Workshops for Counselors Workshops offered for school counselors and school employees who want to share accurate, up-to-date information about PSEO with their coworkers and students.
Quantifiable outcome
- Saves Minnesota families $60 million annually in college costs
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use People for PSEO
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
People for PSEO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
People for PSEO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and important.
- Catalyst for Systems ChangecoreCollaborative research partnership focused on identifying barriers to PSEO participation and advocating for systemic changes. The two organizations jointly conduct annual PSEO Information Gap Reports measuring compliance across all 386 Minnesota public schools, and have been informing the Minnesota Department of Education about noncompliance for 9 years.
- Christopherson AdvocatesimportantLegislative advocacy partner that collaborated with People for PSEO on achieving four significant policy changes to PSEO law in the 2023-24 legislative session, including consistent grade weighting policy, new fall notification date, improved reporting, and advisory board inclusion.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
People for PSEO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- ECMC Foundation: Philanthropic funder focused on educational outcomes, particularly for underserved students. A direct funder of People for PSEO and ecosystem participant in the same college-access space.
Direct peers
- Braven: Nonprofit that helps underrepresented college students build skills and networks to transition into strong first jobs. Comparable in serving first-generation students through structured cohort-based programs.
- iMentor: Nonprofit pairing low-income high school students with college-educated mentors to support college access and completion. Comparable peer-mentoring approach and high-school-to-college pipeline focus.
- Bottom Line: Nonprofit providing advising and support to first-generation-to-college students from high school through degree completion. Highly comparable mission, target population, and counseling-driven service model.
- Higher Achievement: Out-of-school-time college prep nonprofit serving middle and high school scholars from under-resourced communities. Comparable in targeting underserved youth for college readiness, with similar long-horizon student outcomes.
- College Possible: National nonprofit that provides coaching and support to low-income high school and college students to access and complete higher education. Directly comparable mission to People for PSEO's college-access work, although at much larger scale and multiple states.
- College Advising Corps: Places recent college graduates as full-time college advisers in underserved high schools. Directly comparable service model (school-based college advising) and target population.
- uAspire: Nonprofit focused on helping students afford and complete college through financial aid advising and advocacy. Comparable in mission (college access/enrollment support) and delivery model (1:1 advising, policy work).
Broad incumbents
- National College Attainment Network (NCAN): National membership association for organizations working to increase college access and success. Comparable in mission and advocacy focus, but operates as an industry network rather than a direct service provider.
Regional players
- Minnesota Private College Council: Minnesota-based association representing private colleges, including those accepting PSEO students. Comparable in operating in Minnesota's higher-education ecosystem and engaging with PSEO policy, but serves institutional rather than student end users.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
People for PSEO social profiles
Digital presencePeople for PSEO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
People for PSEO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
People for PSEO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
People for PSEO M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about People for PSEO
What does People for PSEO do?
People for PSEO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes, defends, and expands the Minnesota Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program, enabling high school students in grades 10-12 to earn 2+ years of free college credits. The organization delivers free services including a PSEO Handbook, PSEO Boot Camp curriculum, one-on-one enrollment counseling, a downloadable college database, an interest-matching form, a community membership program, and annual PSEO Information Gap Reports. It also conducts legislative advocacy at the Minnesota State Capitol to advance PSEO policy.
Is People for PSEO a public or private company?
People for PSEO is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was People for PSEO founded?
People for PSEO was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is People for PSEO based?
People for PSEO is headquartered in Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.
How does People for PSEO make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Contributions.
Who are People for PSEO's main competitors?
ECMC Foundation is listed as an others. Direct peers are Braven, iMentor, Bottom Line, Higher Achievement, College Possible, College Advising Corps and uAspire. National College Attainment Network (NCAN) is listed as a broad incumbent. Minnesota Private College Council is listed as a regional player.
Does People for PSEO have an API?
No public API is recorded for People for PSEO.
What industry is People for PSEO in?
People for PSEO's product category is Education Advocacy and Dual Enrollment Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALABAE, First-Year Experience & Transition Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8300.