Counseling Office

• Check out Jordan's presentation and Hillary's presentation to learn more about student financial assistance from previous FAFSA Financial Aid Nights.
• Visit the official FAFSA website.  
• Get more information on Minnesota Financial Aid.
• Learn more at Fastweb, which is one of the nations best online scholarship search sites.
• Visit the SallieMae Scholarship website for national scholarship information.

Local Scholarship Information

• Learn more about the WBLAHS local scholarship application process. 
• Check out this list of the WBLAHS local scholarships being offered.
• Naviance
  • Utilize the Scholarship Tab on this site, which is updated regularly. Check out instructions to find scholarships listed on Naviance.

For more information, contact:

The STRIVE PROGRAM started here in White Bear Lake.  It is a program that is serviced in partnership with the White Bear Lake Rotary Club.  Each year the Rotary Club raise funds to support the STRIVE program.

During this weekly advisory program, you will participate in fun and interesting activities that will help you prepare for college and boost your resume.  Added bonus - you could win a tuition scholarship for a free year at Century College! Many years there are also additional scholarships you can use anywhere.

What is STRIVE?

The Strive for Excellence Program is a college and career readiness program for seniors.  Students will participate in a variety of fun and interesting activities throughout the year, including a team building retreat, guest speakers, and workshops.  It also looks great on a college application or resume!

What are the criteria?

To be eligible, the student must be a senior at White Bear Lake Area High School with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or lower.

How do I sign up?

Students who have a G.P.A. of 3.0 or lower and who fill out the enclosed application and field trip permission form will be invited to participate in the STRIVE program.

Program Details

Students officially begin the program by attending a full day Base Camp at Fort Snelling.  Following Base Camp, all STRIVE students will be moved into their own advisory group, led by a school counselor and supported by the White Bear Lake Rotary.  With the exception of Base Camp, all STRIVE activities will take place during Advisory, so no additional school days are missed.

I heard I can win something?

All participants will be eligible to compete for a scholarship offered by STRIVE Inc.  This scholarship, which covers the cost of your first year of tuition at Century College, will be provided to the participating student who most increases their GPA during their senior year.  Additional scholarships, to cover the cost of books and supplies, will be awarded to the first and second runner-ups. Scholarship winners will be selected based on improved academic achievement, attendance, participation, and motivation.

Are there only three winners?

No, everybody who improves their G.P.A. and performance is really a winner.  In recognition of that fact, all participating seniors will be honored at a banquet and awards ceremony at the end of the year.  Families of participating seniors are also invited to attend.

Scholarship  Award Criterion

•  Improved GPA over their senior year.  
•  School Attendance
• STRIVE meeting participation
• Positive Behavior in the Building / Community
•  Productive Use of Advisory Time

Yearly Strive Activities

• October - Base-camp at Ft. Snelling
• November - Strengths finder Activity
• December - Strengths finder Interpretation
• January - College Admissions Meeting
• February - Financial Literacy Activity
• March - Resume / Job Application
• April - Etiquette Dinner / Manners  
• May - Banquet

For further questions please contact your counselor.

Minnesota districts and charter schools may award Minnesota bilingual and multilingual seals and world language proficiency certificates to graduating high school students who, in grades 10, 11, or 12 demonstrated the required levels of language proficiency in languages other than English, including American Sign Language (ASL) and American Indian (indigenous) languages.

Minnesota State (formerly MnSCU) will award college credit to enrolling students with bilingual and multilingual seals and world language proficiency certificates. Students must request college credit within three academic years of graduation from high school and upon enrollment in a Minnesota State college or university.

Information on Biliteracy Seals 

• Seal of Biliteracy 
• Minnesota Department of Education - World Language
• Bilingual Seals and World Language Proficiency Certificates  
• Bilingual Seals Assessments - MDE 
• White Bear Lake Letter and Sign Up Form 

Questions about Biliteracy Seals

Matt Young
Associate Principal
WBLAHS -South Campus
(651) 773-6203
Email Mr. Young

NCAA Student Athletes

Students who wish to compete in NCAA Division I or Division II athletics in the first year of college must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center to be certified academically and as an amateur athlete.  If you have any questions about the NCAA process, please see your counselor.

NCAA Academic Requirements

It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the courses they take in high school fulfill NCAA requirements for full participation. Several courses at WBLAHS meet local and state requirements for graduation, but do not meet NCAA eligibility requirements.  Students wishing to participate in NCAA athletic programming should NOT take one of these courses to fulfill their language arts requirements.

• 1763: Publications
• 1840: Critical Reading and Thinking
• 1849: Modern Literature: Film Studies

One of the biggest myths of being an NCAA athlete is that it does not matter what your grades are if you are a good athlete.  Part of being a talented Student Athlete is being a talented student. Many athletes are passed over because they didn't apply themselves as a student first.

Students should register with the NCAA Eligibility Center as soon as they know they wish to pursue NCAA athletics and they are being recruited by a Division I or Division II school.  You do not need to register with the NCAA if you are going to play Division III athletics.

NCAA Division I Schools

NCAA Division II Schools

NCAA Division III Schools

PSEO Information Night - February 3rd, 2025 at 6:00pm

Students and families interested in Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) for their 10th, 11th or 12th grade school years are invited to attend a an information meeting on February 3, 2025 at 6pm in the Theatre (5045 Division Ave, WBL).  Click here to view the PSEO Presentation.

PSEO Information

Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) is a program that allows 10th, 11th and 12th grade students to earn both high school and college credit while still in high school, through enrollment in and successful completion of college nonsectarian courses at eligible participating postsecondary institutions. Most PSEO courses are offered on the campus of the postsecondary institution; some courses are offered online. Each participating college or university sets its own admissions requirements for enrollment into the PSEO courses. Eleventh and 12th-grade students may take PSEO courses on a full- or part-time basis; 10th graders are eligible to enroll in PSEO on a more limited basis (see note below). Students must meet the PSEO residency and eligibility requirements and abide by participation limits specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09. If a school district determines a pupil is not on track to graduate, she/he may continue to participate in PSEO on a term by term basis.

By March 1 of each year, or three weeks prior to the date a student registers for courses for the following school year (whichever is earlier), schools must provide PSEO information to all students in grades 8-11 and their families. To assist the district in planning, a student must inform the district by May 30 of each year of their intent to enroll in postsecondary courses during the following school year.

There is no charge to PSEO students for tuition, books or fees for items that are required to participate in a course; however, students may incur fees for equipment that becomes their property when the course or program is completed, textbooks that are not returned to the postsecondary institution according to their policies, or for tuition costs if they do not notify the district by May 30 and the district does not waive this date requirement.

Funds are available to help pay transportation expenses for qualifying students to participate in PSEO courses on college campuses. For more information on these funds, access the PSEO Mileage Reimbursement Program Instructions.

Enrolling in a PSEO course does not prohibit a student from participating in activities sponsored by the high school.

School districts must allow a PSEO student reasonable access to the high school building, computers and/or other technology resources during regular school hours to participate in PSEO courses, whether on-line or on campus.

Each year, districts must publish their grade-weighting policy on their website, including a list of courses for which students can earn weighted grades.

All courses taken through the PSEO program must meet graduation requirements. Districts must transcript credits earned in PSEO by a ratio prescribed in statute. Districts have the authority to decide which subject area and standards the PSEO course meets. If there is a dispute between the district and the student regarding the number of credits granted for a particular course, the student may appeal the board's decision to the commissioner. The commissioner's decision regarding the number of credits will be final.

Postsecondary institutions are required to allow PSEO students to enroll in online courses consistent with the institution’s policy regarding postsecondary student enrollment in online courses.

Tenth-grade students may initially enroll in one Career and Technical Education (CTE) PSEO course if they receive a reading proficiency score of “meets” or “exceeds” on the 8^th grade MCA. If 10th graders taking a CTE PSEO course earn at least a grade C in that class, they may take additional postsecondary courses. If the student did not take the MCA in 8^th-grade, another reading assessment accepted by the enrolling postsecondary institution can be substituted. For students with disabilities, there is an alternative option to demonstrate reading proficiency.

For current information about the PSEO program, including the PSEO Contract and Student Registration Forms, visit the Minnesota Department of Education’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) webpage.