Businessman Offers Local Students Free College

RUSH CITY (AP) — A Rush City businessman is giving the gift of education to seniors at the local high school.

More than 40 percent of this year's graduates at Rush City High School will be attending college for free thanks to Dennis Frandsen. He's offering free tuition at Pine Technical and Community College, a 2-year school in nearby Pine City.

Superintendent Teresa Dupre says the offer is unprecedented. Twenty-five students plan to take Frandsen up on his offer.

Frandsen never went to college himself, having started a logging business when he was 17. Not long after, Frandsen applied for an expansion loan at a bank in Luck, Wisconsin and was denied. He vowed to one day own the bank. Today he does, along with 35 other banks.