RUSH CITY  — 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 two-year school in nearby Pine City.

Superintendent Teresa Dupre said the offer is unprecedented. At least 25 students out of 59 graduates plan to take Frandsen up on his offer.

“It’s too good to be true,” Dupre said. “To have a full ride for anyone in the senior class is unprecedented.”

Frandsen, 84, said he thought it was the right thing to do.

“I was able to do it and why shouldn’t I,” he said.

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. He also owns Plastech Corporation, a plastic products manufacturer and Rush City’s largest employer.

He said he came up with his free tuition idea after touring Pine several months ago.

“I said, ‘Gee whiz, that’s what every kid needs when he gets out of high school,’” Frandsen said. He also said he was bothered by the amount of college debt today’s students are amassing.

Students learned of the offer in letters mailed to their homes.

Senior Cecelia Peterson said the letter “didn’t seem real at first.” But once she verified the offer, Peterson said she decided, “I’d be stupid not to take this opportunity.”

In addition to free tuition, Frandsen will fund $1,000 in textbooks and supplies for students who accept his offer.

“I’ve never seen a gift this generous and this unrestricted,” said Joe Mulford, president of Pine Technical and Community College. “There’s a lot of students that are going to graduate from Rush City this year that are going to be the last first-generation college student because of Dennis Frandsen.”

Senior Covin Bell said he wasn’t sure how he was going to pay for college until he received Frandsen’s letter.

“It’s almost like winning the lottery to me,” Bell said. “All I can say is, thank you, Dennis.”