Running Start FAQ
Admissions
Please refer to the Running Start Admissions Process to determine what step you are at with the turnaround times provided. If you still have questions, please email runstart@tacomacc.edu.
The EVF is emailed to students with the Running Start Application (Step #3 of the Admissions Process). Please check your inbox, including junk/spam folder. If you cannot find your email with the EVF, please email runstart@tacomacc.edu.
Homeschooled students of junior or senior status are encouraged to take advantage of Running Start. Students may attend full-time or part-time, and take classes towards an Associate Degree.
To qualify for Running Start, homeschooled students must:
- Dual enroll through their local public school or district. Homeschooled students are not required to meet the public high school’s graduation requirements.
- Display college-level English skills (“B-“ grade or higher in Sophomore or Junior
English).
- English qualifying measures can be demonstrated by uploading a homeschool transcript in step #2 of Admissions Process. *Homeschool transcripts can vary in format.
- Math placement is not a requirement to be accepted into the Running Start program.
However, a math placement will be needed for courses that require a math prerequisite.
Math placement options:- SAT (not PSAT) score of 550 or higher.
- Complete the ALEKS Math Placement Assessment. For more information, please contact runstart@tacomacc.edu.
- Complete an Intent for Home-Based Instruction form the year prior to accessing Running Start through the public school or district.
- Homeschooled students are not eligible for 5th-Year Senior status.
Finances
One of the major benefits of Running Start is the cost of college tuition is covered. However, there are still other costs associated with the program.
Running Start Students are responsible for paying for the following:
- Class and campus fees
- Visit Tuition & Payment for a complete list under “Mandatory Fees Added at Time of Registration”
- Tuition for any courses below 100 level
- Tuition for any credits taken over the allowed credit limit you are approved for by the high school
- Textbooks**
- Fines accrued (i.e. overdue library book, parking ticket, rental technology etc.)
- Transportation
**Book loans are available for students who qualify
All of these miscellaneous costs can all be covered if a student qualifies for Financial Assistance. See FAQ “Am I eligible for Financial Assistance?”
- Class and campus fees
Running Start Students are not eligible for Federal Student Aid. However, Running Start offers its own Financial Assistance program, which covers fees and provides access to book loans for the quarter. This program is for students who meet any of the following:
- Qualify for Free-or-Reduced Lunch at their high school
- TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) benefits
- Qualify as McKinney-Vento or have utilized the foster care system
Running Start cannot waive fees, cover tuition, or have book assistance for students that are enrolled in below college level courses however.
Students who are not eligible for the Financial Assistance program can choose TCC's Open Education Resources (OER) courses. OER courses have teaching materials that are available to little or no cost ($50 or less).
Free-or-Reduced Lunch: If you are eligible for Free-or-Reduced lunch, please check to see if the “Free and Reduced-Price Lunch (FRPL) Status” was completed on your EVF. If this was left blank, your high school counselor will need to complete this section. Once this section is completed, please email the updated EVF to your Running Start advisor.
If you do not have a copy of your EVF, please email runstart@tacomacc.edu or your assigned advisor to confirm whether this section was completed on your EVF.
TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families): If you or your family qualifies for TANF benefits, you can email proof to your Running Start Advisor.
McKinney-Vento or foster care system: If your account shows you owe a balance, please email runstart@tacomacc.edu and someone on our team will review your account.
If you are eligible for financial assistance, you will receive an email typically 1-2 weeks prior to the start of the quarter with information on when and where you can pick up your books.
After registering for classes, it may take up to 2 business days for tuition to be removed from your account (you are still responsible for Class and Campus Fees unless you are eligible for the Financial Assistance program). If you’ve waited 24 hours and your account still shows you owe for tuition, it is possible that you have not completed the Admissions Process. Please email runstart@tacomacc.edu and someone on our team will review your account.
No, Running Start only covers tuition for college level classes. Any classes below college level, are the student’s responsibility. For instance, if you are enrolling in ENGL& 101 and the class is a linked class with WRITE 95, Running Start will not cover tuition or fees for the WRITE 95 portion of the class.
All Running Start students are automatically coded as non-residents of Washington state. Please submit an Undetermined Residency Form to update your account. The form does not require any documentation and can take up to 3 business days to process.
Access to class and campus fees are available 48 hours after registration.
To view and pay for fees
- Login to ctcLink
- Select Student Homepage
- Select Financial Account
Courses
Transfer credits: College credits are transferable to all Washington State public colleges, universities, and to most private colleges in the state. We strongly recommend students consult with the college admissions representatives and departmental advisors at the school they want to transfer to as early as possible. Students should contact out-of-state colleges for their policies on accepting Running Start credits.
Baccalaureate Applicants: All Running Start students who plan to apply to baccalaureate institutions should take the SAT and/or ACT tests with their high school class to comply with college admission requirements. We strongly encourage students to maintain close contact with their high schools for SAT/ACT testing dates, application deadlines, and scholarship information in preparation for admission to four-year institutions.
Tuition for below college level courses are not covered by Running Start and are the student’s responsibility. If you want to take these courses, be sure to submit the Undetermined Residency Form to ensure you are charged the correct tuition rate. Please do this as soon as you have access to your ctcLink student account to avoid future issues. If you have any questions, or would like to request a PDF version of the form, please email admissions@tacomacc.edu.
Yes, you can enroll in a class that is linked to a below college level class, but Running Start will not cover the cost of the below college level class. For example, if you are enrolling in ENG-101 and the class is a linked class with WRITE-95, Running start will not cover tuition or fees for the WRITE-95 class.
Participation in Summer Quarter is entirely optional for Running Start students.
Students may qualify for between 0 to 10 credits during Summer Quarter, depending on their remaining eligibility as determined by their high school counselor. Students must consult with their counselor prior to enrolling in summer classes.
Please note:
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Summer Quarter is accelerated, typically lasting 8 weeks instead of the standard 10–11 weeks.
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Any credit beyond the limit on your EVF are not covered by Running Start funding and will be the student’s financial responsibility.
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Yes, students can take a course not offered at TCC at a different community college or college with a Running Start program. Students will need to apply to the other college, and once the enrollment process is complete, student will submit a separate Enrollment Verification Form (EVF) specifying the number of credits they are registered for and at which school. For instance, 10 credits at TCC and 5 credits at Pierce College.
If the student plans to earn an AA degree through TCC, once they have completed the course at the other college, they would send their official transcript to TCC to transfer the appropriate credits. Visit Transcript Request for options on how request your official transcript.
Current Students
Students must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher and complete all courses to stay on good standing. Students that fall below academic standards are placed on academic concern, alert, and subsequent suspension.
If a student comes into the Running Start program with a GPA of 2.5 or lower, they are placed on probation their first quarter, and must complete all courses with a GPA of 2.0 or higher to remain in the program.
Students must meet with their high school counselor at least once each quarter to identify how TCC courses will apply towards graduation (high school graduation requirements are established by the high school). An EVF must be completed every quarter to be eligible to register for TCC classes.
You can search for textbooks by visiting TCC Bookstore and selecting Find Textbooks under the Textbooks tab.
To see when textbook sales begin, please see the Academic Calendar.
Sports: You can participate int sports and activities at the high school, but not team sports at the collegiate level.
Clubs: College clubs are open to Running Start students.
Yes! Running Start students are eligible for honors and awards at TCC and at their high school.
Prospective Students
Like all college students, Running Start Students must meet class deadlines, be prepared for classes, ask questions, and conduct themselves as a responsible adult. The faculty will expect the same level of classroom participation, study habits, homework completion, and respect by a Running Start student as received from other students.
The pace of college classes is much faster than high school classes. For example, a high school math class taught in one year is taught in just 10 weeks at the college. College classes demand approximately two hours of homework for each hour spent in an in-person class. Full online classes demand a student to have time-management skills.
Instructors typically provide a class syllabus with their email address, office location, office hours, and phone number. If students are experiencing difficulty or need additional information, then it is their responsibility to contact their instructor.
It is important to carefully consider each student's maturity level when choosing Running Start. A student may academically be prepared for college-level course work, but they may find the independence necessary for a successful experience too demanding. Students are starting a permanent college transcript when they take their first college class. If they perform poorly, it may jeopardize future college plans.
Running Start classes place an increased demand on students, so it is important to monitor their class loads. Running Start students should be enrolled full-time between the high school and college, but should not over-enroll or take too few classes. Discuss the total academic picture with your student's high school counselor and assigned Running Start advisor.
Tacoma Community College is covered under FERPA (Federal Education Right to Privacy Act) and follows federal guidelines concerning access to student records. TCC is not allowed to provide information regarding a student's attendance or progress (even if the student is under the age of 18). According to state law, we do not identify Running Start students to their instructors.
Students are expected to conduct themselves as college students, and faculty will not discuss a student's progress with anyone without the student's participation.
A release authorization is included in the Running Start Application (Step #3 of the Admissions Process). The release authorization grants Running Start advisors permission to speak to the individual listed on the authorization. Information shared is dependent on what is granted on the release. Running Start Advisors do not have access to information about class attendance and do not have access to a student's performance in a class until their grades have been submitted at the end of the quarter. If you would like to add or remove someone from your release authorization, please email runstart@tacomacc.edu.
TCC's Fresh Start program gives the unique benefits of completing a high school diploma while accumulating college credit. It is a program geared for students ages 16 to 21, who have not received their high school diploma and are credit deficient. Unlike Running Start, Fresh Start Students are no longer associated with a standard high school. The Fresh Start program covers tuition and textbooks. Visit Fresh Start for more information.
Students in the TCC in the High School program earn college credit at their participating high school, not on TCC campus, with reduced cost of tuition. Students can accelerate their academic studies by earning college credit without sacrificing their high school experience. Visit TCC in the High School for more information.
The vast majority of our students receive their high school diploma by completing courses at TCC that are equivalent to their high school/district graduation requirements. Our Running Start Advisors work closely with the student and with high school counselors to determine remaining high school graduation requirements. Our students are encouraged to take a pro-active approach by meeting with their high school counselor to get a clear list of their remaining high school graduation requirements.
Alternatively, many students that come to us from a private school, homeschool, or are not wanting to complete their school districts graduation requirements will often choose to complete their high school diploma through TCC. In Washington state, if you complete an Associate's degree, you can also be awarded a high school diploma. This option is not ideal for all though due to the strict nature of degree completion requirements and it is highly recommended that students considering this option meet with their Running Start Advisor prior to their first quarter.
Resources
TCC offers free tutoring in many different subjects.
- Business Education Center (BEC) (accounting, statistics, business, business math, computer user, economics, and IT courses)
- Math Advising Resource Center (MARC)
- Supplemental Instruction
- Writing and Tutoring Center
Visit the Tutoring Centers for more information.
Graphic Calculator: TCC also offers a Graphing Calculator Rental Program or Scientific Calculator Check-out through the Math Advising Resource Center (MARC). Visit the MARC for more information.
Laptop: Your high school should be able to provide you with a laptop to use for the school year. If this is unavailable, you can borrow a laptop from TCC’s Library each quarter. Visit Titan Technology Resources for more information.
Transportation: TCC students are eligible for a free ORCA bus pass. Visit Student ORCA Card for more information.
Wireless Hotspot: Students can check out a wireless hotspot to access the internet. Visit the Information Commons for more information.
The Center for Student Advocacy and Cultural Support provides comprehensive programs and services for all students, especially those who may be first generation, economically disadvantaged, or have disabilities. Support programs include Men of Distinction, Titan PULSE Mentors, New Chances, and Titan Food Pantry. Visit The Center for Student Advocacy & Cultural Support to learn more about these programs.