Frequently Asked Questions
Need more information? The answers to many common Running Start questions can be found here.
Students enrolled at a Washington State public high school with junior or senior standing. You must also show eligibility for either college-level English or college-level math.
New Students
New Running Start students must apply to Seattle Central College, complete placement into college-level English (ENGL&101) or college-level math and submit a complete Running Start Enrollment Packet. Please see Steps to Enroll.
Current Students
Current Running Start students at Central must turn in a new Enrollment Verification Form each quarter. Once it is signed by you, a guardian, and high school counselor, turn your form into the Running Start office either in-person or by email, and we will remove the hold from your account and provide instructions to register online.
- The Running Start program covers up to two years of free or reduced cost college tuition credits. Up to 21 credits of tuition for college-level courses may be covered, depending on the number of classes taken at the high school.
- Students are responsible for paying for the cost of textbooks, supplies, course fees, and transportation. You are responsible for paying tuition and fees for pre-college courses (numbered below-100), credits in excess of 1.4 FTEs per quarter, and courses during summer quarter. Courses taken at Central through Running Start must be college level (100 or above), and approved by the student’s high school counselor, parent/guardian, and Running Start advisor.
- Most fees are covered for students who are eligible for the free or reduced lunch program at their high school.
Most credits will transfer to WA state schools and universities. We suggest contacting each school you plan to apply to and see what is transferrable.
Yes! If you’re eligible for free or reduced lunch at your high school, you are eligible to have your class fees waived, your placement test fees waived, and you can participate in our book loan program to borrow textbooks each quarter. Work with your high school counselor to complete the fee waived form when you apply.
Yes, Running Start students at Seattle Central College are required to place into either college-level English or math to be eligible to participate in the program.
- Up until the 2nd day of the quarter you may add and drop classes yourself through ctcLink. If there is a hold on your account, please email RunningStart.Central@seattlecolleges.edu with your ctcLink ID number to request the hold be removed.
- Beginning on the 3rd day of the quarter, instructor permission is required to add any classes. Students should email the instructor with your full name and ctcLink ID number to ask permission to enroll. You can look lookup the instructor’s email address in our Employee Directory. If the instructor gives you permission to enroll, they will submit a request to the Registration office to have you added to the class.
- The 10th day of the quarter is the last day to add any classes and to drop without a “W” on your transcript.
Students are responsible for ordering and paying for official transcripts from Seattle Central College. Running Start advisors cannot provide official transcripts.
Unofficial transcripts may be retrieved from the ctcLink Student Homepage through the Academic Records tile.
Students that are full-time in their junior and senior year have the potential to accrue enough credits to complete an associates degree by the time they’re finished as a high school senior. If you are interested in completing a degree at Central, it does take some planning and we recommend meeting with a Running Start advisor during the fall quarter to discuss degree requirements and plan out your classes.
Yes, homeschooled and private school students can participle in Running Start, however you must enroll at the public high school as well. Your will be required to meet with your public school high school counselor quarterly to complete your Enrollment Verification Form.
We accept students to enroll in Running Start for fall, winter and spring quarters. Rising-juniors and rising-seniors are also eligible to start Running Start in the summer quarter.
Priority deadlines for each quarter are:
- Fall and Summer quarters – May 1
- Winter quarter – November 1
- Spring quarter – February 1
Applications will continue to be accepted after the priority deadlines through the start of the quarter. Class availability and choice may be limited if students apply after the priority deadline. We strongly encourage new students to submit their Running Start enrollment packet no later than a week before the quarter begins to ensure students have enough time to get registered, prepared and ready to start on the first day of the quarter.
Yes, rising-juniors and rising-seniors are eligible for up to 10 credits through Running Start in the summer quarter. Student will need to complete the summer Running Start Enrollment Verification Form in order to register.