Program Description. The Running Start (RS) program allows students in grades 11 and 12 to enroll in participating public institutions of higher education and to simultaneously earn both high school and college credit. Students choosing to participate in the RS program are responsible for applying for admission to the institution of higher education.
Student Fees. Students in the RS program do not pay tuition, but do pay for educational materials, mandatory fees, and transportation costs. Public institutions of higher education must make fee waivers available for low-income RS students. The waiver is funded out of each institution's operating budget, not additional state funding. In addition, many RS students receive book loan funds through college foundations.
Enrollment Limits. The state's operating budget specifies that students participating in RS programs may be funded up to a combined maximum enrollment of 1.2 full-time equivalents (FTEs), including school district and institution of higher education enrollment. When calculating the combined 1.2 FTEs, the operating budget allows the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to average an RS student's September through June enrollment to account for differences in the start and end dates for courses provided by the high school and institution of higher education.
The operating budget directs the OSPI in consultation with the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, the Washington Student Achievement Council, and the Education Research and Data Center, to annually track and report to the Legislature on the combined FTE experience of students participating in the RS program, including course load analyses at both the high school and community and technical college system.
Summer Pilot Program. In 2020 legislation was enacted that created a two-year RS Summer School Pilot Program (RS Pilot) to evaluate interest in and barriers to expanding the RS program to include the summer academic term. Three community colleges participated in the RS Pilot. In addition to students eligible for the RS program, people who graduated from a participating high school in the current school year and who have five or fewer college credits to earn before meeting associate degree requirements were eligible to earn a maximum of five college credits through the RS Pilot.
A report to the Legislature with findings and recommendations regarding the RS Pilot, including recommending whether to expand the RS program to include the summer term, was required in November 2022. The report included recommendations related to: (1) full and consistent RS funding; (2) funding to support summer staff at the high schools; (3) student eligibility; and (4) integrated electronic tracking and reporting.
Summer Enrollment Rules. The 2022 Supplemental Operating Budget directed the OSPI to adopt rules to fund a participating RS student's enrollment in RS courses during the summer term.
It is explicitly stated that every school district, charter school, and state-tribal education compact school must allow eligible students to participate in the Running Start (RS) program.
Students participating in RS programs may be funded up to a combined maximum enrollment of 1.4 full-time equivalents (FTEs), including school district and institution of higher education enrollment.
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) rules for state funding RS student summer enrollment must limit enrollment to a maximum of 10 college credits per student per summer academic term.
Other provisions in the operating budget are modified and codified to specify:
It is declared that the RS programs as a service delivery model and associated funding levels beyond 1.0 FTE per student are not part of the state's statutory program of basic education.
The provision stating that the statutes governing the RS program are in addition to and not intended to adversely affect agreements between school districts and public institutions of higher education in effect on April 11, 1990, no longer applies to agreements in effect "in the future."
(In support) Washington has great dual credit programs. These programs help reduce student debt and help students get onto pathways to career and technical training or four-year degrees. These programs are not equitably distributed. Middle class families are more likely to access these programs. This bill requires notification every academic term about the dual credit programs available because not enough students are benefitting from these programs.
Thousands of high school students enroll in dual credit programs, take a few classes, and earn some college credits. Even a few dual credits can reduce students' time at a university and reduce their college debt. When considering solutions, the state should consider transferability of credits and efficient funding models.
Both the College in the High School (CHS) and the Running Start (RS) Program have fees. A program that will subsidize fees for low-income students will help to remove inequities.
The RS Summer School Pilot Program should be made permanent. The pilot was very successful at all three schools, with high completion rates. Some students took a foreign language and some got caught up on math credits. This bill proposes a permanent solution for the RS Summer School Pilot Program by increasing the annual full-time equivalent student limitation. This helps students with credit recovery and attainment. It will mean that more students will leave high school with a degree.
Students report that out-of-pocket expenses and limited information are the top barriers to enrollment in dual credit courses. The bill allows student reimbursement on fees to reduce out-of-pocketbook costs. Until all textbooks are open resources, the bill is needed to provide additional resources to students.
College in the High School costs can be reduced if colleges want to reduce their fees. With the subsidy program, only eligible students are subject to the $42.50 per college credit tuition fee, which would keep the costs viable for colleges. The subsidy program should fund College in the High School course costs instead of course fees.
(Opposed) None.
(Other) The RS Summer Pilot Program should be made permanent at all institutions of higher education, not just a few. There are other approaches to funding CHS course costs that are better. The bill requires students to prove they are poor to get a subsidy, which creates bureaucracy. The costs remain the same regardless of how many students are getting the credit. This would dramatically increase the number of students getting college credit in CHS.
(In support) Thousands of high school students enroll in dual credit programs, take classes, and earn college credits each year. The current cost to students is the main source of inequities in these programs, as the cost can be a barrier to entry for some students. Students who cannot afford to pay dual credit program fees, transportation costs, textbook fees, and other related expenses are denied the benefits of earning college credit.
Dual credit programs can help students in their academic careers and allow them to pursue their education in a way that fits best for them. There is a large disconnect between students, staff, and administrators, which can cause students to not pursue dual credit programs if they fear that enrolling will cause them to miss their high school experience.
The extension of Summer Running Start will provide an opportunity for more students to complete their transfer degrees before attending one of the state's baccalaureate institutions, which results in students completing their bachelor's degrees in a shorter period of time.
In addition to the dual credit programs teaching students course material, they also teach students what it is like to go to college. Many students don't show up in college classrooms because they don't know what college is about or what it is like, and they also have financial difficulties that prohibit them from attending. Students who earn college credit in high school are much more likely to enroll in postsecondary education.
The bill helps expand access to these dual credit programs and reduces the cost to low-income students. Increased funding to offset the expenses that students incur when participating in dual credit courses will result in more college credit accruals and credential attainments, saving students time and money. This investment would motivate more students to continue their journey in higher education and would result in more students working in higher paying jobs in the future.
(Opposed) None.