Running Start Is A Smart Choice

Running Start allows qualified high school juniors and seniors to enroll tuition-free in college-level courses as part of their high school program of study. Books, supplies, lab fees, and transportation are the responsibility of the student. Students are responsible to pay for any college courses numbered below 100. 

• To be admitted to BBCC as a Running Start student, students must be registered as a junior or senior in a Washington state public school, under 21 years of age, and place into a college-level English or college-level mathematics course. (College-level classes are numbered 100 and above.)
• Students who will take only professional/technical courses, such as welding, industrial systems technology, etc., may qualify by placement into the required English and mathematics for that program.
• Homeschooled students and students attending private schools must be evaluated at the junior or senior level by a public high school official and enroll at that school.
• Students who have passed the GED and who do not have a high school diploma may enroll through their high school and be eligible for the Running Start program until the age of 21.

RUNNING START MAIN WEBPAGE

• 57% of high school juniors that start Running Start earn their high school diploma and their Associate degree in two years.
• 84% of Running Start students earn a 2.0 GPA or higher.
• 44% of Running Start students earned college-level Math credit in their first year of enrollment.
• 84% of Running Start students earned college-level English credit in their first year of enrollment.
• 73% of Running Start students earned 30 credits in their first year of enrollment.
• Running Start students have a retention rate for fall-to-fall enrollment of 90%.
• 58% of Running Start have earned both their HS diploma and their Associate degree by their third year.
• 54% of Running Start students transfer to a 4-year college or university by the end of their fourth year.

*all percentages are 3-year averages

RUNNING START MAIN WEBPAGE

• Running Start students are able to take advanced courses in many disciplines that pertain to their intended majors and also expose themselves to variety of classes that span across many different disciplines (humanities, art performance, social sciences, engineering).
• A variety of student resources are available to support Running Start students along the way including BBCC's STEM Center that offerings quality tutoring for all levels of math and science. They can also take advantage of the college's Writing Center that offers tutoring for any class that has a writing element.
• Running Start students from a variety of area high schools build a thriving community together and get an idea about college life. They learn to build relationships with college faculty and learn to collaborate with their peers in a communal learning environment.
• Running Start students are engaged and involved. They are able to build an academic schedule at Big Bend that still allows them to participate in their chosen high school activities. Current students still participate in their high school theatre, choir, band, and athletics programs while excelling in their college courses. 

RUNNING START MAIN WEBPAGE

Planning to earn a bachelor’s degree? Running Start gives you a powerful head start.

When you complete a Washington transfer degree—like the Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA), Associate in Science–Transfer (AS‑T), or a Major‑Related Program (MRP)—your credits transfer smoothly to most Washington public universities. These degrees are designed as complete “transfer packages,” helping you enter your university with junior standing and meeting most or all lower‑division general education requirements.

Thinking about a technical program instead?

Professional‑technical degrees are built for direct employment and are generally not designed for university transfer. There are two exceptions.  One is the Associate in Applied Science-Transfer degree, which transfers to a specific university that has an agreement with our community college.  Second, technical programs will transfer into specific Bachelor of Applied Science degrees offered at colleges and universities.

Not finishing a full transfer degree? No problem—credits can still transfer.

Without a completed DTA or AS‑T, universities evaluate your classes one by one, deciding individually which credits they will accept. Completing the full degree ensures the smoothest transfer, but students can still move forward with a course‑by‑course review.

RUNNING START MAIN WEBPAGE