Running Start Admissions

First, you need to decide if Running Start is a good fit for you. Start by watching our Running Start Information Video and then attend an upcoming Q&A Session if you have any follow-up questions.

Looking for summer info? Visit the Summer Running Start page >

Submit a free admissions application online. It can take up to one week to process your application.

Important privacy note: The application should be completed by the student, not a parent. Learn about Parent Access to Student Records on our Running Start Quarterly Registration page. Students should use a personal or family email address. Please do not use your high school email address. The K12 firewalls generally block incoming emails and you may not receive admissions confirmation from SPSCC.

Apply for Admission

Need help filling out the Admissions Application? View our Running Start Admissions Application Guide.

When your application has been processed, you’ll receive an acceptance email with your ctcLink ID. Use your ctcLink ID to activate your two student accounts.

1. Activate your ctcLink account
2. Activate your ClipperID (SPSCC email and password)

Activate Your Student Accounts

To be eligible, you must place into (or have completed) English 101. Math placement is not required to participate as a Running Start student, but is required if you are going to complete a degree at SPSCC or want to take a course with a math prerequisite.

Use the Interactive Placement Guide to look at your possible placement options customized to what you've already completed.

English Placement

If you have acceptable documentation, we can place you directly into English 101. Please see the Running Start Placement Guide below for more information and submit your documents to the Placement Request Form for evaluation.

Documents are evaluated and placement posted within one business day. If you do not have any documentation to submit you can take the English Guided Self Placement (GSP) online. It is free and can be completed any time after you activate your SPSCC student email account. Results will be available as soon as you finish and will post to your account the next business day. Please see the Assessment Center page for more information about the English GSP.

Math Placement

If you have acceptable documentation, we can place you directly into a variety of college level math classes. Please see the Running Start Placement Guide for more information and submit your documents to the Placement Request Form for evaluation.

If you do not have any documentation to submit, or you wish to attempt to place higher than your documents allow, you can take the WAMAP proctored exam (virtually or on campus) for placement into one of several college level math courses up to Calculus I (MATH& 151). Results will be available as soon as you finish and will post to your account the next business day. The exam is free with one retake option and you will choose the course level you wish to test for. Please see the Assessment Center page for scheduling information.

Note: Running Start students are not eligible to take the Math Guided Self Placement exam for math placement.

Want to know more about what documents you can use or exams you can take?

Contact the SPSCC Assessment Center or join one of our Running Start Information Sessions. Students, along with a parent or guardian, are encouraged to attend.

Meet with your high school counselor or school district representative to discuss your graduation requirements. They will help you decide how many classes to complete at the high school and how many credits to complete at SPSCC.

Students have up to 1.40 FTE they can use between SPSCC and their high school during fall, winter, spring and summer quarter each year. Generally, each high school class is equivalent to .20 FTE and each college 5-credit class is equivalent to .33 FTE.

This means students can take up to 15 credits at the college and up to 2 classes at the high school during fall, winter and spring quarter and max out their FTE. They will not have any FTE then to use during the summer following.

If students wish to have FTE to use during the summer, they will need to plan carefully with their high school counselor and college Educational Planner to make sure they do not max out their FTE allotment prior to summer.

You can view SPSCC classes in the Class Schedule. You are responsible to pay full tuition for any additional credits over your FTE limits and also on any courses classified as pre-college at SPSCC including AMATH and CMATH courses.

Use the Running Start Enrollment Verification Form, High School Equivalency Lists, and funding table when you meet with your high school counselor.

Complete the Pathway Selection Survey (PaSS) and attend New Student Advising & Registration (NSAR) to get ready to register for classes.

Students can complete PaSS/NSAR in person or online.  If coming in person, you need to provide a photo ID (driver’s license, driver’s permit, high school ASB card, military ID or state ID) and a list of your high school graduation requirements.

Only the student is required to attend the session.

Students will register as a full tuition-paying student during NSAR, but payment does not need to be made at registration.

Note: In order for SPSCC to adjust tuition and fees, students must submit the Running Start Enrollment Verification Form by the tuition due date.

Note: The Running Start Verification Form is due by the tuition due date every quarter that you're enrolled at SPSCC.

You must submit the Running Start Enrollment Verification Form every quarter in order for SPSCC to adjust your tuition and fees.

Your high school counselor or district representative needs to sign the RS Verification Form before you submit it to SPSCC. If the form is not complete, it will not be processed.

Submit the RS Verification Form:

• In-person at the One Stop or ACT Center on the Olympia Campus, Building 22, 2nd Floor.
• In-person at the One Stop on the Lacey Campus, Building 1.
• Via email to runningstart@spscc.edu.

Pay Fees or Complete Fee Waiver

Fees and the costs of books and supplies are not covered through the Running Start program. Fees must be paid by the tuition due date each quarter.

Pay Fees

Students with a qualifying financial need can participate in the Fee Waiver & Book Borrow Program.

Complete the Fee Waiver

Pay Tuition Beyond Program Limits

When you submit the RS Verification Form tuition for credits within the funding limits will be paid for you through the Running Start program.

If you take classes under the 100 level or over the credit distribution maximums, you must pay tuition for those credits.

If at any time during the quarter you change your credit distributions, you may owe additional tuition to the college.