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 with your caregivers so that you can have a discussion about the program. Still have questions after watching the video? Feel free to stop by the Welcome Center on the Olympia Campus to talk with one of our Outreach Specialists or email dualcredit@spscc.edu.

Private & Home School Students Note: You will follow all the same steps below in order to enroll as a Running Start student. However, you must also enroll with the public school district you reside in before you can get your Running Start Verification Form (RSEVF) signed. This is done for billing purposes only; you will not follow public high school graduation requirements or be advised by high school counseling staff. We highly recommend that you start conversations with your home district as soon as possible to start the enrollment process while you are going through the rest of the Running Start enrollment steps. Please let them know you are enrolling only to access the Running Start program.

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

Submit a free admissions application online. Make sure you select the Running Start student type! Once submitted, it can take up to 10 business days 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 Dual Credit Programs Parent Access & Grades page.

Students should use a personal or family email address. Please do not use your high school email address. The K-12 firewalls generally block incoming emails, and you may not receive admissions confirmation from SPSCC.

If it’s been more than 10 days since you applied and you have not received your ctcLink ID, please email enroll@spscc.edu from the email address you put in your admissions application with your full name and date of birth to request your enrollment letter.

Apply for Admission

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.  

Make sure you figure out what you want to use as your passphrase before you activate your accounts!  We highly recommend that you save your passphrase in a safe place for reference.

• A passphrase is an extended password with a 15-character minimum.
• Your passphrase will need to include a combination of upper case, lower case, numbers, and special characters.  
• You cannot use your first or last name or email address in your passphrase.  
• You can use the same passphrase for both of your accounts.  

Activate Your Student Accounts

To be eligible for Running Start, you must place into (or have completed) English 101. For most rising juniors (current sophomores), this means you will need to complete the SPSCC English Guided Self Placement (GSP). The English GSP is done online, it’s free, and can be completed any time after you activate your Clipper ID (SPSCC student email account). Results will be available as soon as you finish, and they will post to your account the next business day. Please see the Assessment Center page for more information about the English GSP.

If you are a junior or senior, you may have other documentation we can use for placement. See the Running Start Placement Guide (below) and submit your documents (unofficial is accepted) to the Placement Request Form for evaluation.

Math Placement

Math placement is not required to participate as a Running Start student, but it is required if you are going to complete a degree at SPSCC or want to take a course with a math prerequisite.

If you have not completed Algebra II or Integrated III (or will be enrolled in that course your first year as a Running Start student), it is recommended that you keep that class at your high school and wait until that is completed before attempting math placement at SPSCC.  

Please see the Running Start Placement Guide for more information about possible math options, and submit your documents to the Placement Request Form for evaluation.

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

Contact the SPSCC Assessment Center or stop by the Welcome Center on the Olympia Campus.

Public School Students: Please meet with your high school counselor to discuss your graduation requirements. They will help you decide how many classes to keep at the high school (if any), which will determine how many credits you can take tuition-paid at SPSCC. This is a critical meeting to make sure you understand what you have left for high school graduation, so you can ensure you are signing up for the right courses at the college that will meet these requirements. Using the High School Course Equivalency List (see link at the bottom of these steps) for your school or district can be a great tool to help you plan out what to take! 

Generally, students can take up to 15 credits at the college and up to 2 classes at the high school each quarter tuition paid. How many credits a student can take at the college is determined by the number of classes they are enrolled in at the high school.

Private & Home School Students: If you are not enrolled in any public high school courses or the Skills Center, then you can take up to 18 credits at the college unrestricted (most students do not take more than 15 credits).

Summer: If students wish to have credit to use during the summer between junior and senior year, they will need to plan carefully with their high school counselor and college Educational Planner to make sure they do not max out their credit allotment during the academic year.

After Running Start students have done all the admissions steps, they must attend a required Class Registration Orientation (RSO). This session will help students understand college classroom expectations, learn how to navigate the online registration system, and use the High School Equivalency Guides to select their first quarter classes. You will register on your own online via ctcLink, so this orientation is an important step to understand how to successfully enroll in your classes!  

This orientation is required before you register for classes. Parents, guardians, and supporters are welcome (up to 2 per student) and encouraged to attend with their students.

You can view the SPSCC Class Schedule before registration to start planning out your classes.

RSVP for Running Start Class Registration Orientation

Students need to RSVP for the session they wish to attend. If in-person sessions are full, students can opt to attend a virtual RSO or regular in-person New Student Orientation (NSO). Parents/guardians are not allowed in NSO sessions.

Students register for classes owing full tuition and fees. This is adjusted once the Running Start Enrollment Verification form (RSEVF) is submitted. Counselors will not sign this form until a student is registered for classes at the college.

You must turn in 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.

Private & Home School Students: Most districts will have you get your form signed at the local high school. You may need an appointment for this service. Please reach out in advance to your local high school once you have completed RSO and registered for classes.

Submit the RS Verification Form:

• In-person at the Start Here Counter on the Olympia Campus, Building 22, 2nd Floor.
• Via email to dualcredit@spscc.edu (Do not link to a cloud account. You must attach the form as a PDF, JPEG, or GIF.)

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.

Fee Waiver & Book Borrow Information

Pay Tuition Beyond Program Limits

Your Running Start Verification Form tells us how many college credits of tuition can be covered by Running Start. There are three instances where a Running Start student will be responsible for paying tuition beyond the program limits:

1. A student enrolls in a course under the 100 level or enrolls in an AMATH or CMATH course.
2. A student enrolls in credit over the maximum allowed on their verification form.
3. If at any time during the quarter a student increases their enrolled classes at the high school beyond what was on the original Verification Form for that quarter.