The rising cost of college tuition is likely one reason that Grays Harbor College is seeing a rise in the number of students in its Running Start Program this fall as high school students and their parents realize they can earn college credits tuition free.
Running start, which started in the early nineties at the college, allows high school juniors and seniors to complete general education classes at GHC while still in high school. Participants are granted college credit that will transfer to any public university in the state and other public schools nationwide. Students need to apply for the program by taking a college-level placement test. In order to enroll, they must qualify in English and reading or English and math.
There are 135 new Running Start students enrolled this fall, said program coordinator Vivian Kaylor, compared to 101 new students last year. The program saw a combined 60 students finish associate’s degrees in the past two years and has 35 potential graduates this year. GHC has just under 2,000 full-time academic students this quarter.
Ed Brewster, GHC President, said he believes the program might be becoming more popular because it makes receiving a college education more financially feasible for students who wouldn’t have the opportunity otherwise. Students who take a full class load can get two full years of college tuition free, usually paying only for books and some class fees. They take the same general classes that would be required for a bachelor’s degree at a four-year school or an associate’s degree at a community college.
For Full Time Enrollment students (FTE) with Running Start, their tuition is paid for by the state. High schools get a certain amount of money each year for each student attending the school; when a student decides to participate in Running Start, their allocated funds that would otherwise go to their high school, are paid to GHC. High schools are granted an administrative fee of roughly 7 percent of the funds they would otherwise collect.
“That could be part of what contributes to our increase in enrollment as well. Parent’s understand that if they have their kids come here then they don’t pay that tuition for the first two years of college,” he said. Tuition for a traditional student at GHC is approximately $4,000 a year.
Kaylor said another reason for increased participation has to do with the college’s public relations strategy for the program. She gives presentations at area high schools explaining what Running Start is and what it can do for students. GHC was ranked the number one community college in Washington last year and Kaylor believes that award has built prospective students’ confidence about the institution.
“There may have been some longstanding kind of things about Grays Harbor being a junior college. Last year we were the number one community college in Washington. I talked about that every time I went out. I think that actually helped dispel some of that,” she said, adding that smaller class sizes and more student-to-teacher interaction also might be contributing factors.
Jane Goldberg, Director of Public Relations at the college, explained that almost always, Running Start students succeed in the program.
“The Running Start students are highly-motivated. They become Running Start students because they know what they want to do, they know they want to get these first two years out of the way. They can balance it with high school and usually a lot of activities,” she said.
Kaylor added, “At any one time we have 10 percent or less that are having problems. Ninety percent of the students are doing well.”
Grays Harbor college graduate Mary Cooley and current student Veek Cheema are no exception to the rule.
Cooley, who was a Running Start student before receiving an Associate of Arts last year, received an award for outstanding achievement in English while at GHC. Cheema is on track to finish his Associate of Arts degree after particpating in Running Start during his junior and senior year at Aberdeen High School.
Cooley was homeschooled before enrolling in Running Start and said she liked the idea of having two years of college completed by thte time she finished high school. She said the different social atmosphere at the college took some time to get used to, but was ultimately beneficial.
“It was a little strange being around so many people all the time. The discussion aspect was different because I’m used to schooling by myself. Having a lot of perspectives in the classroom was good for learning more,” she said.
It also took Cooley a while to become accustomed to the faster rate in which assignments needed to be completed as compared to her work at home, saying that the work itself wasn’t the challenge initially, but the college deadlines were.
“The level of the work wasn’t that hard; the pacing of it was a lot harder. Being homeschooled, I had deadlines, but they weren’t as strict as the college ones were,” she said. In spite of these challenges that are common to new college students, Cooley said as time went on she became better acquainted with college life and ways to handle the academic workload. She wants students who are thinking about enrolling in the program to know that things get easier.
“Be prepared for a huge change of pace, but after the first month it gets a lot easier, keep going and it’s fine from there.”
Veek Cheema said his experience in the Running Start program was a great way to prepare for his current roll as a full time student at the college. He stressed the fact that he realized that post-secondary education was based on “quality over quantity” when taking classes at GHC while still in high school. He met the challenges that were presented by a more rigorous cirriculum with hard work and determination.
“I would come to class, take my notes and share what I could do.” he said.
Cheema finished 60 credits by the time he was done with high school and paid no tuition, only having to cover the costs of fees for certain classes.
“It’s a steal,” he said. “That’s why you see more people coming to Running Start. Those three hours a day (in college courses) got me ahead by almost two years.”
Cheema, a three-sport athlete in high school, also said he recognized older students on campus having competed with them in high school sports, making the social transition from high school to college much easier.
After graduating from GHC, Cheema wants to study business administration and ultimately become a university athletic director. He says students thinking about enrolling in Running Start should do so without hesitation.
“Do it and enjoy it. It’s a win-win situation; why prepare just for now when you can prepare for the future?”
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