Taking a Running Start Toward a Bachelor’s Degree in Washington

This year, Washington celebrates the 33rd anniversary of its Running Start program, a dual enrollment initiative that connects high school students with community college courses. In the 2021-2022 academic year alone, over 25,000 high school students participated in Running Start. At the same time, community college baccalaureate programs (CCBs) have also played a pivotal role in expanding access to higher education in the state, with well over 100 active bachelor’s programs at community and technical colleges. We had the opportunity to talk with Lindsey Morris, Director of Running Start and College in the High School at Green River College about how and when Running Start students might choose to stay on at Green River to earn a bachelor’s degree. Here’s what we learned from our conversation.

Running Start is a statewide program that allows high school juniors and seniors to take college classes at their local community college, and in some instances, at public four-year institutions when a community college isn’t readily accessible. The most remarkable aspect is that these college classes come tuition-free. The credits students earn are applied toward both their high school diploma and their college transcript. Currently, Running Start at Green River accommodates students from 29 school districts and approximately 60 high schools. The program enables students to potentially earn their associate degree by the time they graduate from high school and prepares them for a number of different career and higher education options afterward.

At Green River, opportunities extend beyond the associate degree: students can also explore bachelor's degree programs. Washington's community and technical colleges have offered bachelor’s degrees since the mid-2000s. Nearly 20 years later, 31 of 34 colleges in the state system now offer at least one bachelor’s degree. Green River launched its first community college baccalaureate program in 2014 in software development. Since then, the college has expanded its bachelor’s programs significantly, offering 12 options, ranging from aeronautical science to forest management. In the 2021-22 academic year, 199 of the 1,511 degrees (13 percent) awarded at Green River were bachelor’s degrees, indicating that the college provides an important access point to this level of education while still predominantly awarding associate degrees.

Lindsey points out that the vast majority of Running Start students at Green River go on to transfer to a university. Some, she estimates fewer than ten percent, pursue a technical certificate or associate degree at Green River, and a small but growing number stay on for a bachelor’s program. “We see most of these students pursuing software development or business management and entrepreneurship out of our Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degrees,” she says. “I think the draw for our students is how accessible the entrance requirements are, the hands-on experience they'll get, and the cost savings.”

Pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Green River offers a great option for Running Start students interested in applied and technical jobs with a corresponding bachelor’s program at the college. In fact, the average upper-division tuition for a CCB program in Washington is comparable to the tuition at the lowest-cost regional university. Given that state legislation stipulates that these institutions must demonstrate that “employers demand the level of technical training proposed within the program, making it cost-effective for students to seek the degree,” Green River works closely with local and state employers to ensure that graduates are well-prepared with the skills and knowledge needed to enter the workforce. For students interested in applied and technical fields and staying in their home community, pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Green River can be just the pathway they need.

It’s particularly noteworthy that the city of Auburn, home to Green River College’s main campus, lags behind the state (37.3 percent) and national (33.7 percent) averages for bachelor’s degree attainment, with 26.6 percent of residents aged 25 and older possessing a bachelor's degree or higher. This underscores the crucial role that Running Start and community college baccalaureate programs play in bridging educational gaps all while filling local labor force needs.

Lindsey emphasizes that the Green River advising team works closely with Running Start students to help them explore all of their options for additional education. “Getting to the root of a student's motives will help us understand their end goal and can often make it easier to suggest a BAS program at their current college,” Morris says. For community colleges, this personalized guidance can be the key to connecting dual enrollment students to a specific pathway that aligns with their aspirations and career goals and that might not be accessible through university transfer.

Community colleges have a unique opportunity to ensure that dual-enrolled students interested in applied and technical fields can access a bachelor’s program through their community college. When asked about bridging the gap between dual credit and bachelor’s degrees, Morris says, “We always listen to what the students’ dreams and goals are, what they excel at, and where they struggle.” By placing student needs at the core of its programming, Green River has achieved some of the highest Running Start enrollment rates in the state. With community colleges continuing to grapple with the repercussions of the pandemic on their enrollment, providing a smooth path from dual enrollment to applied bachelor’s programs emerges as a promising avenue for expanding local access to bachelor’s degrees and career paths close to home.