Clark College President Bob Knight jokes that he’s the principal of the largest high school in Southwest Washington.
It’s a fair analogy, with thousands of high school students flocking to the campus to get a jump start on college coursework.
Clark College is the state’s largest provider of Running Start classes, a program that allows high school juniors to begin taking college classes without paying tuition. Students still have to pay for books and other classroom fees, but the program can save students thousands of dollars in the long run.
“Running Start is a really wonderful tool for our students who are looking to move beyond high school,” Knight said.
And more students than ever are participating in Running Start. This year’s winter quarter has 2,338 students taking at least one college class on campus, an 11 percent growth over the same time last year.
Last fall, the school’s Running Start head count was 2,443, up 11 percent from the fall of 2015.
Students’ home institution covers the cost of tuition up to full-time enrollment. Students can also take some classes at their high school campus while participating in other high school activities. Though some students only take one or two classes, others enroll full time and graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate degree.
“I think families realize that it’s just a tremendous value,” said Linda Calvert, associate director of Running Start at Clark College. “Free tuition is a very good price.”
Students do have to take classes that fit their high school required coursework, meaning English 101 or American Literature are popular among Running Start students.
But students can go above and beyond and begin taking more advanced classes, such as high-level calculus courses that aren’t available at the high school level, Calvert said.
“We’re able to offer things the high schools simply can’t offer,” she said.
Running Start isn’t for everyone though, she adds. Classes can be rigorous, and students need to pass entrance exams to qualify.
“It’s for a student that wants to learn, wants to be here,” she said.
Makayla Draper, a 17-year-old Ridgefield High School senior, is one of those thousands of students.
Draper prefers the faster pace of college classes — one 10-week course usually translates to a year-long class at high school — and the social interactions with students who she says are more focused on their studies than typical high school students. She’s also taken classes Ridgefield High School doesn’t offer, like a yoga class that replaces a physical education requirement.
“The classes are a lot more challenging,” she said.
The program has also been a personal boon for Draper, who will graduate with her associate degree this spring. She’s Mormon, and plans to serve an 18-month mission once she turns 19 in February 2018. She’s been accepted to Brigham Young University’s Idaho campus, where she plans to study elementary education.
Getting ahead on her studies now — plus finding time to begin coursework for her major next quarter — will allow Draper to fulfil her lifelong dream without falling behind on her studies.
“Being able to get a degree beforehand makes it easier to get ahead,” she said.
