Washington State's Running Start: Free College Classes for High Schoolers

0:00It's April 8th, Vancouver News. Today starts now, AI-powered and ready. Washington State's Running Star program hooks up high school juniors and seniors with free college classes at spots like Lower Columbia College, letting them stack both high school and college credits. The legislature just trimmed the funding cap per student from 1.4 full-time equivalents down to 1.3. But only for the 20, 26, 20, 27 and 20, 27, 20, 28 school years. Enrollment keeps climbing there. 521 students jumped in for 2024, 2025, up from 420 in. 2021, 2022. That means about 19% of juniors and seniors from Cal Litz and Wachia Cum counties are hitting those classes. Lower Columbia's Running Star Director, Lupe Rodriguez says students probably won't feel much shake-up day to day. It just nips a bit at the number of free courses they can grab without paying.

1:01The Tweet Kids' Hardest comes summer 2027 and folks chasing specialized degrees over the standard transfer path might got a shuffle. Schedules to stay on pace. Bottom line. The program's still rolling strong, keeping doors wide for those high school hustlers aiming higher without the tuition burn.