Washington State University Tri-Cities is pleased to offer the Running Start program for qualifying high school juniors and seniors attending a high school within Benton-Franklin (and surrounding) counties. The Running Start program allows students to attend classes on the WSU Tri-Cities campus and receive both high school and college credit simultaneously – tuition free! Students can choose to take one class per semester or attend full time.
Have questions regarding your eligibility? Connect with our Running Start office for more information.
We highly encourage students to discuss Running Start and high school graduation requirements early with their high school counselor.
Students who have a 3.50 or higher cumulative high school GPA:
Students who have a 3.30 to 3.49 cumulative unweighted high school GPA or homeschooled/private school:
The additional documents/forms are needed for the Running Start application to be complete. Any incomplete applications will NOT be reviewed after the April 1 deadline.
Homeschooled students and students attending a private school are eligible to apply as a WSU Tri-Cities Running Start student. If admitted, the student will need to enroll in a public high school and be considered a junior or senior at the high school.
Tuition is free! Students will be responsible for paying tuition and fees for any credits they take over the specified amount that was approved by their high school counselor.
Running Start students are responsible for fees and textbooks. Fees can be waived if the student is eligible for free or reduced lunch at the high school and submits their eligibility letter or attends a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) high school.