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Credit
Q-36.
May a high school district elect to reduce the rate of credit granted
a Running Start student for five-quarter (credit) hours of college work
to less than one credit?
A.
No. State law has established that five-quarter (credit) hours
shall equal one high school credit. School districts therefore, are
required to grant one full high school credit for every five-quarter
credit hours of work successfully completed by a Running Start student.
Q-37. May high school districts split the
credits between required and elective courses?
A.
Yes, but not on a uniform rate basis, but rather on a case by case evaluation
of the extent to which a college course is the equivalent of required
high school course work. An arbitrary uniform rate is squarely at odds
with the course-by-course comparison and judgment required by WAC 392-169-
050. It is permissible for the common school district superintendent,
on an individual course basis, to split the credit for a course that
is not comparable, following consultation with a college representative.
The total credit awarded must still equate to the five-quarter credits
equals one high school credit basis.
Q-38. May a high school restrict Running
Start students from taking two like subjects in the same academic year?
(example: English 101 and 102).
A. No.
Q-39. Are Running Start students allowed
to take on-line and telecourse classes?
A. It depends
on local School Board policy applicable to all students. If School Board
policy states that credit will not be granted for Distance Ed courses
and the policy applies to all students, not just Running Start students,
the District can deny the credit.
Q-40. May a Running Start student "challenge"
a course and have the high school pay for the credits?
A. No.
Q-41. Do credits earned in private school
count toward a public high school diploma?
A. Credits earned
in a private school may count toward a public high school diploma. It
is up to the district and/or high school to determine if a private school
student’s credits satisfy the district and/or high school graduation
requirements.
Q-42. May a school district or school award
a diploma to a private school student who enrolls in the public district,
but takes classes only through Running Start?
A. The general
rule is that a district’s high school graduation policy must apply
equally to all students. Thus, if a public school student is enrolled
in Running Start and is completing remaining graduation requirements
solely via Running Start, and is otherwise eligible to be awarded a
diploma, it is fundamentally no different from the private school student
who does the same thing by enrolling in the district, but attending
classes only through Running Start.
Q-43. How do
credits earned through dual enrollment programs impact a student’s
financial aid eligibility?
A. Financial
aid eligibility of students while in running start A student
who does not have a high school diploma or a GED and who is still associated
with his or her high school is not eligible for either federal or state
need-based financial aid.
Financial
aid eligibility of former running start students Basic
eligibility for federal and state need based aid is dependent on the
student and family’s financial strength, not participation in
running start. Having earned credits as a running start student will
not affect that basic eligibility.
There are, however, certain “maximum
timeframe” and class level considerations that will impact the
length of time a student can continue to receive aid as well as the
annual maximum award amounts for federal student loan programs.
Tip: Students
with questions about the effect of running start on their student aid
or scholarship packages should always check directly with the school’s
admissions, financial aid, and scholarship offices.
Maximum Timeframe
For federal aid, otherwise eligible students
may earn up to 150 percent of the minimum number of credits necessary
for a degree before jeopardizing student aid eligibility. Many schools
have adopted a stricter 125 percent standard for their federal and institutional
aid programs.
The maximum timeframe for the State Need
Grant program is 125 percent. For all other state aid programs, the
limit is based on the institution’s policy.
For example:
|
Student Has 90 Credits
From Running Start Accepted By the School |
| Maximum
Timeframe policy |
Minimum Needed For a BA Degree |
Maximum credits that can be earned
before losing
student aid eligibility is: |
Remaining credits that can be earned
without jeopardizing
student aid is: |
| 150 % |
180 |
270 |
180 |
| 125% |
180 |
225 |
135 |
Appeals of the Timeframe
Depending on the school, individual students
may be allowed to appeal the limit. Appeals, if accepted, are based
on each student’s individual circumstances. Appeals often revolve
around changes to the student’s major, reconsideration of earlier
remedial coursework, or unavoidable circumstances that extend the student’s
course of study.
Maximum Annual Federal Student Loan
Amounts
The federal student loan programs permit
higher awards for second and third year students than for first year
students. Running start students who achieve third year status at the
end of their running start program will qualify for the higher loan
amounts right out of high school.
There are several federal student loan programs
and various loan limts. The most common program is the federal subsidized
Stafford and Direct student loan programs. For 2005-2006 maximum annual
loan limits are:
| Federal
Subsidized Student Loans Limits for Dependent Students |
Undergraduate
Class Level |
Annual Loan
Amount |
First Year |
$2,625 |
Second Year |
$3,500 |
Third Year and Beyond |
$5,500 |
The federal loan limits may be raised for
the 2006-2007 academic year.
Scholarships
Private Donor
and Institutional Scholarships
Policies surrounding private scholarships
rest with the donor. The awarding of institutional scholarships is controlled
by each college.
It is up to each private donor or each institution
to determine how running start credits
impact consideration for scholarships that are reserved for freshmen.
Running start students should check with
the scholarship office of the school they are
transferring to for an understanding of the school’s policy.
State Sponsored
Scholarships
Both the Washington Scholars and Washington
Award for Vocational Excellence (WAVE) accept applications from running
start students. For Washington Scholars the application must come through
the student’s high school. For WAVE, the application may come
through either the student’s high school or community college.
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