Under-age Admissions

Policy

Admission to the College is available to individuals who are high school graduates or at least 18 years of age, subject to published admission deadlines.  Applicants under 18 years of age who have not graduated from high school may be eligible to enter TCC through either the Running Start or Fresh Start programs.  Other applicants age 16 to 18 must obtain a written release from the principal of the high school they last attended; admission of these applicants will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Residency (Classification of Students)

Tacoma Community College shall classify its students as residents or non-residents according to WAC 250.18, the permanent rules and regulations adopted by the Council for Post-Secondary Education in June 1983, as hereinafter amended.  The College shall develop regulations and procedures to assure that the residency of all students enrolled in credit classes is determined.  International students must be in compliance with immigration requirements.  (See also Tuition & Fee Waiver Policy)

Running Start Admissions Requirements

The Running Start Program was authorized by the 1990 legislature as part of the educational “choice” program.  This legislation allows students the choice of earning dual credit for both high school requirements and community/technical college credits through college course work.

To be admitted to Tacoma Community College’s Running Start Program, a student must:

1. Be under 21 years of age.
2. Be enrolled or registered as a junior or senior in a Washington public high school.
3. Place at or above Reading 110 and English 101 through TCC’s entry skills assessment testing program.
4. Have a high school grade point average of 2.5 or above.
   OR
   Students with high school grade point averages of 2.5 or without a high school transcript will be admitted provisionally, pending successful completion of one academic quarter.

Under-age Admissions

TCC’s primary educational mission is focused on serving adults in an adult environment that may not meet the needs of younger students.  Exceptions to the general admissions policy will be considered when a student has clearly excelled beyond the high school level in a particular subject area and advanced courses are not available through any high school program (exceptions will not apply to foreign language courses unavailable at the high school).

The process for requesting an exception to the admissions policy is available in the Admissions office or the Running Start office in Building 18.

Purpose

Tacoma Community College has an “open door” policy which reflects its commitment to access to higher education.  Consistent with its open door admissions policy, Tacoma Community College practices equal opportunity in its educational programs.  No one is denied admission to the College because of race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation or handicap.

To Whom Does This Policy Apply

All individuals registered for classes at Tacoma Community College.

References

Previous Board Policy Manual Section 4.1010 General Admission Requirements

Previous Board Policy Manual Section 4.1020 Classification of Students

Previous Management Manual Section 95-005 Running Start Admissions

Definitions

None