Fresh Start

The following are eligibility criteria for the Fresh Start Program:

• Students age 16 to 21 (16 as of 9/1/20)
• Students who have NOT received their high school diploma and are credit deficient
• Students are still eligible if they have earned their GED

Successful Fresh Start participants should expect to dedicate 3 to 5 hours each day to the program.

Fresh Start works best for students who are motivated to learn in a highly academic setting. Students need to be able to:

• Be motivated
• Work independently
• Present themselves maturely
• Attend class on a daily basis
• Manage time well

• FRSH 100: Pathways to College Success: an introductory college readiness course which will assist you in learning how to be more resilient as life difficulties occur. This course will also cover a wide array of information regarding how to be a successful college student.
• An English class appropriate to your placement on the Accuplacer test, such as English 85 or English 95. This will be a reading and writing intensive course worth one year of high school English credit.

Beginning in your second quarter, you will take classes at TCC that fulfill your remaining diploma requirements. The amount of time it takes to earn a diploma depends on:

• the number of credits you have already earned toward your diploma.
• your placement level on the TCC Assessment test. For example, students must advance to the English 101 level in order to take college level classes that will fulfill their diploma requirements.
• the number of credits you are capable of earning each quarter.
• your ability to earn a passing grade in each of your classes at TCC.

In addition, if you have not previously completed your Culminating Project requirements, you have to complete them while in the Fresh Start Program.

The Fresh Start program allows students to accumulate college credit and obtain their high school diploma simultaneously. The average program graduate has about 65 college credits, which is only 2-3 quarters shy of receiving an associate (university transfer) degree. Many of our students take advantage of this great opportunity and go on to a 4-year university, or enter one of our many technical or certificate programs.

• Career Training
• Program Finder

STEP 1: Sign up for and attend an Information Session

STEP 2: Paperwork, Essay, and TCC Application

Upon attending an Information Session, students will be given Enrollment Paperwork and an Essay to complete. Once students turn in the Paperwork and Essay, they will be given a waiver to take the Accuplacer Test.

STEP 3: Take the ACCUPLACER assessment test

• The 1.5-2 hour test will include basic English and Math questions, and will determine which classes the student will take first. Students need to place at least at the English 85 for admittance into the program.
• You do not need an appointment to take the TCC assessment test. Call 253-566-5158 to confirm dates and times for testing. You will need your photo ID to confirm your identity.

STEP 4: Complete Steps to Enrollment

Once students complete the Accuplacer Test and are determined eligible based on test scores, students complete a one-on-one interview.

The interview lasts about 60 minutes. After the interview, students will receive a letter indicating whether they have been invited to attend Mental Toughness.

Mental Toughness is a mandatory 3-day pre-quarter event designed to prepare students for college. New students are also required to attend the Fresh Start Orientation prior to the start of the quarter.

Please contact the Fresh Start Office if you did not successfully pass your first quarter or are a returning student who has sat out one or more quarters and would like to reapply.

Running Start is a program where high school juniors and seniors take college courses at Tacoma Community College. Read more about Running Start.