Homeschool benefits through Cascadia College and Northshore area
Running Start at Cascadia College lets high school juniors and seniors take college-level courses tuition-free, worth $1,697.30 for a 15-credit quarter at 2026-27 resident rates, while earning high school and college credit. A homeschooled student qualifies only through a public school district-affiliated homeschool program, and families still pay mandatory fees and books. Other options include transit fare savings.
What it offers
- Cascadia College Running Start
- King County ORCA LIFT reduced transit fare
- Shoreline Community College Running Start
Cascadia College Running Start
Who qualifies
Affiliated with a public district
Your student must be enrolled in a Washington public high school or a public school district-affiliated homeschool program. Homeschooling on your own, without a district affiliation, does not meet this rule.
Is a junior or senior
Students must be classified as high school juniors or seniors. Current sophomores can start in the summer before junior year.
Places into English 95
Your student must place into English 95 or higher, and both English and math placements must be processed even if no course in either subject is planned.
Has a counselor-signed EVF
Each quarter needs an Enrollment Verification Form (EVF) signed by the high school representative, a parent, and the student. The counselor sets the credit limit.
What it is worth
Cascadia's 2026-27 tuition table for Washington residents in associate degree and certificate courses.
- 5 credits (one course)
- $680.70
- 10 credits
- $1,361.40
- 15 credits
- $1,697.30
- 19 credits (fall and winter maximum)
- $2,020.98
- Fall, winter, and spring at 15 credits
- $5,091.90
You still pay mandatory fees, including a technology fee of $4.00 per credit (up to $60 a quarter) and an Activities and Recreation Center fee of $9.51 per credit (up to $142.65), unless a free or reduced-price lunch waiver applies.
From applying to keeping it
- Before the term deadline
Apply to Cascadia
Submit the online admission application and choose Running Start and Academic as the application type. For fall 2026 the deadline was September 8.
- Before registering
Send placement and the contract
Email English and math placement documents to placement@cascadia.edu and upload the Running Start Contract, signed by you and your student, through the Running Start portal.
- After processing
Attend New Student Registration
Cascadia emails your student a link to New Student Registration (NSR) once the contract is processed.
- Each quarter
Submit the EVF and pay fees
Work with the district counselor around week 6 to complete the next quarter's EVF, upload it, and pay fees by the term deadline or risk being dropped from classes.
What it pays for
Covered
- Tuition for college-level courses numbered 100 and above
- Up to 19 credits in fall and winter, 20 in spring, and 10 in summer
Not covered
- Tuition for courses below college level, such as English 95
- Mandatory college fees
- Textbooks and supplies
- Transportation and parking
Public schools pay the tuition for Running Start students, which is why your student needs a public school or district-affiliated homeschool enrollment.
Who to contact
The Running Start office answers questions about eligibility, forms, and deadlines and holds virtual drop-in hours on Wednesdays from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
runningstart@cascadia.edu 425-352-8000 Running Start page
King County ORCA LIFT reduced transit fare
Who qualifies
Meets the income limit
Gross household income must be no more than 200% of the federal poverty level, which is $2,660 a month for one person and $5,500 for a family of four.
Or gets a qualifying benefit
People enrolled in Apple Health Medicaid, WIC, or Basic Food are eligible. Their ProviderOne or EBT card or program letter serves as income proof.
Shows proof of identity
Bring a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or passport, or a combination of documents like a birth certificate and a photo employee ID.
What the fare saves
King County Metro's fare page lists the regular adult and ORCA LIFT prices effective September 1, 2025.
- Adult single ride on Metro
- $3.00
- ORCA LIFT single ride on Metro, Link, and Sounder
- $1.00
- Regional day pass, adult
- $6.00
- Regional day pass, ORCA LIFT
- $2.00
- Monthly PugetPass with ORCA LIFT
- $36.00
- Riders 18 and under
- Free
Agencies outside the ORCA LIFT list charge the regular adult fare even on an ORCA LIFT card, so check which systems your trips use.
How to get ORCA LIFT
- Before you apply
Check eligibility
Compare your monthly household income with the 200% limit for your family size, or call the Community Health Access Program (CHAP) at 800-756-5437 for help.
- To apply
Apply online, by phone, or in person
Bring proof of income and identity to an authorized enrollment office, apply online, or apply by phone through CHAP and get the card by mail.
- Before riding
Load the card
Add E-purse money or a monthly pass at myORCA.com, a store, an ORCA vending machine, or the Metro Pass Sales Office.
- Every two years
Renew the card
The card is good for two years from when you receive it; apply again through the Reduced Fare Portal before it expires.
What it includes
Included
- $1.00 rides on Metro, Link, Sounder, and ST Express
- Community Transit, Everett Transit, Kitsap Transit, and Pierce Transit buses
- King County Water Taxi and Seattle Streetcar
- The first ORCA LIFT card
Not included
- Transit agencies outside the ORCA LIFT list
- Replacement cards, which cost $3
- Fare money or passes loaded on the card
Who to contact about ORCA LIFT
CHAP helps you check eligibility for ORCA LIFT and takes applications by phone.
Shoreline Community College Running Start
Who qualifies
Enrolls with a public program
Running Start is state funded, so homeschool students must enroll with a homeschool resource center or the public school district where they live.
In 11th or 12th grade
Your student must be enrolled in 11th or 12th grade in a Washington public school by the first quarter of Running Start.
Places into English 101
Show a 2.5 cumulative high school GPA, a Smarter Balanced English score of 3 or 4, AP, IB, SAT, or ACT scores, or placement from another Washington college. Homeschoolers can take Shoreline's free Informed Self Placement test.
Meets the application dates
For fall 2026, students had to apply by September 6 and turn in the Enrollment Verification Form by September 17.
What it is worth
Shoreline College's 2026-27 Washington resident lower-division rates, which include the services and activities fee, apply from fall 2026 through summer 2027.
- 5 credits (one class)
- $678.95
- 10 credits
- $1,357.90
- 12 credits
- $1,491.86
- 15 credits
- $1,692.80
- Three quarters at 15 credits
- $5,078.40
Running Start pays tuition only for the credits on your student's Enrollment Verification Form. You pay course fees, books, supplies, and supplemental college fees ($114.80 a quarter at 15 credits) unless your student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you apply
Enroll with a public program
Sign up with a homeschool resource center or your resident district, whose counselor will complete the Enrollment Verification Form (EVF) with your student.
- By Sept. 6, 2026 for fall
Apply to Shoreline
Choose Running Start, list the Academic program and the AA-DTA degree, then activate the ctcLink account from the welcome email that arrives in 3-5 business days.
- After applying
Finish online orientation
Complete the intake survey and upload English placement proof. Running Start emails you once your student's eligibility is confirmed.
- By Sept. 17, 2026 for fall
Send the EVF
Email the signed EVF with requested classes and alternates to runningstart@shoreline.edu, then attend the mandatory class registration session.
- Each quarter
Keep a 2.0 GPA
Students must pass and keep at least a 2.0 quarterly GPA in all courses, and Running Start sends grades to the high school.
What it pays for
Covered
- Tuition for credits on the EVF
- Required textbooks for free or reduced-price lunch students
- The Informed Self Placement test
Not covered
- Tuition for math below college level
- Course and supplemental college fees
- Books and supplies for most students
- Federal financial aid
Students on the free or reduced-price lunch program get the fee waiver and loaned textbooks; everyone else gets tuition only.
Who to contact
The Running Start office in the FOSS Building, Room 5229, answers eligibility, placement, and enrollment questions and runs drop-in advising.
runningstart@shoreline.edu 206-546-6906 How to apply
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Washington
You must file a declaration of intent by September 15 for the school year, or within two weeks after the start of a public-school quarter or term for a later start.
Washington sets these rules:
- Subjects: Teach occupational education, science, mathematics, language, social studies, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, and art and music appreciation. Provide hours equivalent to the annual program hours per grade for approved private schools under RCW 28A.195.010 and .040.
- Testing: Each year, obtain a state-board-approved standardized test administered by a qualified person or a written assessment by a Washington-certificated person currently working in education.
- Records: Keep annual test or assessment results permanently, along with immunization records. Forward required records if your child transfers to a public or approved private school.
- Teachers: The parent needs 45 college quarter credits or the semester equivalent, a home-instruction course at a postsecondary or vocational-technical institute, supervision by a certificated teacher, or the superintendent’s finding of sufficient qualifications. Teacher supervision includes planned objectives, an average of at least one contact hour per week with the child each month, and progress evaluation; the teacher may supervise no more than 30 children.
Read the Washington homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Washington
Questions parents ask
- What will we still pay for Running Start at Cascadia?
- You still pay mandatory fees, such as the technology and Activities and Recreation Center fees, plus tuition for any course below college level, textbooks, supplies, and transportation or parking.
- Can Cascadia Running Start fees be waived?
- Yes, for students who are or were enrolled in free or reduced-price lunch. Tell the high school counselor if your student qualified at any point in the last five years.
- Does the ORCA LIFT card cost anything?
- No, not the first card for qualified riders. You pay only for the fare money or passes you load.
- How do I prove income for ORCA LIFT if I am self-employed?
- Send a copy of your most recent tax return; income is based on its modified adjusted gross income, or you can complete the self-employment worksheet.
- How does a homeschooler show English placement for Shoreline without a school transcript?
- Your student can take Shoreline's Informed Self Placement test online at no cost. Shoreline also accepts SAT, ACT, AP, or IB scores and placement from other colleges.
- Is Running Start at Shoreline completely free?
- No. The state pays tuition, but most families pay the fees attached to classes plus books and supplies, and Running Start students cannot get federal financial aid.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
College classes can cover part of high school. We teach the subjects your child needs alongside them, starting at the right level in each subject.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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