Homeschool benefits and savings in Pierce County
Running Start at Tacoma Community College (TCC) pays college tuition for homeschooled juniors and seniors, worth $1,697.30 a quarter at 15 credits, toward an associate degree. Your student must dual enroll through your local public school or district, and the winter 2027 Running Start application is due December 18, 2026. Other options include recreation and camp discounts.
Pierce County Parks scholarship
Who qualifies
Lives in Pierce County
Residents of both incorporated and unincorporated Pierce County can apply, at any age and ability.
Meets the low-income limit
Household income must be at or below 80% of Tacoma-area median family income, such as $67,700 for one person or $96,650 for four, certified on a self-attestation form.
Applies before registering
You must apply and be approved before you register for a qualifying program.
What it is worth
Pierce County Parks awards up to $200 per person and $500 per household, covering up to 100% of program fees.
- One person
- $200
- Two people
- $400
- Three or more people
- $500
- Share of each program fee covered
- Up to 100%
- Unused funds after December 31
- Expire
Awards are not guaranteed until they are applied to a registration, so use the credit soon after you receive it.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you register
Apply online, by mail, or in person
Use the online form or print the application, then mail it to Sprinker Recreation Center, 521 Military Rd S, Tacoma, or drop it at Sprinker or Lakewood Community Center.
- Within 1-5 business days
Get a decision
Parks staff review your application and, if funds are available, award the scholarship first come, first served.
- After approval
Use the ActiveNet credit
The award appears as a credit on your ActiveNet account, which you apply when registering for programs.
- Each year
Apply again
Scholarships do not renew, so submit a new application every calendar year.
What it pays for
Covered
- Camps, sports, activities, and events in ActiveNet
- Programs at any Pierce County Parks facility
- Participants of any age
Not covered
- Fantasy Lights
- Vendor fees
- Activities run by partner organizations
- Private rentals
As of June 1, 2026, the county reports the 2026 scholarship fund is fully allocated and says it is reviewing whether more funds will be available.
Who to contact
Pierce County Parks answers scholarship questions through its online contact form.
Tacoma Community College Running Start
Who qualifies
Dual enrolls with a public district
Homeschooled students enroll through their local public school or district but do not have to meet that high school's graduation requirements. TCC asks you to file the Intent for Home-Based Instruction form the year before.
Has junior or senior standing
Meet with the district's high school counselor to confirm junior or senior standing and talk through readiness, costs, and transportation.
Shows college-level English
Upload a homeschool transcript showing a B- or higher in sophomore or junior English. TCC accepts homeschool transcripts in varied formats.
Finishes before a fifth year
Homeschooled students are not eligible for Running Start's fifth-year senior status.
What it is worth
TCC's 2026-27 lower-division tuition for Washington residents sets these amounts.
- 5 credits (one class)
- $680.70
- 10 credits
- $1,361.40
- 12 credits
- $1,495.76
- 15 credits
- $1,697.30
- Three quarters at 15 credits
- $5,091.90
You still pay technology, health and wellness, facility, and safety fees, $165 a quarter at 15 credits, plus textbooks and transportation, unless your student qualifies for Running Start financial assistance.
From applying to keeping it
- By Dec. 7, 2026
Apply to TCC
Choose Running Start under "I will be enrolling as a" on the college application. A welcome email with your ctcLink ID arrives within 3 business days.
- By Dec. 11, 2026
Upload English proof
Send the homeschool transcript through the link in the welcome email. TCC takes up to 3 business days to review it.
- By Dec. 18, 2026
Submit the Running Start application
Upload the Enrollment Verification Form (EVF) signed by the district counselor, you, and your student, and complete the rest of the application together.
- After processing
Attend orientation and register
TCC emails a Running Start orientation date, where your student meets an assigned advisor, and then registers for classes.
- Each quarter
Pay class and campus fees
Tuition is covered, but quarterly fees are due by the posted deadline, which is December 11, 2026 for winter.
What it pays for
Covered
- Tuition for college-level classes
- Credits up to the limit on the EVF
- Optional summer credits within remaining eligibility
- Fee waiver and book loans for eligible students
Not covered
- Class and campus fees
- Tuition for courses below 100 level
- Credits over the approved limit
- Textbooks and transportation
- Fines such as library or parking
Students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or qualify as McKinney-Vento or foster youth get their fees covered and can borrow books.
Who to contact
The Running Start team answers questions about application status, the EVF, and fee charges.
runstart@tacomacc.edu Running Start admissions steps
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
- Can a homeschool family apply for a Pierce County Parks scholarship?
- Yes. Eligibility depends only on Pierce County residency and household income, so a homeschooled child qualifies like any other resident.
- Can we get a Pierce County Parks scholarship right now?
- Probably not for 2026. The county says the fund has been fully allocated since June 1, 2026 and is reviewing whether more money will be added, so check the page or use the contact form.
- Does my student need a math placement for TCC Running Start?
- Not to be admitted. Your student needs one only for courses with a math prerequisite, using an SAT score of 550 or higher or the ALEKS placement assessment.
- Why does our TCC account show a non-resident charge?
- TCC codes every Running Start student as a non-resident at first. Submit the Undetermined Residency Form, which needs no documents and takes up to 3 business days.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Camps and local activities give your child new interests to explore. Their discoveries can shape the examples and questions they study at home.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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