1. Community & Technical Colleges of Washington sbctc
Community & Technical Colleges of Washington sbctc.edu  checkoutacollege.com

2. 29 community colleges 5 technical colleges
One system. 34 colleges. Unlimited possibilities.
29 community colleges 5 technical colleges

3. After high school, what? In Washington State (Class of 2011):
48% enroll in community or technical college
29% attend in-state public universities
17% go to out-of-state colleges
5% enroll at an in-state private institution
1% attend a private two-year institution
5% first attend a university and then transfer back to a two-year college within a year or two of high school graduation.
Source: ERDC
48% + 5% = 53%. More than half of recent high school graduates enrolled at a Washington CTC within we want to connect them with our information sooner so they have more choices.
60% of the graduating class of 2011 attended college immediately after graduation. This is a decline of 3 percent since 2009!

4. Resources for Counselors
CheckOutACollege.com
Add link to your school’s resource website
Check Out A College Brochure
Free from local community or technical colleges
For purchase through state printer
Posters
Classrooms, counseling office, career centers
Postcards
For students, parent night, anywhere
BROCHURES
The Check Out A College brochures are available at your local community or technical college outreach or public information office
Or you can order as many as you wish online at the state printer.
Order instructions are on the brochure. Pick some up at our information table ….
POSTCARDS
No. We are not sending those out again this fall! You’re welcome.
To receive postcards to use in your counseling center, contact Sherry Nelson at the State Board. Or go to CheckOutACollege, click on Contact Us and Sherry Nelson will get your request.
CHECKOUTACOLLEGE.COM
We want counselors and students to use CheckOutACollege.com.
If you would like to see certain features or content, contact us with feedback and ideas.

5. CheckOutACollege.com Brings together 34 colleges in one site
Drives users to campus websites
Averaging more than 20,000 unique user site visits each month (Jan.-June 2013). Most use career interest and college search.
Search by career, college program, location, online-only option.
Paying for college, financial aid calculator, scholarship links
GED and high school completion
Links to two-year colleges and four-year colleges and universities

7. What does “OPEN DOOR” really mean?
MYTH: It’s okay if I do poorly in high school, because I can take any community or technical college class I want. Classes are easier. FACT: Open door simply means colleges offer a variety of class levels and student services to accommodate differing readiness levels. MYTH: I can enroll anytime. FACT: While students may be admitted, certain classes might be full. MYTH: I can just drop out and take the GED® test. FACT: GED® test is changing; price going up.

8. College Ready? English 4 years Mathematics * 3-4 years
Social Studies 3 years
Science 2-3 years
Foreign Language 2 years
Fine, Visual, Performing Arts 1-2 years
* Not just for transfer students: allied health, engineering, STEM-related, apprenticeships
CTCs are “open door,” but there are academic expectations for students pursuing associate degrees, whether transfer intent or technical associate.
If a student plans to complete an associate degree within a two-year plan, the student must have the appropriate academic skills to enter into college-level courses in the first quarter. 
While it is true that all of our colleges offer college prep courses, enrollment in these courses will not count toward degree completion and will carry tuition. 
A third of the incoming recent high school graduates students test into pre-100 level math classes.
Intermediate Algebra -- available to students for free at any high school – is five credits at a college and will cost more than $650 ($ 535 tuition, plus textbook and other fees) at any of our colleges.
Expensive in both time and money.  Advise your students to take the most challenging courses during their high school years, no matter what their post-secondary plans are.
More and more, the colleges and universities are moving to “major-related programs” …. requiring students to focus earlier on a course of study.

9. Degree Options Professional-Technical
Training and skills to prepare for work
Associate of Applied Science – six to eight quarters (two years)
Certificate of Completion – three to five quarters (nine months to a year)
Some competitive or restricted admission: e.g. pilot, dental hygiene, radiology, nursing
Not all designed to transfer

10. Degree Options College/University Transfer
Prepare to transfer to four-year as a junior
Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA)
Associate of Arts (AA)
Associate of Science (AS)
Major-Related Program (MRP)
Specific prerequisites for major admission (e.g. engineering, business, nursing school)
Recently revised transfer degree inventory (see the workshop resource book)

11. Bachelor’s Degrees Close to Home
Applied Baccalaureates
Seventeen options at ten colleges
New: Columbia Basin College BAS degrees in Cyber Security and Project Management
University Centers & Partnerships
Most community colleges partner with one or more four-year schools to offer bachelor’s (or master’s) degrees on campus.
See resource packet.
The CTCs are creating more pathways so that no matter where a student starts – certificate, AAS or apprenticeship -- there is a way to continue on to higher levels of education.
These degrees build more education and training onto existing associate degrees at the community and technical colleges. Targeted toward place-bound, working adult students.
Answers to possible questions ….
Admissions process? Each has a unique set of prerequisites. Information can be found at each college’s website. In general, requires an associate degree in related subject areas, certain GPA and prerequisite transfer classes in addition to the Associate degree.
How do those degrees transfer to graduate coursework? Depends on the receiving institution. For example, South Seattle CC has formed an agreement with WSU for its graduates.
Tuition?
Yes, it’s more expensive than the other classes at the CTCs. Roughly twice as much as undergraduate tuition. See Tuition chart in resource book.

12. Washington Transfer Stats
About 20,000 CTC students transfer to a 4-year public institution each year
Nearly 40 percent of public bachelor’s degree holders in all fields were CTC transfer students.
For public bachelor’s graduates of 2011, CTC transfers were:
46% of Health graduates
51% of Education graduates
47% of Business graduates
35% of STEM graduates
CTC transfer students did just as well as those who started as freshmen – approximately same number of credits and GPA upon graduation

13. Apprenticeships
Combines classroom studies with on-the-job training supervised by a journey-level craft person or trade professional.
Classroom studies are offered by a variety of providers, including employer-sponsored schools, union-sponsored schools, and CTCs.
Currently, more than 12,000 apprentices in Washington State.
192 approved apprenticeship programs available through CTCs
Offered based on community needs, working with Union Locals
18 years old and high school graduate to begin, in most cases
Some colleges have capped the number of apprentices they will take
Resources:

14. “Transfer for the Trades”
Associate of Applied Science in Multi-Occupational Trades provides an AAS degree option for students in registered apprenticeship programs, which can lead to future transfer pathways. Offered at: Bates, Centralia, Columbia Basin, Renton, South Seattle, Spokane, Wenatchee Valley
Most colleges have created agreements that allow apprentices to count portions of their related and supplemental instruction toward a special associate degree.
Multi-Occupational Trades Associate of Applied Science
The largest apprenticeship programs offer a Multi-Occupational Trades Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree for apprentices in the trades. Once the student reaches journey status, only a few additional courses (usually in general education such as English, writing, or college-level math) are needed to receive the AAS.
The number of additional courses may vary according to the level of rigor within the apprenticeship program, and the degree is specific to the apprentice’s particular trade.

15. New GED® Series
Finish or lose it: Students that have not earned their GED® prior to December 2013 will have to start over on the new test series and pay testing fee again.
New GED® test series in January 2014: more rigorous, better indicator of college and career readiness.
Testing cost: increased to $150 in 2012.
GEDVerify.org: current test-taker status.
More information in resource book.
Finish or lose it: GED® test-takers reminded to complete tests by December 2013
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Students who have started but not completed their GED test® should finish by early December or they’ll have to start from scratch in January and pay a testing fee again, according to officials from the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
In January, the national GED Testing Service® will replace the current five-part test with a four-part series that is considered more rigorous and a better indicator of students’ readiness for college and careers. Like the current version, the parts can be taken separately, but all must be passed to receive a high school equivalency certificate.
The current test officially expires Dec. 31, but students are warned to complete all five parts by early December because most test centers are closed over the holidays. Test dates vary by site and a testing appointment is required, so current GED test-takers should act quickly to sign up.
“Many students have just one or two parts left and it would be a shame for them to lose all their hard work,” said Jon Kerr, adult basic education director for the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. “It’s definitely worth the effort. Getting a high school equivalency certificate is critical for landing a job or continuing on in college.”
GED tests are available only at official testing centers, not online. And, the new tests will be offered only on computer. The $150 fee for the entire test will remain the same in 2014.
Current GED test-takers can verify their progress and contact a local testing center by clicking the “GED Test Verify” button on

16. New HS Credential Option: HS 21+
For adult learners (21 and older) who do not have a GED® or high school diploma.
Comprehensive, competency-based approach tailored to adult learning styles.
Students will demonstrate competency in reading, writing and math in the context of science, history, government, occupational studies, and digital literacy.
CTCs issue the high school diploma.
More at LINK: HS 21+
For adult learners (21 and older) who do not have a GED® or high school diploma.
comprehensive, competency-based approach tailored to adult learning styles.
When Congress eliminated the “Ability to Benefit” option from the federal Pell Grant, it closed the door for low-income, older adults without a HS diploma or GED® to access federal financial aid to earn
an associate degree, I-BEST training, and adult high school completion programs.
HS 21+ is It is designed to move adults into I-BEST programs — and further training and education — to encourage lifelong learning.
Students will demonstrate competency in reading, writing and math in the context of science, history, government, occupational studies, and digital literacy.
Community and technical colleges will issue the high school diploma.

17. Total Cost of Attendance
academic year, estimated full-time resident
Living With Parents
Away
Tuition (fall, winter, spring)
$4,000
Books/Supplies
$1,026
Rent/Food/Utilities
$3,174
$9,492
Transportation
$1,344
$1,572
Misc./Personal
$1,614
$1,932
Total
$11,158
$18,022
Per Washington Financial Aid Association, Student Budgets
Expenses vary per student.

18. (College Bound students, February 1)
Financial Aid
All Washington community and technical colleges have moved to uniform priority Financial Aid deadline
March 15
(College Bound students, February 1)
Almost 50% receive financial aid
Changes to Ability to Benefit
200%-300% increase in aid applications
Other dates in admissions grid are local deadlines
Proposed uniform financial aid deadline of March 15.
Due to limited funding in most student aid programs, students applying after this date may not receive maximum aid package or may not have their award prior fall enrollment. As a reminder, College Bound students must apply for aid by February 1.
Issues: Colleges are processing almost three times more applications for aid than in More students are eligible for aid and more students are attending college than ever before.

19. Running Start Statewide Enrollments in 2012-2013: 13,544 FTES
19,053 Headcount
In :
More than 1,000 Running Start students completed an associate degree or certificate at the same time they graduated from high school. 
Local Running Start information: X Y Z
RS enrollments increased this past year (18,604 to 19,053), attributed to the smaller class of eligible juniors and seniors and the 1.2 FTES cap.
However, FTES increased 6.5% despite the 1.2 cap.

20. Campus Housing Apartments (A) or residence halls (RH)
Big Bend CC, Moses Lake (RH)
Clover Park TC, Lakewood (A – Int’l only)
Edmonds CC, Lynnwood (RH, A)
Everett CC (A)
Green River CC, Auburn (A)
Olympic College (A, RH, homestay – Int’l only)
Seattle Central CC (A – Int’l priority)
Skagit Valley College, Mount Vernon (A)
Wenatchee Valley College (RH)
Yakima Valley CC (RH)
Housing links checkoutacollege.com/FindProgram/CollegeList.aspx

21. Student Life
Student Government: Leadership, Legislative Training, Student Rights, Advocacy
Phi Theta Kappa – two-year honor society
Clubs, Programs, Events
Student Ambassadors
Study Abroad, World Languages, International Business
Recreational facilities: Athletic Fields, Gymnasiums, Wellness Centers
Intramural, Competitive Sports
Model United Nations
Earth Day, Green Activism, Recycling
Art Galleries, Theater, Music Performances
Planetarium, Weather Station, Science Consortium
Radio and TV Stations, Speech and Debate, Student Publications
Service Learning, Volunteer and Mentorship Programs
Each college has a different mix.
Students should be sure to visit each college to get a sense of which ex

22. Athletics
Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges nwaacc.org : governing sports organization for 35 Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia colleges.
Cross-country, basketball, baseball, golf, softball, soccer, tennis, track & field, volleyball, wrestling
Bellevue College Bulldogs
Big Bend CC Vikings
Centralia College Trailblazers
Clark College Penguins
Columbia Basin College Hawks
Everett Community College Trojans
Grays Harbor College Chokers
Green River Community College Gators
Highline Community College Thunderbirds
Lower Columbia College Red Devils
Olympic College Rangers
Peninsula College Pirates
Pierce College Raiders
Seattle Community College Storm
Shoreline Community College Dolphins
Skagit Valley College Cardinals
South Puget Sound CC Clippers
Spokane Community College Sasquatch
Tacoma Community College Titans
Walla Walla Community College Warriors
Wenatchee Valley College Knights
Whatcom Community College Orcas
Yakima Valley Community College Yaks

23. Your SBCTC Contacts
Scott Copeland, Admissions/Registration, Disability Services, Financial Aid, Running Start,Transfer
Edward Esparza, Advising, Applied Baccalaureates, Career & Employment, Student Government, Multicultural Programs
Sherry Nelson, Publications, Outreach, CheckOutACollege.com