EDMONDS, Wash. — Syreh Sonko is studying nursing at Edmonds College through Washington state’s Running Start, but the program that’s saving her nearly $30,000 in college costs may soon look different.
State lawmakers working to close a budget gap are considering $14 million in cuts to Running Start, which allows high school students to take free college classes. Many participants earn a two year associate degree by the time they graduate high school.
The proposed cuts include eliminating the summer semester and reducing the number of credits students can earn. Those changes could slow progress for the roughly 36,000 students currently enrolled and potentially force some to pay for an extra semester of college…