The IMPACT! Program offers eligible students a second chance at their education by earning a high school equivalency credential (GED) and continuing on at Bellingham Technical College in pursuit of an associate’s degree or program certificate at little to no cost to the student. The IMPACT! Program covers many education-related expenses, including testing, books, tuition and fees while a student is in the program.

How does the IMPACT! Program work?

The IMPACT! Program utilizes a GED-plus pathway for students to realize academic success in manageable stages. IMPACT! students begin by working to earn their GED. Upon completion of the GED, eligible IMPACT! students may continue on to college classes at BTC at little to no cost to the student.  

How does IMPACT! support student success?

IMPACT! Student Navigators work closely with each student individually to develop and continually assess realistic education and career goals. Sometimes this means focusing on college and career readiness skills like time management and stress reduction. Other times it means identifying appropriate campus and community resources.

The IMPACT! Program collaborates with Whatcom County School Districts to provide this opportunity to students. As such, eligible students are often referred to the IMPACT! Program by their high school due to the student being significantly behind in high school credits or considered likely to benefit from IMPACT!’s individualized instruction, flexible scheduling, and additional supports and services.

To be eligible for the IMPACT! Program, a student must:

• be enrolled in a participating Whatcom County School District (Bellingham, Blaine, Ferndale, Lynden, Meridian, Mount Baker, and Nooksack Valley),
• be 16-21 years old by September 1 of the current school year, and
• are either significantly behind in earned high school credits or have received a recommendation/referral from a qualified individual (such as a school counselor).

For questions about eligibility requirements or how to enroll in a Whatcom County high school, IMPACT! staff can help answer those questions. Please email impact@btc.edu for assistance.

Students in the IMPACT! Program are expected to:

• respond promptly to contact attempts by program staff and faculty,
• attend classes and meetings as scheduled,
• communicate weekly while school is in session, and
• make academic progress quarterly.

Additionally, IMPACT! students are expected to comply with the BTC Student Code of Conduct because being an IMPACT! student also means being a student of Bellingham Technical College.

No matter the time of year, the IMPACT! Program enrolls eligible students!

If you are interested in enrolling in the IMPACT! program, please submit the online application. Once submitted, a staff member will contact you to register for an information session and discuss the next steps in the enrollment process.

To learn more about the IMPACT! Program, please attend one of our 30-minute information sessions. They occur twice per week in BTC’s A Building, on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. and Thursday at 3:30 p.m.

Questions can also be emailed to impact@btc.edu.