Texas Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate Incentive Program – State Exam Fee Subsidies for the 2018-2019 School Year

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DATE:

February 14, 2019

SUBJECT:

Texas Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate Incentive Program – State Exam Fee Subsidies for the 2018-2019 School Year

CATEGORY:

State Subsidy Update

NEXT STEPS:

Action Required of LEA: Share with AP and IB Coordinators


 The state subsidy provided through the Advanced Placement (AP)/International Baccalaureate (IB) Incentive Program for the May 2019 administration will be $28 per AP and IB exam taken by an eligible student.

With the passage of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015 and the non-renewal of the AP Test Fee Grant Program, the federal AP/IB exam subsidy was removed. Districts may allocate local ESSA funds to offset this funding gap for eligible students. 

Please share with AP/IB Coordinators and other interested stakeholders the information regarding the May 2019 AP/IB student exam subsidy contained in this document so that greater access is provided for every eligible student.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has been providing subsidies for students taking AP and IB exams since 1993 with the enactment of the AP/IB Incentive Program passed by the 73rd Texas Legislature.  While the amounts of these subsidies have changed over the years, TEA is committed to ensuring AP and IB exams remain affordable to low-income students.

Planning ahead for the 2019-2020 school year:

The College Board is changing the timeline for ordering the May 2020 exam administration. The final order deadline is November 15, 2019. Administrators may want to review the changes and consider budget implications while planning AP/IB budgets for the 2019-2020 school year. Additional information regarding the changes is located on the College Board’s website at https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/ap-2019/whats-new.

For information or assistance, please contact Kay Humes at  AP-IB@tea.texas.gov.