Texas Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate Incentive Program – State Exam Fee Subsidy for the 2020-2021 School Year

The state subsidy provided through the Advanced Placement (AP)/International Baccalaureate (IB) Incentive Program for the May 2021 administration will be $32 for each AP and IB exam taken by an eligible student. 

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has provided subsidies for students taking AP and IB exams since 1993, with the enactment of the Advanced Placement Incentive Program. 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. 

Student eligibility: 

The criteria for qualifying for a Texas state subsidy is the same for both AP and IB exams. The published criteria for identifying an eligible student can be found here. 

AP exam subsidy payments: 

• AP exam fee subsidies will be credited on the AP Program Invoice paid by a campus. 
• The College Board will invoice TEA for the 2021 AP exam fee subsidies credited. 
• After reconciliation of the invoice, TEA will pay AP exam fee subsidies to the College Board AP Program. 

IB exam subsidy payments: 

• The IB exam fee invoice will be paid by the IB school or district. 
• A school may submit an IB exam fee subsidy reimbursement application for the fees paid for an eligible student after the IB exam fee invoice has been paid. 
• The IB subsidy application will be available on TEA’s IB webpage on May 1, 2021. 

Planning for the 2020-2021 school year: 

All AP exams will be ordered through the online AP Classroom. The preferred AP exam ordering deadline is October 2, 2020, with the final order deadline of November 13, 2020. Review the AP Ordering Materials website for more details regarding the ordering process. IB exams are ordered in the fall with costs that vary by course and level, as well as by program. IB exam fees are published here. 

Currently, the College Board’s AP Program and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme are planning for traditional, on-campus exam administrations to be conducted in May 2021. However, during these uncertain times, changes may occur with the process or the administration of these exams. Please continue to monitor the College Board’s COVID-19 Update website and the notices posted on the IB COVID-19 Updates webpage to stay fully informed. 

If you have questions or need assistance, please visit TEA’s Advanced Academics website or send an email to advancedacademics@tea.texas.gov.