College Credit Exam Fee Waivers

The Arizona Legislature has appropriated funding for full test fee waivers for certain students taking Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, and Cambridge Assessment International Education (CIE) A-Level and AS-Level exams, starting in SY2021-2022. This program helps supports Arizona's Achieve60AZ postsecondary attainment goal, which strives to ensure that 60 percent of working adults in Arizona have a certificate or college degree by 2030. Since students exposed to higher learning opportunities such as advanced placement classes, dual enrollment and early college experiences are more likely to pursue a postsecondary education, this initiative intends to increase the number of college graduates, as well as create a more diverse, knowledgeable and innovative workforce in Arizona.

AP fee waivers are processed via a direct agreement between ADE and the College Board. Schools following the instructions below should not see any fees associated with those exams.

IB and CIE fee waivers are reimbursements to the schools themselves. IB and CIE schools must submit their test enrollment data to ADE in order to receive a reimbursement for those exams. 

The Exam Fee Waiver program IS ACTIVE for the 24-25 school year.

Increased prices for exams will be included in the Exam Fee Waiver program, with the continued expectation that low-income students will bear no individual financial responsibility for eligible exams. 

 

  • Students eligible for Free or Reduced Price Lunch, or attending schools that grant them eligibility, may qualify to have their IB exam fees waived by the state. 
    • All students enrolled in a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) are eligible to receive exam fee waivers.
    • Students not attending a CEP school may be individually eligible for Free or Reduced Price Lunch and therefor are eligible to receive exam fee waivers.
      • FRPL eligibility may be determined by:
        • Direct Certification; or,
        • The provision of a FRPL form. 
    • A student not meeting the prior criteria may be eligible if through other means:
      • Enrollment in a local, state, or federal program that aids students from low-income families;
      • If family income falls within the Income Eligibility Guidelines set by the USDA;
      • Are homeless or unhoused, are wards of the state or orphans, live in group homes or in federally subsidized public housing, are in foster care, are receving public assistance, or are in a federally-funded Head Start program. 
  • Process:
    • Schools must verify and attest to the student's eligibility.
    • Schools with eligible students are expected to purchase exams on behalf of the student.
    • Schools submit an invoice to the Arizona Department of Education.
    • ADE will reimburse schools the full price for qualified exam fees.
  • Form:

  • Students eligible for Free or Reduced Price Lunch, or attending schools that grant them eligibility, may qualify to have their CIE exam fees waived by the state. 
    • All students enrolled in a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) are eligible to receive exam fee waivers.
    • Students not attending a CEP school may be individually eligible for Free or Reduced Price Lunch and therefor are eligible to receive exam fee waivers.
      • FRPL eligibility may be determined by:
        • Direct Certification; or,
        • The provision of a FRPL form. 
    • A student not meeting the prior criteria may be eligible if through other means:
      • Enrollment in a local, state, or federal program that aids students from low-income families;
      • If family income falls within the Income Eligibility Guidelines set by the USDA;
      • Are homeless or unhoused, are wards of the state or orphans, live in group homes or in federally subsidized public housing, are in foster care, are receving public assistance, or are in a federally-funded Head Start program. 
  • Process:
    • Schools must verify and attest to the student's eligibility.
    • Schools with eligible students are expected to purchase exams on behalf of the student.
    • Schools submit an invoice to the Arizona Department of Education.
    • ADE will reimburse schools the full price for qualified exam fees.
  • Form:

Advanced Placement (AP) Exams

Learn more about the College Board's Fee Reduction Eligibility Criteria here

For public school students who qualify for the College Board fee reduction of $37 per exam, the state of Arizona will pay:

  • $53 per AP Exam (except AP Seminar and AP Research Exams) 
  • $101 per AP Seminar Exam and AP Research Exam 

The final fee for any AP Exam (including AP Seminar and AP Research Exams) for a qualifying student is $0.

What the School Must Do

  • Forego their $9 rebate per exam for these students.
  • Verify and identify eligible students. 
  • Guide students through the registration process.

Your school’s AP coordinator should take the following steps:

Before the exams:

  • For your invoice to accurately reflect any fee reductions, the AP coordinator must indicate the fee reduction status for each eligible student in AP Registration and Ordering.
  • For each student who is eligible for the College Board fee reduction, check the box for reduced fee next to their name in the student roster.
  • For students who aren't eligible for the fee reduction, no action is needed.
  • Fee reduction status is indicated only once per student, not for each exam.
  • A best practice is to indicate the fee reduction status for each student by the time you submit your exam order, if possible, to ensure you have time to plan for and collect the appropriate exam fees from students. However, if you need more time to verify this information, the deadline to indicate students' fee reduction status in AP Registration and Ordering is April 30, 2025 (11:59 p.m. ET). 

After the exams:

  • Your invoice will be sent to you via email after the late-testing administration. At that point, you can also access and print the invoice through AP Registration and Ordering.
  • College Board will bill the state directly for $62 per AP Exam (except AP Seminar and AP Research Exams) per fee-reduced student, and $101 per AP Seminar Exam and AP Research Exam per fee-reduced student.
  • June 15, 2024, is the postmark deadline for any payment due to College Board.
  • AP coordinators do not need to submit a copy of their invoice to the Arizona Department of Education.

For more information about indicating fee reduction status in AP Registration and Ordering, please see the AP Coordinator’s Manual, Part 1.

Title IV, Part A funds may also be used by schools and districts to help "promot(e) access to accelerated learning opportunities including Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, dual or concurrent enrollment programs and early college high schools*"

Examples of support may include:

  • Providing funding to cover part or all of the cost of AP Exam fees for students in all schools (not just Title I schools)
  • Increasing student access to, and improving student achievement in, postsecondary level instruction and exams, including AP
  • Funding specific AP courses/exams

*Reference: Non-Regulatory Guidance, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant

Please vist the ADE  Title IV-A website for more information.