Giving Compass' Take:

• Jennifer Wander explains how AP exam changes including a new registration date and a higher fee will further disadvantage low-income students. 

• How can funders work to increase equity in AP and other tests? 

• Learn about the argument for moving the AP registration data up


As a high school counselor, I see juniors and seniors coping with the anxiety of applying for and getting into college every day. The cost of applications and exams, not to mention the prep courses and other expenses regularly paid by privileged families — including the current allegations of outright bribery — are widening the gap between what is possible for wealthy students and those in difficult economic situations.

Now, the College Board, which administers the important Advanced Placement program that awards college credit to high schoolers, is proposing changes that will hurt students, and low-income students in particular.

Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, students will be required to register for AP exams in November, rather than in March. In my state, most public schools don’t begin classes until the first week of September, so the academic year has barely started in November and most students do not know yet whether they will be prepared for this high-stakes test.

In addition to this early deadline and a $94 fee for each exam, the College Board’s new policy will also include a $40 late registration fee and a $40 cancellation fee — making AP even more unaffordable for many families struggling to keep up.

Read the full article about the AP exam changes by Jennifer Wander at The 74.