The price tag on college credits

It’s getting to be that time of year again for AP students, time to register for AP exams. But wait, it’s only November.

The College Board, the organization that administers AP exams, has made drastic changes to AP exam due dates and fee policies. Changes include moving the due date for exam registration from March to November. If payment is late, there is a $40 non-refundable fee. Additionally, if a student pays on time and decides later to withdraw from taking the exam, there is a $40 penalty.

Junior Lin Li Hankinson doesn’t mind the change.

“I think the due date is actually perfect because it gives the students enough notice and time to pay,” said Hankinson. “The fees, on the other hand, should be changed because some students are taking more than one AP class. I think that paying $94 or more for each exam is ridiculous.”

Although Hankinson has a job that can help her parents pay for the exams, some students aren’t so fortunate.

“Not only do these new fees affect my family financially, but it also puts a lot of stress on me,” said junior Michelle Beerli. “If I fail the exam, I don’t get the credit, and then that’s a lot of money my parents wasted on me. I don’t want to let them down, but in the end, I know that since it’s cheaper than taking actual college classes, it won’t stop me from taking the classes/exams.”

Despite this, AP testing coordinator Mrs. Amanda Wagley agrees with Hankinson about the new due date.

“I am hopeful that more students will commit to taking the exam and in turn, perform well on the exam in May,” said Wagley. “The exams will be held the first two weeks in May, as they have been in the past. College Board has also made materials available for students enrolled in AP classroom to help them better prepare for their exams. I have spoken to several students and most of them have expressed that they will be taking the exam, so the earlier registration deadline has not seemed to turn students away from testing.”

AP Spanish Language and Culture teacher Mrs. Leah Donohue feels differently.

“In November, students are not prepared to make an educated decision about taking the exam. It does not allow any time for students to realize their potential and is a lot of money to gamble on,” said Donohue. “At this point in the year, my students do not yet have the confidence that they will in January, so they may not sign up.”

As Wagley mentioned, College Board has put out new exclusive resources on their site to aid students and teachers. Some of the new materials include the addition of the AP classroom to students’ college board accounts, as well as more content resources for students and teachers to better prepare them for the AP class itself, as well as the exam.

“College Board has stated that through rigorous research and test schools, they have found that when students commit to taking their exams early, they prepare more thoroughly and perform better on their exams,” said Wagley.

With that being said, it is still clear that students and teachers both have issues and conflicts with these changes. This year will be one that is crucial for determining how these changes impact AP classes for students, teachers, and parents.