MI Receives more than $400k in Grants
$21.5 MILLION IN GRANTS AWARDED TO 43 STATES TO COVER FEES CHARGED TO LOW-INCOME STUDENTS FOR TAKING AP TESTS
The U.S. Department of Education today announced the award of more than $21.5 million in grants to 43 states to cover all or part of the fees charged to low-income students for taking Advanced Placement tests.
Based on the anticipated number of test-takers and other factors, the grants under theAdvanced Placement Test Fee Program are expected to be sufficient to pay up to $38 per Advanced Placement exam for as many as three exams per student.
“Advanced Placement participation is an important element in creating a college-going culture in our high schools,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “AP courses help students develop the study skills, critical reasoning and habits of mind that prepare them for the transition to college. They give students — particularly first-generation college-goers — the confidence that they can successfully handle college-level work.”
By subsidizing test fees for low-income students, the program is intended to encourage those students to take AP tests and obtain college credit for high school courses, reducing the time and cost required to complete a postsecondary degree.
“These funds will help eliminate financial roadblocks for more low-income students and allow them to fully benefit from the AP program,” Duncan said.
The grants can be used to help pay for low-income students taking AP tests administered by the College Board and the International Baccalaureate Organization.
Levels of funding per state were determined on the basis of state estimates of the numbers of tests that would be taken by low-income students. Following is a list of the grant recipients.
The Michigan Department of Education will receive $463,181 of the grant money.