FCPS students are faced with a big decision regarding the expensive component of AP tests, and whether or not the possible college credit is worth the cost.
Fairfax County has granted its students the limit of 6 free AP tests, and any test that a student wishes to take past that limit will cost students $93 per exam. The College Board sets a price for all the AP exams, and it is up to the county how they will administer those prices amongst students; meaning the county can decide that students should pay for all of their exams, or set a limit on how many exams the students can take for free.
“I don’t know how many [exams] I’ll be taking this year because I normally would be taking 5, but because of the cost my parents want me to only take 3,” said senior Lauren Woods, who has taken a total of 10 AP courses.
The extreme cost of these exams has changed the mindsets of students while considering their classes for next year. Some say that it is discouraging students from challenging themselves in their classes. Additionally, there is the thought of whether they will be able to pass the difficulty of the exam, and spend a whole year in a challenging course that he or she will not get credit for.
“I’ll have to pay for every exam I take this year,” said Woods.
Other students are not financially able to take these exams. Although, if a student is a part of the free or reduced lunch program offered by the county, then they will be exempt from these costs. The question arises: what if a student is not eligible for this program, but still cannot afford the costs? Needless to say, the situation besetting FCPS students this year has a lot of factors playing into it.
“I can’t explore my options without money stopping me,” said senior Michelle Wang, who has taken a total of 10 AP exams.
It is essential for students to recognize that the number of AP courses they take does not define them as a student. It is still possible to be accepted into exceptional colleges and universities without bombarding oneself with AP classes.
Recently, many colleges have stopped accepting exams to replace credit. These schools have decided that they prefer students to take their classes only. On average, college classes can reach up to five hundred dollars; therefore, students will still end up paying an enormous amount of money whether they participate in AP exams or not.
“In the long run, $93 is a lot cheaper than the cost of taking these classes in college,” said junior Layla Nath, who has taken 5 AP courses.