California AP Exam Fee Assistance
Funding for California Schools for May 2026 AP Exams
California provides two avenues for funding students’ AP Exams.
1. Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) Supplemental/Concentration Funds: LCFF provides additional funds for particular student groups (i.e., low-income, foster, and English language learner students).
Districts can target Supplemental and Concentration Grants to pay for AP Exams for their English learners and students who are low-income or foster youth. Additionally, districts can use Supplemental and Concentration Grants on a schoolwide or districtwide basis to pay for AP Exams for all students as long as they demonstrate with their Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs) that the funds are being used principally to increase or improve services to high-need students. Numerous districts include AP course- and exam-taking information in their LCAPs to address state and local priorities.
2. LCFF Base Grants: In addition to Supplemental and Concentration Grants, districts can use LCFF general purpose Base Grants to pay for AP Exam fees for all students.
For qualifying low-income students, College Board provides a fee reduction of $37 per AP Exam. Schools are expected to forgo their $9 rebate for these students. For eligibility criteria, visit AP Exam Fee Reductions.
Note: It remains a school-level decision whether to keep or forgo the $9 per exam school rebate from standard-fee students. For more information on rebate policy and procedures, please see State AP Exam Fee Assistance.
Fees for California Students
| AP Exam | $9 Rebate Collected from Students? | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee-Reduced Students | $53 | No |
| Standard-Fee Students | $99 | At school's discretion |
Steps for AP Coordinators
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 Reduced Fee box 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.
- If possible, indicate each student’s status by the time you submit your exam order. This ensures you have time to plan for and collect the appropriate exam fees.
- 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, 2026 (11:59 p.m. ET).
After the Exams
- Your invoice will be automatically generated and emailed to you after late-testing administration ends. At that point, you can also access and print your invoice through AP Registration and Ordering.
- June 15, 2026, is the postmark deadline for payment due to College Board.