Massachusetts AP Exam Fee Assistance
Funding for Massachusetts Schools for May 2027 AP Exams
College Board provides a fee reduction of $37 per AP Exam for qualifying low-income students. Schools are expected to forgo their $9 rebate for these students, bringing the exam cost to $53. For eligibility criteria, visit AP Exam Fee Reductions.
Fee-Reduced Students
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts provides additional funding for public school students who qualify for the College Board fee reduction. For these students, the Commonwealth will contribute $31 per AP Exam. This brings the final fee for all AP Exams taken by low-income public-school students down to $22.
Standard-Fee Students
“Standard-fee students” are those who don’t qualify for the College Board fee reduction. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts doesn’t provide additional funding for these students.
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 Massachusetts Public School Students
| AP Exam | $9 Rebate Collected from Students? | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee-Reduced Students | $22 | 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, 2027 (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, 2027, is the postmark deadline for payment due to College Board.
- College Board will bill the Commonwealth directly for $31 per each AP Exam qualifying for the Massachusetts subsidy.
- To assist the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MA DESE) with billing, MA subsidies will be categorized as follows on your invoice:
- MA subsidy for fee-reduced students (STEM)
- MA subsidy for fee-reduced students (ELA)
- MA subsidy for fee-reduced students (Other Subjects)
- MA subsidy for fee-reduced students (Capstone)
- AP coordinators don’t need to submit a copy of their invoice to MA DESE.
For More Information
For more information, visit the MA DESE website or contact Nyal Fuentes, College & Career Readiness Specialist, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.