Washington AP Exam Fee Assistance

Funding for Washington Schools for May 2026 AP Exams

Washington AP Exam Fee Subsidies Suspended for 2026 

On April 27, 2025, the Washington State Legislature adjourned after passing its final budget, which was signed by the governor in May. In reconciling a $12 billion state budget shortfall, over $135 million in agency funding was eliminated or reallocated for the 2025-2027 biennium. Included in the cuts was over $4.89 million a year in support for dual credit programs.     

Consequently, Washington State funding for Advanced Placement Exam fee subsidies will not be available for 2026 AP Exams. College Board will continue to offer AP Exams at a reduced cost for eligible students, but the balance will not be subsidized by Washington State. 

For information on federal funding options available to schools and districts for AP Exams, visit Funding for Low-Income AP 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 Washington Students

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.  
• Whenever 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 and will provide College Board and the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) with timely data on low-income student participation to help inform policy discussions in the 2026 legislative session.
  • 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.  

For More Information

Contact Tim McClain at OSPI.