Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Department of Education awarded almost $25 million in federal grants to 40 states and the Virgin Islands to help cover the cost of advance placement exams.
- Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the grants were meant to help low-income students overcome "financial roadblocks."
- Advance placement exams can be used for college credit, which means the grant not only covers costs for the exam, but will lighten the load down the line once students enroll in college.
Dive Insight:
Each state is receiving a different amount of money depending on its size. For example, Rhode Island received $74,000, while Delaware received just under $98,000. The average cost of an AP exam is $80, but with the grants, states believe low-income students will pay somewhere between $10 and $18.
"One of the things kids can do to maximize their potential is to take the most rigorous classes," Delaware Gov. Jack Markell told Delaware Online. "I think this is a vehicle to encourage them to do that."
