While the price of Advanced Placement testing is quite steep, especially for students taking multiple exams, Mira Costa is justified in the price it charges students per exam due to the price College Board sets and costs to proctor the exam. However, Costa should not charge students a late fee for registering the week after AP registration at Costa.
Although College Board is a “not-for-profit organization,” there is little negotiation of exam prices as students have no alternative to receive college credit for an AP class. Therefore, Costa is forced to abide by College Board’s rules for AP exams and the prices it sets per exam. From Jan. 26-31, Mira Costa students had the opportunity to register for any of 32 possible AP exams for $96 per exam.
College Board charges $91 per exam and gives every school a $9 rebate per exam, but Costa adds an extra $5 to the price of each exam to cover the costs of proctoring the exam, which was around $20,000 last year. According to AP coordinator Joe Ciasulli, Costa only breaks even or makes a slim profit of around $200 from administering the exam which is kept in the AP exam account, demonstrating the necessity of the additional few dollars even with the $9 rebate.
However, other schools, such as Redondo Union High School, only charge $91 per exam, as district funding covers proctoring fees. Because not all students at Costa take AP exams, it is justified that students taking the exam contribute to the price of providing proctors instead of separate school funds covering the cost. This use of district money could take away from funding that should be guaranteed to benefit all students.
Additionally, if a student cannot pay the AP exam fees, College Board provides a $29 fee reduction for students whose family income is at or below 185% of the poverty level issued annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. providing considerate financial leeway for those strained by the $91 price.
Costa held late registration for AP testing from Feb. 2-6, charging a late fee of $15 extra per test. This policy is unique to Costa, as the College Board’s deadline for ordering exams is April 1. The extra late fees are not rationalized by the additional $5 fee; therefore, Costa’s late registration system should be abolished.
Because regular registration is held months before the official deadline for ordering materials, Costa should not charge students an extra fee until the official submission deadline is reached. Additionally, students should have at least two weeks for regular registration rather than just one.
In comparison to the price of a college course, which credit for taking an AP exam would replace, the price of taking an exam is significantly less than that of an actual college course. Therefore, the price Costa offers for administering the exam is reasonable considering the costs of proctors and other fees; however, Costa should not enforce arbitrary late fees for students.
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