Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Program Fee Waiver Program
Date: November 2010
To: Advanced Placement Coordinators and International Baccalaureate Coordinators
From: Mary C. Daley
Subject: 2011 Federal Advanced Placement Test Fee Program for Low-Income Students
Under the United States Department of Education (USDOE) Advanced Placement Test Fee Program, the New York State Education Department (SED) receives federal funding to provide College Board Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate examinations to low income students free of charge, enabling public and private schools to provide opportunities to students who would otherwise be unable to participate in advanced placement courses and examinations.
The purpose of the Advanced Placement Test Fee Reimbursement Program is to remove the financial barriers that prevent many economically disadvantaged students from taking the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses and examinations. High schools are strongly encouraged to take steps to ensure equitable student access to advanced placement classes and to promote parent/guardian and student awareness of this opportunity. Schools must ensure that all students and their parents/guardians are fully aware of, and are provided access to, these important resources.Eligibility
A student qualifies for the test fee and/or registration fee if he/she qualifies for free or reduced lunch under the National School Lunch Act. A student does not need to participate in the free or reduced lunch program; he or she simply needs to qualify.
Please note that the participating public and private school is responsible for low-income student eligibility documentation and that the records for this program are subject to audit.
What New York Schools Must Do
College Board
Advanced Placement Program
The AP Coordinator must determine each student’s eligibility and retain a verifiable
list of students who qualify for fee reductions and the number of examinations
taken by each student. No fees should be collected
from students qualifying for the fee reductions. Documentation of
student eligibility records and verification that no fees are collected are
subject to audit and should be kept for five years.
After the administration of the examinations, the AP Coordinator must:
- Fill in the "Option 1" oval on qualifying students' AP Exam answer sheets.
- Generate the College Board AP Exam Invoice online. Three copies print out automatically; one is labeled State Copy.
- Download the 2011 Supplemental Roster for New York Option One Students. Complete roster listing fee waiver eligible students and the number of exams taken. Obtain a verifying signature from the School Principal ensuring that no funds were collected from eligible students on the 2011 Supplemental Roster for New York Option One Students. A copy of the roster is available in Word at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/gt/ap/nyaproster.doc or as a pdf at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/gt/ap/nyaproster.pdf
- Mail the College Board AP Exam Invoice: State Copy AND the 2011
Supplemental Roster for New York Option One Students to: Vicki
Jones, NYS Education Dept., 89 Washington Avenue, Room 875 EBA,
Albany, NY 12234.
International
Baccalaureate Program
The State Education Department will
reimburse the school for both IB examination costs ($96.00) and student
registration fees ($141.00) for eligible students. The
IB Coordinator must verify the eligibility of each student using the
approved eligibility standard. No
fees should be collected from students qualifying for the fee reductions. Documentation
of student eligibility records are subject to audit and should be kept
for five years.
After the administration of the examinations, the IB Coordinator must:
- Download and complete NYS Standard Voucher. The form and instructions on how to complete areavailable in PDF at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/gt/ap/examstandardvoucher.pdf. The NYS Standard Voucher must be signed in box 7 in order to process payment.
- Download and complete the 2011 Supplemental Roster for New York Fee Waiver Students listing the registration fee and exams taken by each student. The 2011 Supplemental Roster for New York Fee Waiver Students is available in Word at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/gt/ap/ibroster.doc or as a pdf at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/gt/ap/ibroster.pdf. The 2011 Supplemental Roster for New York Fee Waiver Students MUST be signed by the School Principal indicating that no eligible students were charged the $141 registration fee nor were they charged $96.00 for any of the exams.
- Send the 2011 Supplemental Roster for New York Fee Waiver Students AND the NYS Standard Voucher to Vicki Jones at the State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Room 875 EBA, Albany, NY 12234. Upon receipt of the paperwork, the State Education Department will then pay the school the full amount listed on the invoice.
If you have further questions you may contact Vicki Jones at the State Education Department office at (518) 474-5915 or e-mail vjones2@mail.nysed.gov.
Note: Section 1706 of ESEA requires that grant funds provided under
the AP Test Fee program supplement, and not supplant, other non-Federal
funds that are available to assist low-income individuals in paying for
the cost of advanced placement test fees.
It is our hope that the current Federal Fee Waiver Program will substantially increase the equity of access for all students to these advanced programs. Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in this important initiative.