This article was written by Evangeline Benjamin.
A “free” high school education is extremely expensive is unfortunately the reality of a driven student.
Students at the high school have the ability to take numerous Advanced Placement (AP) classes. The classes are free to take and help students prepare for college and learn helpful skills, like how to organize their school work better, but to get college credit for the class, they have to take the AP exam in May. This year, the AP Research exam alone is 142 dollars to take.
AP Research and film classics teacher, Shelli Tabor, has taught numerous different AP classes, primarily Literature and Research. Often, students registered to take an exam are more likely to take additional concurrent and future exams than their peers. This creates a huge financial strain.
“I think all the exams should be free,” Tabor said. “[But, at the very least,] I think that if you sign up for more than two AP tests , the 3rd or the 4th one should be free.”
Tabor had 17 kids take the AP research exam last year, which isn’t a lot compared to the 1,072 kids in the school. However, when taking account of students with siblings who also want to take other AP tests, you come across multiple problems.
“You’ve got a family that’s signing up for eight to nine tests, [which is around $860],” Tabor said. “That is a financial difficulty.”
Having multiple kids in one school and wanting all of them to take tests that will benefit their futures can be challenging for students who can’t afford hundred-dollar tests but don’t qualify for free or reduced lunches, which discount the exam fees. AP Literature test taker and senior Genevieve Sobchak, talks about her life and family.
“We’re middle class, but we do have some issues like our cars breaking down and medical bills for my dad, but I would definitely take more [tests] and AP classes [if it were cheaper],” Sobchak said.
High school students have lives outside of school that involve money, like medical issues and other life problems like sport expenses that can affect the amount they can spend on tests. Senior Tristan Verekeen is taking 6 AP classes this year, which becomes a hefty amount.
“I have Government, Macro and Micro [Economics], Research, Literature, Statistics and Environmental Science,” Verekeen said. “[It’s] like 750 [Dollars].”
Some students may struggle with money in which paying for all these exams becomes almost impossible. Even students in AP classes don’t take the test in fear of failure.
“I think more people would be willing to take them. I know some people that don’t take them because they’re scared they’re going to do bad,” Verekeen said. “They just don’t want to spend that much money on it. If it was cheaper, they’d just take it anyway.”
Lowering prices allows students the opportunity to take more tests. They don’t have to worry about their money going to waste if they fail. Overall, lower prices on AP exams will better prepare students for their future.