WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the Maine Department of Education has been awarded $67,184 from the U.S. Department of Education through the Advanced Placement Test Fee Program. The award will be used to partially subsidize the cost of Advanced Placement (AP) tests for low-income high school students.

“A quality education is fundamental to ensuring that students have the opportunity to achieve their goals,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “Advanced Placement exams allow students to demonstrate what they have learned in academically rigorous AP classes, and students who score successfully can receive college credit, potentially saving them on college tuition. We are pleased that this investment will help more Maine students achieve a bright future.”

The grant to the Maine Department of Education will significantly reduce the cost of more than 1,700 AP exams for eligible low-income high school students across Maine. The Advanced Placement Test Fee Program awards grants annually to eligible state educational agencies. The program is designed to increase the number of low-income students who can take AP exams for which college academic credit may be awarded.

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