<p>Schools too poor to buy textbooks and teachers at such schools may want to look there for textbooks to use. Perhaps they can just tell the students to point their phone web browsers to the URLs with the free textbooks.</p>
<p>D’s public HS pays for the tests & books when they have any. Literature for English classes had to be acquired by the student, but they could check one out from the library if you had to. Plus the teacher had a few to check out also. </p>
<p>D took AP physics through virtual school so we have to pay for that test and is self-studying for another. I believe that low-income will qualify her for a free test. Thank goodness. Seems super biased to require students to purchase books & pay test fees if the struggle to put food on the table and keep a roof over their head. Know what I mean?</p>
<p>At my kids’ HS we had to pay the entire cost of AP exams and also buy the books. However, we have to pay for books in non-AP classes as well, even though it’s a public high school, so that’s not a factor.</p>
<p>Public urban HS in an area with 70% free and reduced lunch. Students have to pay for the AP exams, although there is assistance if on free or reduced lunch. We have to pay a $100 book fee at the beginning of the year for every student, regardless of whether or not they are taking AP classes. We found AP study guides from the public library, although last year the AP English teacher had some older study guides available in the classroom. </p>
<p>It’s a big expense to come up with, especially if it’s not on the radar ahead of time as an anticipated expense. My D’s college was very picky about AP credit, and didn’t take any. As a result we were very selective about which tests our younger S took (school did not require the students to take the tests). He only took 3 tests, although he took 8 AP classes, and will receive credit for all 3.</p>
<p>Public High school here. We didn’t have to pay for the textbooks, but we did have to pay for the exams. They were not required. As for making college cheaper, my son went to Umich and became a junior in his second year of college which meant we paid upper division tuition a year earlier. It didn’t save us any money although it did make it easy for him to graduate from engineering in four years and he had more flexibility in his schedule.</p>
<p>Keep an eye on Amazon and Barnes and Nobel. They often have the Kaplan study guides as a free download for AP, ACT, SAT, MCAT, etc. I downloaded about 35 different ones a few years ago when they were free. You can download them to an app on your computer so you don’t need an e-reader.</p>
<p>Public hs, tests are required if you take the class, the school pays. APs are limited to Jr’s/Srs with the exception of one Sophomore year. All require pre-reqs, adequate grade, and teacher recommendation. The school provides textbooks, however there have been several supplemental textbooks required ($50-$75/), as well as novels for Lit & Comp. </p>
<p>As far as offsetting what we would be paying at a future (or now current) university, I’m always going to be paying a full semesters tuition, my kids won’t be graduating early due to APs, so there’s no real financial gain. The value is they get to move on to something more advanced, specialized, or of their choice. In majors that are heavy on credits to finish in four years (engineering) it may give them some breathing room down the line to take fewer credits in a semester and still finish on time.</p>
<p>Great reminder Steve. We got those for our kids too two years ago. They don’t have to have ereaders to download them. Kindle had an app you can download to your computer. We got a lot for S3 not knowing what he would eventually take. Keep in mind that AP Biology is a new format this year so any older test guides will not apply.</p>