Education
Education

Georgia’s low-income students get AP exam subsidy in supplemental budget

Georgia House of Representatives.. FILE PHOTO:  BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM

Credit: Bob Andres

Credit: Bob Andres

Georgia House of Representatives.. FILE PHOTO:  BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM
By Ty Tagami
Feb 1, 2018

Georgia lawmakers are trying to make up for a policy shift last year that made it more difficult for poor kids to afford to take Advanced Placement exams.

Last year, lawmakers shifted the state exam subsidy from paying for one per student from a low-income household to paying for any student to test, but only in a "STEM" subject -- science, engineering, technology or math.

On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee tucked an additional $408,115 into the current fiscal year budget for the Governor's Office of Student Achievement to pay "for one non-STEM AP exam for low-income students."

The full House is expected to approve the supplemental budget Thursday.

About the Author

Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.

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