This year students will not have to pay for their AP exams.

A federal grant to N.C. will take away the $89 fee that normally goes along with taking the test.

This year, as long as a student is enrolled in an AP class, then he or she will be able to take the test free of charge.

There have been previous attempts to encourage students to take AP classes.

In past years, Guilford County has offered rewards for students that scored well on five or more AP exams.  The prizes would include a new car, laptops and scholarships worth up to $1,500.

Junior Maddy Allain is taking five AP classes this year.  Before she heard the news that the state is paying for the tests this year, she was planning on only taking three tests citing cost as a factor.

It also alleviates some of the pressure to not waste one’s money doing poorly on a test.

“I’m more likely to take the tests because it won’t be so expensive to take them all, and if I don’t do well, it won’t be like I paid $90 to fail a test,” Allain said.

Senior Hunter Lucas is taking three AP courses this year.  In the past years, he has taken one AP class, but did not take the test because he “didn’t see the point in paying for an optional test.”

But now that the state is paying for his test, he will take the tests this coming April.

“It persuades me to take more AP test because it’s free and takes away my excuse of not wanting to waste money on it,” Lucas said.

With the cost out of the question, several students are considering taking the tests.

“The decision to take it is a lot easier now that the test is paid for,” sophomore Nywira Nyota said.

With the state paying for the exams, it now allows students to make studying their first priority.

Senior Alicia McDonough said “it’s much nicer to not have to worry about money and focus on doing well on the tests.”