Advanced Placement test fees due

If you've got a high school student taking the Advanced Placement tests, you've probably already paid your $87 per course fee. If not, consider this your last-minute reminder, because the fees must be paid no later than tomorrow. Students must turn in complete payment or a fee waiver by then, according to CMS. Waivers can be granted for low-income students.

CMS used to pay the fees for parents, but due to the budget cuts this year, parents are on their own. CMS says in this FAQ that it's saving $1.4 million by cutting money for AP and International Baccalaureate fees from its budget. Fees for students taking more than one of these college-credit courses can really add up, causing headaches for families already struggling with layoffs and pay cuts. One student wrote the paper to say his family's paying $621 for five IB exams this year. He said he was considering sitting out his two AP exams to save money.

As a parent who just shelled out about $188 (plus online "convenience fees") for two AP tests for my daughter, I must say I was a little miffed to think parents in previous budget years didn't fork over the same amount. On the other hand, I don't even want to imagine how much the same classes cost in the UNC system. So, I suppose it's still a bargain.

Have you paid your fees yet? What do you think of CMS' policy of not paying them?