After the U.S. Department of Education granted Mississippi nearly $190,000. to offset testing costs, low-income students will be able to pay Advanced Placement (AP), exam fees. If students score at the 3, 4, and 5 levels on an exam, they will be eligible for college credit by subscribing to test fees. The College Board, International Baccalaureate Organization, and Cambridge International Examinations administer AP exams. The Advanced Placement Test Fee Program has funded Mississippi for the fourth time. This funding is part of a state-wide effort to increase the number students who take AP courses. According to the College Board, 3,268 high school graduates took an AP exam in 2013. This is a significant increase from 3,615 students who took the test in 2012, which was the first year of this grant. Jean Massey is the executive director of secondary education at Mississippi Department of Education. She stated that they are trying to increase exposure to AP courses. According to the State Department of Education, the grants will pay $15 less for each advanced placement exam taken by these students. According to the College Board, an AP exam costs $93. James Cole Jr., general counsel, was delegated the duties of deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. “These grants are an essential tool for states and schools to empower students from low income neighborhoods to succeed on challenging courses.”