New AP Credit Policy Begins for UNC System

Starting next year, high school students who take AP classes will have an easier time getting college credit at UNC system schools.

On July 1, the UNC System officially launched a new policy on advanced-placement credits, with the goal of making the system more accessible and affordable.

Before, each individual school set its own standards of whether a ‘three’, ‘four’ or ‘five’ score on an AP test would count for class credit at their college. Now, every score of ‘three’ or higher will count toward credit at all UNC System schools.

University officials approved the policy last July as part of its strategic plan for the future of the state’s higher education. Its purpose is to standardize the credit requirements across all 16 universities.

UNC – Chapel Hill is one of the schools directly affected by the new policy. Previously, the system’s flagship university required a score of ‘five’ on 10 AP tests for credit and a score of ‘four’ on 22 others.

The policy aims to incentivize high school students enrolling in AP courses, to decrease the pressure on scores and to help students save tuition money once they reach college. A UNC System study revealed in the 2016-2017 school year, students within their universities missed out on 13,950 course credits that would count under the new policy. Officials say the change also gives students in rural counties or low-income families a better chance to receive AP credit.

Individual UNC system schools do have some authority to adjust the policy: the school’s board of trustees would have to pass an exception on a course-by-course basis to require scores of ‘four’ or ‘five.’

In a statement on July 1, UNC System Interim President William Roper said he hopes this change will enable students across the state to get a head start on their college educations and put a UNC-system degree within reach of “every qualified North Carolinian.”