INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Indiana a $307,000 grant to help low-income students defray the costs of taking advanced placement tests.

The Education Department says the grants are used to help pay for low-income students taking approved advanced placement tests administered by the College Board, the International Baccalaureate Organization and Cambridge International Examinations. The program is intended to encourage students to take advanced placement tests and obtain college credit for high school courses, reducing the time and cost to complete a postsecondary degree.

The Education Department says the grants under the Advanced Placement Test Fee Program are expected to be sufficient to pay all but $12 of the cost of each advanced placement test taken by low-income students.