License Testing Fees to be Collected, Effective Jan 1, 2018
The AARC Board of Directors voted this month to collect fees from license test applicants effective January 1, 2018. The FCC allows us to recover the costs associated with running our program. We have reviewed our past expenditures, considered direct and indirect costs, and have established an initial session fee of $15 per applicant. This fee will allow the applicant to attempt as many examinations as is possible and practical at a single testing session. The applicant must present their receipt for payment to the VE team so that the unique receipt number can be recorded on session documentation. Applicants will not be permitted to attempt examinations without paying the examination session fee.
Session fees will be paid online through the kl7aa.net website store, thus all payments will be via PayPal or credit card. No cash or checks will be accepted by VEs at the examination sites. However, if an applicant arrives at a test session having not paid their fee, they may use a smartphone or computer if available on site to make payment real-time. I will be working on our website in coming days to make it ready for purchasing “seats” at testing sessions. The sessions will be listed as products by testing session location and date.
I will be working with VE Team Leaders between now and January 1, 2018 to get them ready for the change.
The AARC regrets the necessity of changing our long-standing policy of providing this service for free. Unfortunately, our financial situation dictates that we do our level best of offset the costs of the program and to make it self-supporting, and therefore, sustainable.
73,
Kent Petty, KL5T
Chairman, Anchorage ARC VEC
