Bridget Naso - On Tuesday at Serra High School in Tierrasanta, students put themselves to the test in Elizabeth Ward’s Advanced Placement English class.

But making the grade can be more challenging for some students.

“This is my seventh school I’ve been to,” Audrey Bell said.

That’s because Audrey’s mom is in the military and constantly on the move.

“You come at different times and work at different paces or just being in a new environment where you are not familiar with the teachers,” Audrey explained.

About a third of the students at Serra High have parents serving in the military.

Grace Crewdson's dad is in the Navy, and he has spent a lot of time at sea.

“My mom works, too, so when my dad is away, I have to really motivate myself to do everything,” Grace said.

For some military kids, these challenges can mean they can't get into tougher AP classes.

But $716,000 grant from the Department of Defense Education Activity and the National Math and Science Initiative means students struggling to keep up while their mom or dad serves the country will get some extra support.

“What it does is it provides a lot more opportunities to take AP courses,” Serra High School Principal Michael Jimenez said.

“Polices like this and grants like this help level the playing field,” said Capt. Curt Jones, commanding officer at Naval Base San Diego.

Not only do grants like this help students meet their goals, it helps the military achieve theirs, too.

“It makes a difference for our military kids, makes a difference for our military families and at the end of the day. that means readiness for our Marine Corps. That means readiness for our Navy,” said Col. John Farnam, commanding officer at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

April is the Month of the Military Child.