Academic Common Market
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Academic Common Market?
What is the Academic Common Market/Electronic Campus (ACM/EC)
program?
What states participate in SREB's Academic Common Market?
Student Questions
Who qualifies?
How do I apply for the Academic Common Market?
What is my state's certification process?
How long does it take to process my application?
Program Questions
What colleges and universities participate in the Academic Common
Market?
What programs are available through the Academic Common Market?
Are distance learning degree programs offered in the ACM?
What if the program I am interested is not on the list?
Are there any other restrictions on programs available?
How do I know if the program I want to study is offered at
a public university in my state?
What if I change my major to a program that is available in my home
state?
State Participation Questions
I'm a Florida, North Carolina or Texas resident, can I participate?
What if my state is not a member of SREB?
What is the Academic Common Market?
- The Academic Common Market is a tuition-savings program for college students in
the 16 SREB member states who want to pursue degrees that are not offered by their
in-state institutions. Students can enroll in out-of-state institutions that offer
their degree program, and pay only the in-state tuition rates. Hundreds of undergraduate
and graduate programs are available for residents of SREB states. You can easily
search programs available for your homes state by clicking
Search for Programs
- The ACM program is not competitive or merit-based, but applicants must meet state
residency and college program requirements.
- The ACM eliminates unnecessary duplication of academic programs among participating
states, recognizing that it is impractical for any institution or single state to
develop or maintain degree programs in every field of knowledge;
- Supports existing degree programs that have the capacity to serve additional students;
- Provides access across state lines for programs not available in a student's home
state
-
First professional degree programs
, such as law, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy,
and optometry are not offered in the ACM and cannot be requested.
- Some institutions and states may impose additional acceptance requirements such
as full-time enrollment status.
What is the Academic Common Market/Electronic Campus (ACM/EC)
program?
- Like the Academic Common Market, the
ACM/EC allows students in selected distance learning programs to pay
in-state tuition rates when similar degree programs are not available at colleges
and universities in the students' home state.
- Students can enroll in out-of-state institutions that offer their degree program
online, and pay only the in-state tuition rates. Hundreds of undergraduate and graduate
programs are available for residents of SREB states. You can easily search programs
available for your homes state by clicking
Search for ACM/EC Programs
- The ACM/EC program is not competitive or merit-based, but applicants must meet state
residency and college program requirements.
- North Carolina and Texas do not include online degree programs in their ACM inventory.
- The ACM/EC eliminates unnecessary duplication of academic programs among participating
states, recognizing that it is impractical for any institution or single state to
develop or maintain degree programs in every field of knowledge.
- Supports existing degree programs that have the capacity to serve additional students.
- Provides access across state lines for programs not available in a student's home
state.
- First professional degree programs, such as law, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy,
and optometry are not offered in the ACM and cannot be requested.
- Some institutions and states may impose additional acceptance requirements such
as full-time enrollment status.
Which states participate in SREB's Academic Common Market?
- Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi,
Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
- Florida, North Carolina and Texas participate only at the graduate level.
- North Carolina and Texas do not include online degree programs in their ACM inventory.
- Visit your state's ACM Web page for more information.
Who qualifies?
- To qualify for the Academic Common Market, a student must be a resident of an SREB
member state, be admitted unconditionally into the institution and program that
is approved by the home state, and be certified by the home state for to participate.
The program must be in the Academic Common Market inventory.
- The ACM program is not competitive or merit-based, but applicants must meet state
residency and college program requirements.
How do I apply for the Academic Common Market?
- You must complete and submit an ACM certification application to your state's designated
agency. You must be certified by your home state to participate in the ACM.
- Confirm that the desired degree program is not offered by a college or university
within the home state. (link to table)
- Submit at the required documentation to verify state residency.
What is my state's certification process?
- Acceptance into the Academic Common Market residents will be determined by degree
program availability and verification of residency.
- Generally you will be required to provide evidence of your residency - providing
such documents as a drivers license, voter registration, state tax return or other
instruments of the state may require. While there is no deadline to submit the application
to the State ACM coordinator, please allow time for processing (least two to three
months). When requesting the addition of a program to the ACM list, the timeframe
may take even longer. To avoid the last minute flood of applications (particularly
in July and August), and to avoid tuition adjustments, it's wise to start the application
process early and before registration takes place.
- The specific documents required and certification vary with each state.
- Visit your state's ACM Web page
for more information.
How long does it take to process my application?
- How long does it take to process my application?
- Once you have completed the ACM application materials and residency verification
documents, your home state ACM State Coordinator will determine the students eligibility
to participate in the program.
- The Coordinator also determines the certification date (for the current term or
for the following term).
- There is no need to reapply for ACM participation once you have received approval
from the home State ACM Coordinator, as long as you are continuously enrolled in
the institution, you do not change majors, and you maintain your home state residency.
- If your eligibility to participate in the ACM changes, you will need to be recertified
by your home state ACM State Coordinator should you wish to reapply for ACM participation.
- While there is no deadline to submit the application to the State ACM coordinator,
please allow time for processing (least two to three months). When requesting the
addition of a program to the ACM list, the timeframe may take even longer. To avoid
the last minute flood of applications (particularly in July and August), and to
avoid tuition adjustments, it's wise to start the application process early and
before registration takes place.
- Each state has a specific application process. See the link for further information
on your state's AM Web page.
What universities
participate in the Academic Common Market?
More than 100 colleges and universities from all 16 SREB states offer
undergraduate or graduate opportunities. You home state has determined which institutions
and specific programs are available through the ACM.
View a list of
participating universities in a state.
What programs are available through the Academic Common
Market?
- More than 1,400 programs are available to eligible students. For a complete list
of programs available in your state, click on the search button and select your
home state in the drop-down box.
- Using the pull-down menus, select the area/discipline of interest from the major
subject area, a specific state or all states, and the degree level, then click “submit”.
You will receive results are defined by your search criteria.
- You can then select the program of interest to review more specific program information
and can select the institution name to find the ACM Coordinator contact information,
including an e-mail address for any questions you may have regarding the program.
- You may also link to the institution to obtain access to online applications and
more detailed information about the institution and program of study.
Are distance learning degree programs offered in the ACM?
- Yes, the ACM/Electronic Campus offers students the opportunity to pursue
certified degree programs via distance learning. The same eligibility requirements
apply to the ACM/EC as the ACM.
- North Carolina and Texas do not include online degree programs in their ACM inventory.
-
First professional degree programs
, such as law, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy,
and optometry are not offered in the ACM and cannot be requested.
What if the program I am interested is not on the list?
- If you are interested in a program that is not on the Academic Common Market program
list for your state it may be because:
- The program is offered in your home state;
- The program is a high demand program;
- The program is offered at a single tuition rate;
- The college or university may not participate in the ACM or ACM/EC;
- State legislation may not allow for participation at all levels.
- If the program you are interested in does meet the ACM guidelines, you may request
the program be added to the inventory. Contact your state ACM coordinator for more
information about adding programs and to send an inquiry on your behalf.
- First professional degree programs, such as law, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy,
and optometry are not offered in the ACM and cannot be requested.
Are there any other restrictions on programs available?
- Yes, restrictions can be set at the discretion of the participating college or university
or the participating state.
- Your eligibility for the ACM is dependent on your enrollment status. In addition,
students must meet the ACM requirements of the college they are attending, which
may include full-time enrollment and maintaining a specified GPA.
- Students who must complete coursework before they are fully admitted to the program
of study are not eligible for ACM tuition savings until they are formally accepted
into the major.
How do I know if the program I want to study is offered at a public
university in my state?
One way to determine if the program is offered by your home state
is to review the program listing found on your State Education websites. For your
convenience, links to these sites are provided below.
What if I change my major to a program that is available in my
home state? Will I have to pay back the money that I saved
in the years that I received ACM benefits? If I change my major to a different program
that is not available in my home state, can I still pay reduced tuition through
the Academic Common Market?
- Most ACM institutions will not require you to pay back tuition for the years that
you received ACM benefits. However, if you change your major during a semester,
the institution may charge you the out-of-state tuition rate for that semester.
If you change your major to a different program that is included in the Academic
Common Market, you must recertified by your state coordinator.
I'm a Florida (or North Carolina or Texas) resident, can I
participate at the undergraduate level?
Florida, North Carolina and Texas participate in the Academic Common
Market only at the graduate level. Residents of these states must be pursing graduate
studies to participate.
What if my state is not a member of SREB?
- If your state is: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana,
Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
Visit the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) website. For
more information visit http://wue.wiche.edu/
and http://www.wiche.edu/sep/psep/.
- If your state is Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Wisconsin. Visit Midwestern Higher Education Compact
(MHEC) website. The Midwest Student Exchange Program Overview (MSEP) is a voluntary
program (as are all MHEC programs) and only seven of the eleven states participate.
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio do not participate in MSEP at this time. South
Dakota is an eligible state but has not yet joined MHEC. South Dakota is currently
a member of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). For
more information visit
http://www.mhec.org/index.asp?pageid=1.
- If your state is Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island,
or Vermont. Visit the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) website: For
more information visit http://www.nebhe.org/content/view/18/53/.
For more information, e-mail acm-rcp@sreb.org.
