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.
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