Academic Common Market
Welcome to the Academic Common Market (ACM) resource pagefor Maryland residents!
The ACM is a tuition-savings program that operates on the premise that if public institutions (not including private institutions) in a student's home state do not offer a degree program major (undergraduate or graduate) that a student intends on pursuing, then the student may attend a participating ACM out-of-state institution offering the degree of interest through the ACM and be granted a waiver of out-of-state tuition charges. Click on Participating Institutions to find the state you are researching. (NOTE: North Carolina does not participate in the Academic Common Market.)
ACM QUICK LINKS
Maryland Degree Inventory - Check to see if your major is available in Maryland
SREB FAQs
Attention students: Effective Spring 2025, the University of Tennessee Knoxville will no longer be participating in the ACM at the undergraduate level. Students who have been certified for Fall 2024 or prior are grandfathered into their ACM benefits providing they do not have a break in enrollment or change their major.![]()
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Who is eligible for the ACM?
To be eligible for the ACM, you must be:
Prior to applying for the ACM, you must be admitted to your academic program. MHEC does not conduct "pre-evaluations" prior to admittance.
There are three different opportunities to apply to the ACM each academic year. When can I apply?
The ACM application and accompanying documents must be submitted through the OneStop portal within the dates listed below. These deadlines are held firm and cannot be appealed.
Once you have received your letter of acceptance into the ACM-eligible program, you may apply during any of the three application cycles:
Important Tasks to Complete
Application Process For UNDERGRADUATE and GRADUATE STUDENTS
ACM applications are accepted only through the ACM Application on the OneStop portal.
Please CHOOSE TWO of the following documents and upload them as a single PDF file. The addresses on both documents must match.
- One parent or both parents’ Maryland income tax return (Form 502 & 502B) – student must be listed as a dependent OR student’s Maryland income tax return (Form 502 & 502B) if student self-files
- Student’s driver’s license, provisional license, or voter registration card
- Student's utility bill
- Student's vehicle registration
- Student’s high school or college transcript
- Student's pay stub
- Completed and signed (electronically or manually) ACM Student-Parent Affirmation form
Military Students must attach a copy of the earnings statement and military orders signed by their commander in addition to the documentation above.
Transfer Students only: · Please email us at acm.mhec@maryland.gov for more information about how to submit an application.
Important Information - Once your application has been approved and your certification has been processed, you may view or download your ACM Certification from your OneStop account. The Maryland ACM Coordinator will forward your Certification to your University's ACM Coordinator for processing. Your institution may send notification via email and/or update your student account once the certification has been processed.
Application Process for Previously Certified Students
- Students do not need to re-apply for the ACM again once they are certified, unless any of the following conditions apply:
- Student changes their major or adds a second major/minor
- Student has a break in enrollment (summer/winter sessions don't count)
- Student is no longer in good academic standing
Resources and Links - Find helpful information by clicking the links below:
