MHEC Academic Common Market Details

last revised 03/01/24 at 8:26 am

MHEC Academic Common Market

The Academic Common Market (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 s/he 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. Please refer to the MD ACM webpage for application submission windows by semester.

  • Open from to

    Submission Window

  • Approval Time

  • -

    Completion Time

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Instructions

Review the steps - read carefully

  1. Residency Requirements

    You are required to have lived in MD for at least the last six months.

  2. State Eligibility

    Check that your institution is in one of the following ACM-eligible states: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Additional program restrictions may be imposed by the state institution.

  3. Degree/Program Eligibility

    Check that your program is currently on the ACM list of programs approved for Maryland students: https://home.sreb.org/acm/choosestate.aspx

    If your program is not listed, then you have chosen a program that is not an ACM-approved program for Maryland students. Please email us at acm.mhec@maryland.gov for more information about how to submit a request for access. If you fail to complete the request for access process, or if your request for access is denied, then you will not be eligible for the ACM. Per the SREB, please allow 8 - 12 weeks for processing a request for access to a new academic program.

  4. Complete the Contact Page on the SREB website

    Provide the student's complete contact information on the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) "Contact SREB" webpage found at http://home.sreb.org/acm/Email.aspx?state=21. Be sure to follow the instructions accurately and in its entirety, including the academic program information, as the student's information provided on this page will be used later by MHEC to complete their certification process. Note that you must still complete and submit the ACM application.

  5. Required Documents

    NOTE: You must be fully and unconditionally admitted into an academic program ACM-approved for Maryland students to complete this application.


    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


    Also Required:

Resources and Links

Good to know - Find helpful information

What Happens After Submission

Read carefully

  1. Online Application:

    Read Carefully

    1. You will need to complete the form on this site, which includes submitting a number of verification documents described on the first page of the application. NO mailed, faxed, or emailed applications or documents will be considered - only applications submitted online will be reviewed. Should additional documentation be required to complete the submitted application, then the application will be returned to the submitter as "Draft," and a notification from onestop.support@maryland.gov will be sent to the submitter indicating the corrective action needed. The applicant may upload the required documentation to the application at that time. MHEC cannot proceed with the application process while the application is assigned to the applicant.

  2. MHEC Review

    Please allow up to six weeks for processing. Please check your OneStop account frequently for updates or requests for missing documentation required to complete your application.

Agency/Contact

Who issues the Form?

Contact Information

ACM Coordinator

Email: acm.mhec@maryland.gov​

Tel: (410) 767-3300

Address

Address: 6 N. Liberty Street, Baltimore, MD 21201