Academic Common Market: For Residents of North Carolina and Other Southern States
The Academic Common Market (ACM) is an arrangement for residents of the southeastern states whose own state's public colleges and universities don't have an academic degree program they need. Through the ACM they pursue another state's public institutional offering (if approved), at that state's in-state tuition rate.
North Carolina and two other states (Florida and Texas) participate at the graduate level only (master's and doctoral degree programs). Residents of those states may not pursue baccalaureate degrees through the ACM, nor may residents of the other participating states pursue baccalaureate degrees through the ACM in those three states.
Important Notice: As a result of the General Assembly of North Carolina's Appropriations Act of 2011, North Carolina's participation in the ACM, as both a sender and a receiver of students, will be phased out beginning with academic year 2012-13. Students certified for the ACM who are enrolled and begin study prior to the beginning of the 2012-13 academic year may continue to pay in-state tuition as long as they remain enrolled in their specified degree program. (Institutions in other states vary as to whether their summer session is part of the preceding or the following academic year. In UNC institutions with two summer sessions, the first session is part of the preceding academic year, and the second session is part of the following academic year.)
Effective November 1, 2011 and until further notice, the UNC-ACM will not accept requests for the addition of new programs to the regional ACM inventory. Access to programs already in the regional inventory will continue to be granted as usual.
The ACM is regionally coordinated by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB).
Another SREB arrangement covers selected first-professional degree programs in public schools of dentistry, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, and veterinary medicine: the Regional Contract Program (RCP). North Carolina currently does not participate in the Regional Contract Program.
To participate in the ACM, students must apply through their own state's office of the ACM State Coordinator.
For North Carolinians:
For Residents of Other Participating States:(195x70).jpg)
For further information about the ACM, including contact information for applying, visit the SREB-ACM website. Note: UNC's online degree programs are not available through the ACM.
Resources at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)