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Academic Common Market

The Academic Common Market, which is administered by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), allows South Carolina residents who are enrolled in specific programs at out-of-state institutions to be charged only the applicable in-state tuition by the institution in which the student is enrolled. Eligible programs must be at least 50 percent different in curricular content than programs offered in South Carolina. Participating states are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia (Florida and Texas participate only at the graduate level.)

A student must be accepted into the specific program desired on a full-time basis and must complete the South Carolina residency form. When the completed form is submitted to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, a copy of the letter of acceptance into the program from the institution must be attached. If the CHE determines that the student is a state resident on the basis of information submitted, we will write a letter of certification to the student and provide a copy to the appropriate official at the institution. This will qualify the student for a waiver of out-of-state fees.

Changes are periodically made in the ACM program inventory. If you are interested in a program which is not in the ACM program inventory, you can request that the CHE review the program. You would need to send us the following information: a copy of your letter of acceptance into the specific program, the completed residency certification form, and curricular information about the program including course descriptions and credit hour requirements. Remember that the ACM guidelines stipulate that only programs that are 50 percent different in curricular content from programs offered in the State can be included. 

Please note that the ACM program inventory is subject to change at any time without prior notice.

ACM At a Glance:

Most popular undergraduate programs (as of Fall 2023):

  • BS in Audio Production, Middle Tennessee State University
  • BS in Aerospace, Professional Pilot, Middle Tennessee State University
  • BS in Business Analytics with International Business, University of Tennessee Knoxville (no longer eligible as of Sept. 30, 2024)
  • BS in Interior Architecture, University of Tennessee Knoxville (no longer eligible as of Sept. 30, 2024)
  • BS in Integrated Strategic Communication, University of Kentucky
  • BS in Therapeutic Recreation, University of Tennessee Knoxville (no longer eligible as of Sept. 30, 2024)
  • BS in Medical Laboratory Science, University of Tennessee Knoxville (no longer eligible as of Sept. 30, 2024)
  • BA in Southern Studies, University of Mississippi
  • BS in Forensic Chemistry, University of Mississippi

Most popular graduate programs (as of Fall 2023):

  • JM in Employment Law and Human Resources Risk Management, Florida State University
  • LLM in Taxation, University of Florida
  • MEd in Music Education, Florida State University
  • JM in Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Technology Risk Management, Florida State University

Application Information:

Please be advised that The Privacy Act of 1974 prohibits the electronic submission of the SC Residency Certification Application along with supporting documents for the Academic Common Market (ACM) to ensure the protection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), such as (but not limited to): full name, social security number, place of birth, driver’s license, taxpayer identification number, or financial account information. Therefore, applications must be submitted via postal mail or in person and will not be accepted or certified if received via email.

Also note, application verification and processing may take up to six weeks as applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received. Please contact the university/college to inquire about deadlines and allot the appropriate time needed to gather and submit your packet. 

Applications should be submitted via postal mail or in person at:

Kenita D. Pitts, SREB State Coordinator 

The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education

1122 Lady St. Suite 400

Columbia, SC 29201

For additional information, please contact Ms. Kenita D. Pitts via email or at (803) 856-0037