Academic Common Market

In order to ensure that most college/university deadlines are met for the fall 2023 semester, the deadline for submitting a complete Academic Common Market Application to the Delaware Higher Education Office is June 30, 2023 at 4:30 PM. Please make sure that you review your college's deadline for accepting ACM applications and submit your Delaware Residency Certification form to our office at least four weeks prior to your college's deadline.

Please allow 4-6 weeks for DHEO to process a completed ACM application.

The Academic Common Market is a tuition-savings agreement between 15 states that are members of the Southern Regional Education Board. If your degree program is not offered by a public college in Delaware, you may be eligible for in-state tuition at one of the participating public colleges.

You may apply for the ACM if you meet the following eligibility criteria:

1. You are a Delaware resident and U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.
2. Your degree program is not offered at the University of Delaware or Delaware State University
3. You have been accepted into, or you are already enrolled in, an eligible degree program that has been selected for the ACM by a participating public institution.

To Search for Eligible Programs in the Academic Common Market

You can search the SREB Website for the most current eligible degree programs and participating public institutions.

The ACM includes baccalaureate and graduate-level degree programs. First professional degree programs—such as dentistry, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, theology, and law— are not offered in the ACM and cannot be requested.

Degree programs offered in the ACM are selected by the participating institutions and are subject to change. Both participating institutions and states may set restrictions on ACM participation and institutions may elect to discontinue participation in the ACM at any time. In addition, Delaware must remove ACM access to any programs that become available at either the University of Delaware or Delaware State University.

• West Virginia University will no longer participate in the Academic Common Market at the undergraduate level effective fall 2020
• Towson University will no longer participate in the Academic Common Market at the undergraduate, or graduate level, effective fall 2020

To Apply for the Academic Common Market

Once you are admitted into an eligible degree program you can complete an Academic Common Market Application by downloading the Delaware Residency Certification Form and following the instructions for submission of your application to the Delaware Higher Education Office.

Adding a New Program to the Academic Common Market for Delaware Residents

If you would like to request that a new program be added to the Academic Common Market, the program must meet the following conditions:

• The program that you are requesting is not currently available at the University of Delaware or Delaware State University
• The program that you are requesting is at least 50% different from any similar program offered at the University of Delaware or Delaware State University
• The student who is requesting the program must be formally and unconditionally admitted into that program 

To make a formal request that a program be added to the ACM inventory you can send an email to dheo@doe.k12.de.us please make sure that your request includes the following information:

• The full name of the college/university and the name of the program that you are requesting
• A direct website link to the program that you are requesting and a link to the program curriculum
• A copy of the student's acceptance letter into the program that you are requesting

Contact dheo@doe.k12.de.us if you have any additional questions.