The Academic Common Market (ACM) 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.  Delaware students can submit ACM applications year-round to the Delaware Higher Education Office (DHEO).  Students are responsible for reviewing their college’s ACM application deadline and submitting it to DHEO at least four weeks before their college’s deadline.

ACM Information

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

  • You are a Delaware resident.
  • Your degree program is not offered at the University of Delaware or Delaware State University
  • 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.

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.

Once you are admitted into an eligible degree program you can complete the Delaware Academic Common Market Application form, also referred to as the Delaware Residency form.

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 send an email to DHEO.  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 if you have any additional questions.

Recent Updates

  • As of Spring 2025, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville campus will no longer participate in the Academic Common Market at the undergraduate level.  The institution will continue to participate in graduate-level programs.