UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA

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Academic Common Market

University System of Georgia

Application (ACM)

How to Apply for the Georgia Academic Common Market (ACM)

STEP ONE: Obtain Admission to an Eligible Program

Prior to applying for the ACM, ensure the program of interest is eligible for Georgia residents and obtain an official letter of unconditional acceptance to the school AND degree program. You can search for currently available programs here: ACM Inventory

The list of programs approved for participation in the Georgia Academic Common Market is subject to change without notice.
In order for prospective students to get the ACM benefit, the degree program you seek must be listed as eligible at the time of application for ACM to your home state.
Effective 9/18/2024, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville is no longer offering in-state tuition for the following programs through the ACM.
While these programs may appear in the search at the link noted above, they are no longer valid ACM programs for Georgia residents.

Documentation Needed:

Letter of Admission

As you fill out your application for the Georgia ACM, you will be asked to upload an official, unconditional letter of acceptance, stating:
* Your full name
* Name of the institution
* Semester of anticipated enrollment
* The specific ACM-eligible program in which the applicant is enrolled

Please note: Some ACM-eligible programs and institutions have additional stipulations and requirements. Please check with the admitting out-of-state institution.

STEP TWO: Gather Documents for Proof of Georgia Residency

To qualify for the Georgia ACM, you’ll need to provide documentation demonstrating that you, or the person/s who claim you as a dependent for tax purposes, have lived continuously in the state of Georgia during the 12 months immediately preceding the first day of classes in the semester for which you have been accepted.

Documentation Needed:

Choose Two from the List Below

Choose two items from the numbered list below. No other documentation will be accepted as proof of residency, including birth certificates, social security cards, passports, W-2 forms, bills mailed to your home, etc.
Acceptable documentation includes:

1) A Federal 1040 Tax form. A photocopy of the first page of the Federal 1040 Tax form for the most recent tax year. Please cover up social security numbers and income information.
a) If you filed a tax return, use that.
b) If you did not file your own tax return, submit the return for whoever claimed you as a dependent (parent/s, guardian, spouse).
Visible on the submitted form must be
* Parent/guardian/spouse’s name(s),
* Their Georgia address,and
* Your name, listed as their Dependent.

2) Georgia Driver’s License or Georgia State ID issued at least 12 months prior to the first day of classes in the semester for which you have been accepted into an ACM-eligible program.
a) If you’ve had a Georgia Driver’s License or State ID for the required time, use that.
b) If you do not or have not had a Georgia Driver’s License or State ID for the required amount of time and if you submitted a tax form on which you were claimed as a dependent, (choice 1b above), submit the Georgia Driver’s License or State ID of the person whose tax form you submitted.
The name and address given on the tax form must match those on the Driver’s License/State ID.

3) Georgia Motor Vehicle Registration
a) If you have a vehicle registered in your own name in Georgia, submit that registration.
b) If you do not have a vehicle registered in your own name in Georgia, and if you submitted a tax form on which you were claimed as a dependent, (choice 1b above), submit the Georgia Motor Vehicle Registration of the person whose tax form you submitted.
The name and address given on the tax form must match those on the registration.

4) Voter Registration Card
a) If you have a Georgia Voter Registration card in your own name, use that.
b) If you do not have a Georgia Voter Registration card, and if you submitted a tax form on which you were claimed as a dependent, (choice 1b above), submit the Georgia Voter Registration card of the person whose tax form you submitted.
The name and address given on the tax form must match those on the Voter Registration card.

5) Proof of military residency
Orders showing that the student or the family of which the student is a part have been assigned to the state of Georgia.

STEP THREE: APPLY

Access the Georgia ACM Application Portal here!

At the portal log-in page, click on “Not a member?” and set-up a username and password for your account.
Make sure you choose ACM as your application type.
The portal will then walk you through the steps you need to take in order to submit your application.
If you do not have all of the needed documentation, you can save your entries and return later to upload additional files and submit.

Important Notes

• You cannot apply to participate in the Georgia Academic Common Market until you have been accepted in a Georgia Academic Common Market-eligible program. (See Step One Above)
• You should not apply to the Georgia Academic Common Market if you are still considering more than one program. Because of the high volume of applications, we cannot consider multiple applications or major changes for individual students. Once approved for an institution/major, we will not consider requests for major changes or programs at a different institution for at least 6 months.
• Decide on a single email to use for all of your correspondence with the Georgia Academic Common Market. The email address that you put on your application is the only email address to which we will send information, including your certification letter.
• Sometimes email from the Georgia Academic Common Market gets sorted into the junk or spam folder. Please check this folder frequently.
• Annual re-certification is not required as long as the student’s enrollment is continuous.
• FOUR WEEK PROCESSING TIME Applications are processed in the order that they are received! Once residency is verified you will receive acceptance letter via email and a copy will be provided to the ACM coordinator and your out-of-state College/University.
• If you change your major to a different program that is included in the Georgia Academic Common Market, you must be recertified. You must be approved by your institution for a Georgia Academic Common Market qualified major, and you must have an official letter indicating acceptance into the major. Go to the Southern Regional Educational Board website. Click the button to “E-mail SREB.” This will take you to the “Contact SREB” page. Fill out the entire page, indicating your new major. In the “Questions/Comments” box at the bottom of the page, indicate that you wish to change majors within the Georgia Academic Common Market. Then click “Send” to submit. Please do this only once. This will generate a request for a new application and information.

Melanie S. Largin

ACM and RCP State Coordinator

• 404-962-3081
• AcademicCommonMarket
  @usg.edu