Office of the University Registrar

Domicile Services

Academic Common Market Policy

• Southern Regional Education Board
• Academic Common Market – Virginia

 

1. To be eligible for the Academic Common Market (ACM), a student must be accepted as a degree seeking student in the specified undergraduate or graduate degree program with a regular [not provisional, probationary or non-degree] admission status.  The State Certificate for the ACM program must be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar before the beginning of the student's first semester.  Mason will not accept any retroactive certificates.
2. A student may come to Mason through the ACM to pursue a specific degree program that is not offered in their state of residence.  This degree, once approved is the only degree that the ACM student may pursue.  Students may not add other academic programs such as certificates, minors, double majors, different concentrations or additional degrees to the approved degree program as noted on their State Certificate.* Students may be certified for only one degree through the ACM in their career at Mason.
3. Students must maintain satisfactory progress toward their degree as well as be continuously enrolled and full time. Satisfactory progress includes but is not limited to meeting all degree time limits per the university catalog.
4. Every course taken must apply to the approved degree program.  Please note that degree applicability will be checked every semester.
5. ACM status only applies to the minimum credit hours needed to complete the approved degree.
6. ACM status only applies to thesis or dissertation credits within the maximum allowed to count towards the degree. Excess thesis or dissertation credit hours required for completion must be paid at the out-of-state tuition rate.
7. Students suspended, dismissed, or terminated from their academic degree program may not resume studies through the ACM.
8. Access through the ACM requires that students maintain their residency in the certifying state throughout their academic program:
• Students must maintain their permanent address in that state.
• Students must inform the Office of the University Registrar immediately if their state residency, or that of the person on whom they are dependent,  has changed.
• Any ACM student who applies for Virginia in-state tuition privileges immediately gives up ACM eligibility, whatever the outcome of the in-state application.
• For applicants seeking in-state tuition privileges, the 12 month period of domiciliary intent cannot overlap or coincide with ACM status, since they are mutually exclusive benefits.
  
9. Active duty military members assigned to Virginia or contiguous states, and their dependents, may find special military in-state tuition privileges through Virginia's domicile laws more advantageous than seeking in-state tuition through the ACM.
10. ACM students are considered out-of-state domiciles whose tuition bills default to out-of-state.  As such, a manual adjustment will be made to the tuition bill once registration is completed for each semester of eligibility. Students should register early to avoid late fees!
11. Like all students at Mason, ACM students must activate and check their Mason e-mail regularly.  Students are responsible for all communications sent by the university – on ACM and all other topics – via e-mail.

*ACM students enrolled in additional programs at the beginning of the Spring 08 semester may complete those programs, but may not add any other degree components while in ACM status

Please note that students should be prepared to submit an official George Mason acceptance letter to their home state at the time of application to the ACM. This letter must list the name of the ACM degree program sought by the student.