Students receive an ACM Certification for one specific major and concentration only. Any change of major and/or concentration after initial ACM approval will cause a loss of the ACM tuition reduction.  

If you make a change to your ACM major and/or concentration for the current semester you are in, you will owe back the ACM tuition credit received for that semester, and will not receive the ACM tuition credit for upcoming semesters.  

If you make a change to your ACM major and/or concentration for a future semester, you will not receive the ACM tuition credit for that future semester, or for any semester going forward. 

Changing to any other ACM-eligible major and/or concentration requires a new ACM application and Certification for a future semester.

If you are considering a change of major and/or concentration, please contact the USC ACM Office.

• Begins with All ACM students Fall 2019
• The ONLY majors ACM students may declare as double/dual majors are those listed as eligible for the students' state of residence. 
• ACM students only have to apply for ACM Certification from their state for their first/primary ACM major, which must then receive USC ACM approval (see Applying for ACM page). 
• ACM students that declare a second and/or third major that is not ACM eligible for the student's state of residence will be granted a 5-day grace period to drop the non-ACM eligible major before their ACM tuition reduction is removed. 
• ACM students that change out of their primary USC ACM approved major will lose the ACM tuition reduction. 
• In order to avoid loss of ACM and/or back billing, students that wish to receive ACM under a new ACM-eligible major must apply for ACM under the new major prior to changing out of their primary USC ACM-approved major. 
• Current ACM students that declared non-ACM eligible double/dual majors prior to Fall 2019 will be grandfathered in under the same dual/double major for the following duration: 5 years from the *first term of enrollment at USC. Any change out of the dual/double major will subject students to the new dual/double major policy. 
• All ACM students that chose not to declare a non-ACM eligible double/dual major prior to Fall 2019 may only declare secondary majors that are ACM-eligible for their state of residence.

       *NOTE: this is not the first term of enrollment with an ACM major, but the first term of enrollment at USC. 

Students approved by USC to participate in the Academic Common Market tuition program must have their USC ACM approved program as their Primary/First major in Banner /Self Service. 

Students in Colleges that require admission to upper division may have their major represented as a concentration so long as it is the USC ACM approved major, and is clearly listed under the Primary/First Concentration field in Banner /Self Service. Upon admission to upper division, the USC ACM approved major must appear in Banner /Self Service as the student's Primary/First major. 

Students must be fully and continuously enrolled each major semester (Fall/Spring) in order to receive the ACM tuition credit

• Undergraduate ACM participants must have a minimum of 12 credit hours each major semester (Fall/Spring).

• Graduate ACM participants must have a minimum of 9 credit hours each major semester (Fall/Spring)

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ACM will continue without full enrollment under the following conditions only:

• Enrollment in Summer coursework through USC-Columbia: 
  - You can receive the ACM tuition credit for part-time or full-time Summer coursework,
    including online courses. No prior notification is needed. 

• Final semester of classes prior to graduation:
  - Notify the USC ACM Office prior to the start of your final semester. 

• Enrollment in for-credit internships (Fall/Spring semester) without other coursework: 
  - Notify the USC ACM Office prior to the semester starting.

• Enrollment in non-credit internship (Fall/Spring semester) without other coursework:
  - ACM can only continue with concurrent enrollment in a for-credit independent study course. 
  - Notify the USC ACM Office prior to the semester starting.
• Enrollment in part-time hours due to medical, mental health, or other personal emergency:  
  - With prior notification and official documentation provided to the USC Office.   

• Registration with the Student Disability Resource Center resulting in a reasonable accommodation of a reduced course load:
  -Click here for more information regarding registration for a current or future semester (please note there is a 2 week application processing time). 
  -Notify the USC ACM Office once your registration with the Student Disability Resource Center is complete. 

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ACM will continue without continuous enrollment under the following conditions only:

• Withdrawal due to medical, mental health, or other personal emergency:
  - Before the WF date: Notification to the USC ACM Office and documentation to the USC ACM Office (medical, mental health, or other personal emergency).
  - After the WF date: Request a Hardship Withdrawal Petition from the Withdrawal Coordinator
  - In all instances: contact the Withdrawal Coordinator ([email protected]) and Notify the USC ACM  Office prior to withdrawing from the University. 
  - In order to receive ACM upon your return to USC, you must Notify the USC ACM Office prior to your return to USC, be in the same ACM-eligible major, and be fully enrolled (Fall/Spring).
• Study Abroad and the National Student Exchange program:
  - Notify the ACM Office prior to leaving for study abroad or participating in the National Student Exchange program, and upon re-enrolling at USC-Columbia.
  - The ACM tuition reduction is only applicable to course work taken at USC-Columbia and cannot be applied to your tuition costs when studying abroad or participating in the National Student Exchange program.

You must remain in good academic standing in your ACM-eligible major to continue receiving ACM tuition benefits.

• Students must maintain the required GPA of the program they are in, as well as continuing to progress in the required course load for the major

• Students will continue to receive ACM tuition benefits while on probation

• ACM tuition benefits cease if a student is notified that they must change out of a college/major

• ACM tuition benefits cease if a student is switched to Undergraduate Studies due to failure to raise GPA or progress in the required course load for the major

• ACM tuition benefits cease if a student is placed on suspension or cannot register due to student judiciary proceedings

Visit the Bulletin for more information on academic standing.

Students must maintain legal residency of the state they received their Academic Common Market Certification from in order to continue to receive Academic Common Market tuition benefits from USC. USC ACM approval does not grant students South Carolina residency status.