Education

Academic Common Market Offers College Tuition Relief

March 26th, 2015

Hear the broadcast version of this story.

It’s no secret that college tuition rates are on the rise, but a program available in 15 Southern states has helped some students cut down on their costs.

Imagine you’re in a supermarket. But instead of shopping for food or toothpaste, you’re looking for college degree programs. You want to find one you like at a good price.

That’s the idea behind the Academic Common Market, a program offered by the Southern Regional Education Board.

“If a student wants to pursue a degree that’s not offered in their home state by a public institution, but it’s offered by another institution in the SREB region, they can often attend that institution and simply pay in-state tuition,” Mary Larson, the SREB’s director of student access and program services, says.

Schools choose the majors and degrees they put into the market.

“[The] University of Tennessee may have a music program that they’re willing to put into the Academic Common Market,” she says. “But they may have a forensic accounting degree that they’re not willing to put into the Academic Common Market.”

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville offered a sports psychology program that interested Alex Abraham. The Georgia native is now a graduate student there and pays in-state tuition.

“I think I’ll save close to $30,000 a year,” she says.

Students in 15 Southern states can qualify for the program, but not every university system fully participates. North Carolina doesn’t. Texas and Florida only offer some graduate programs.