Early College Access Program (ECAP) Requirements

Did you know eligible Maryland public school students can take classes at AACC for free while they are still in high school? That's right! Eligible students who submit an ECAP form approved by their school will no longer be charged tuition and fees and will not have to pay for textbooks or other required course materials. Be sure to discuss courses that interest you with your parents or guardians and high school counselor.

Eligible Maryland home-schooled students and students that attend a private school in the state of Maryland can take classes with a 25% tuition discount. Learn more about course options.

Note: Graduating seniors are not eligible for ECAP discounts for summer term courses.

ECAP eligibility requirements for high school students taking classes at AACC:

• Minimum 2.0 GPA 
• 16 years or older, or meeting additional admissions requirements*
• Submit completed and signed ECAP form
• Apply for admission to AACC and register for classes approved on the ECAP form
• Meeting course prerequisites (see our college catalog)

*Students under 16 years old must meet AACC's criteria for Gifted and Talented including demonstrating ENG-101 eligibility, meeting with the director of admissions, Cassandra Moore, as well as permission of department prior to enrolling in a course.

To Enroll in ECAP

If you wish to enroll in ECAP, just follow the four steps below:

1. Complete ECAP Application Form

AACPS Students

• Print and complete the ECAP application form. Contact the AACPS help desk, help-desk@aacps.org, if you have trouble accessing your ECAP form.
  • ECAP for gifted and talented participants (under 16 and having completed seventh grade) must receive pre-approval. Contact your school counselor for more information about the pre-approval process.
• Provide your AACPS username and password and the form will populate with your student information.
• Both the student and parent/guardian must complete and sign the form. 
  • Obtain the necessary signatures from your high school counselor and principal. This may be done through scanning/email.
• Email the completed form to AACC’s cashier’s office at cashiersoffice@aacc.edu. Be sure to white out/scratch off your birth year before submitting the form, leaving only the day and month visible.

Out-of-County Public Schools

• Print and complete the ECAP Application for Out-of-County Public School Students.
• Both the student and parent/guardian must complete and sign the form. 
  • Obtain the necessary statement and signatures from your high school counselor and principal.
• Send the completed ECAP form to the AACC cashier's office, cashiersoffice@aacc.edu.

Home-School Students

• Print and complete the ECAP Application for Home-School Students.
• Request verification forms by contacting your public school's home-school office.
  • The AACPS Home Instruction Office can be reached at homeinstruction@aacps.org. 
  • Other counties must contact the administration in their school district to determine the appropriate office to provide verification of their home school status.
• Both the student and parent/guardian must complete and sign the form.
• Send the completed ECAP form to the AACC cashier's office, cashiersoffice@aacc.edu, so that the 25% tuition reduction can be applied.

Private School Students

• Print and complete the ECAP Application for Private School Students.
• Both the student and parent/guardian must complete and sign the form. 
  • Obtain the necessary signatures from your high school counselor, principal or other appropriate school official. This may be done through scanning or email. 
• Send the completed ECAP form to the AACC cashier's office, cashiersoffice@aacc.edu, so that the 25% tuition reduction can be applied.

For questions regarding the ECAP form submission, email AACC's cashier's office at cashiersoffice@aacc.edu or call 410-777-2236. Do not send any sensitive information, including credit card, birth year or Social Security number, via email.

2. Complete AACC Application

All Maryland public school, home-school and private school students must apply to AACC. When completing the online application, be sure to:

• Select Apply Online.
• Use only your legal name - no nicknames.
• Enter your birthdate mm/dd/yyyy.
• For Educational Goal, select I am here to take classes while I am a high school student.
• Select Nondegree seeking.
• Be sure to select your correct high school.
• Set a password that is at least six characters and remember your username/password.

Once you submit your application, you will receive a welcome email and a second email that contains your AACC ID number, PIN and username. Be sure to keep this information safe. The link in the email will expire so you should immediately click it and set up your MyAACC account. Your MyAACC account allows you to register, view financial aid, view and pay your bill, view your grades, request a transcript and communicate with AACC.

If you have trouble setting up MyAACC, email helpdesk@aacc.edu or call 410-777-4357. For help with the online application, reach out to admissions@aacc.edu or 410-777-2246.

3. Register for classes

Whether you are a new or returning student, register for classes through your MyAACC account or complete the credit registration form. Students who are ECAP participants younger than 16, having completed seventh grade, must use the credit registration form. Our admissions officers can help with course selection and help determine if you’ve met the prerequisite requirements for the course(s) you want to take. Find your admissions officer or contact our office at 410-777-2246 or admissions@aacc.edu. 

If your course has any prerequisites:

• Ask your school for a copy of your transcript and email it to records@aacc.edu.
• Email your ACT, SAT and any IB or AP scores to records@aacc.edu. You can find these scores on the College Board website or from your AACPS high school Naviance site. If you haven’t taken a placement test but need to, learn how to do so with our testing office.

4. Pay Your Bill

Maryland public school students take classes for free at AACC until they graduate high school. For private school and home-school students, you'll want to log in to your MyAACC account and pay according to the payment deadlines listed. Learn more about setting up a payment plan.

If payment is not received before the due date, you will be dropped from your class. We recommend paying the required tuition and fees at the time of registration. If your ECAP form is not received and processed by the time of registration, your bill will not reflect the discount. If the discounted rate is not applied to your account prior to you making a payment, you may receive a refund for the discounted amount once your ECAP form is processed.  

For AACPS Students: Once your ECAP form has been approved and processed by the cashier's office, the AACC Bookstore will ship your required textbooks and course materials to the address on file at no cost to you. You do not need to order any of your required course materials.

Dropping and Withdrawing from Classes

ECAP students must adhere to the same standards and policies of all students. This includes dropping or withdrawing from a course. It must be done on time.

To check for drop and withdraw dates, log in to MyAACC. Note: A withdraw on your transcript may affect future financial aid benefits.