As an incoming freshman, how do I apply for housing for the 2013/2014 academic year?

The online application will be available beginning 8:00 a.m. CDT on October 1, 2012. You must submit a complete application, including the housing contract and the $250.00 deposit ($25.00 application fee and $225.00 housing prepayment) in order for Housing and Residential Communities to receive your application and in order for you to be eligible for on campus housing. You will receive e-mail notification later in the in the fall and winter regarding how you will receive your housing assignment. Please note, your official e-mail address as an incoming freshman is your crimson e-mail, so HRC will communicate with you using this e-mail address.
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Where do I find the online application?

To apply for housing, click here and log in, using the user name and password assigned by Undergraduate Admissions.
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When should I submit my housing application?

You should apply for housing as soon as you are admitted to the University and pay the $200.00 Freshman Enrollment Deposit. The earlier that you apply for housing, the more options you will have in housing. Students who apply for housing between October 1 and January 1 will be able to select their own residence hall rooms, beginning in spring 2013. Students who apply for housing between January 2 and April 1 may be able to select their own rooms online or may be assigned by Housing and Residential Communities. The method of assignment will depend on availability and will be the one that will give students an assignment in the quickest and most efficient way. Students who apply for housing after April 1, 2013, will be assigned by HRC staff.
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What should I do if I need special housing accommodations?

If you have a medical need affecting your housing, please fax your request, along with detailed medical documentation on your physician's letterhead, to Housing and Residential Communities at 205-348-7135. The deadline to submit requests is March 1, 2013 for incoming freshmen and February 1, 2013, for returning students. Requests submitted after this date may not be met, due to space constraints. Please note, special accommodation is not made in cases of ADD or ADHD.
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How will I receive a housing assignment?

Incoming freshmen are able to select their own rooms through our online room selection process, if they apply for housing between October 1 and January 1. Access to room selection is based primarily upon housing application date (housing application time, for students who submitted their applications on October 1), so the sooner that you apply for housing, the earlier you will be able to select your room. A student with a later application date, including application dates after January 1, may be pulled in as a roommate during online room selection, if the other student pulling them in has an earlier application date. Otherwise, students who apply for housing between January 2 and later will be assigned by HRC staff. Students should watch their crimson e-mail for more information. Students with application dates of June 1 or later will likely not receive their housing assignments until late July or early August. Staff who assign students will take into consider roommate preferences and room style choices, as long as space permits.
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Can I live with the roommate of my choice during my freshman year?

You may be able to, if you and your preferred roommate are eligible for the same community. For example, a student in the Honors College, who wants to live in Honors Housing, will need to select a roommate who is also eligible for Honors Housing. A student who applies for housing between October 1, 2012, and January 1, 2013, can pull in a roommate, with whom s/he is eligible to live, during online room selection, even if that potential roommate has a later housing application date. Students who apply for housing after January 2, 2013, may not be able to live with a preferred roommate, unless that roommate is able to pull them in during online room selection, because of space demands. Students who want to be able to choose their roommate are strongly encouraged to apply for housing as soon as possible, but particularly between October 1 and January 1.
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Do all freshmen have to live on campus?

Due to the many social and academic benefits associated with living on campus, all incoming freshmen are expected to live on campus, unless exempt from this requirement. Students who will live in the legal residence of their parent or guardian may be exempt from living on campus. Other requests will be considered on a case by case basis. All students who believe they qualify for an exemption should submit their request through myBama by July 15, 2013.
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Are students guaranteed housing after their freshman year?

No. Due to the high demand for housing, not all students who want to live on campus will be able to, and students are not guaranteed housing after their freshman year. Exceptions include students who must live on campus, e.g., students with housing scholarships that can only be used in campus housing. These students must still meet all HRC housing application deadlines in order to be eligible for housing. HRC provides extensive resources and assistance for students who are moving off campus, in order to help them make good decisions about their living situations.
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What if I apply for housing and decide not to attend UA?

If you do not attend the University, you can receive a refund of your $225.00 prepayment by canceling with Housing and Residential Communities by May 1, 2013. Students who cancel their housing between May 2 and June 1 will receive a refund of $125.00. To submit a cancellation request, please fill out the form online. Because the prepayment is refundable, you are strongly urged to apply for housing, even if you have not made your final decision regarding the school you will attend. Your housing choices will be greater the earlier you apply for housing.
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Can I live anywhere on campus during my freshman year?

You will be eligible for certain residence halls based upon your freshman status, your gender, and any living-learning community participation. For example, you must be a male student in the College of Engineering in order to be eligible to live in Bryant Hall. Students must be admitted to the Honors College in order to live in Honors Housing. Other living-learning communities are connected to other residence halls. The residence halls that you are eligible to select will show up for you during online room selection.
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Does my choice of housing my freshman year affect my housing after that?

A student's housing choice for freshman year may impact future housing choices. According to current HRC policy, a student who does not live in Bryant, Ridgecrest South, East or West, Lakeside, Riverside, or Presidential Village during his/her freshman year will not be able to select those buildings in future years. In order to live in Honors Housing as a sophomore, a student must be in the Honors College and must live in Honors Housing, or Blount or Harris Halls, as a freshman and be living there during room selection.
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What is a living-learning community?

Living-learning communities connect a student’s academic interests with his/her living environment, providing a supportive environment in which residents have a shared college, major, or academic program. There are many different living-learning communities at UA, with varying requirements for admission and different expectations for participants. Please note, participants in some living-learning communities will be assigned by the HRC assignments staff and require application to, and acceptance by, the program before assignment can be made.
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Can I move into honors housing after my freshman year?

Because of the growth in the Honors College and the demand for Honors Housing from incoming freshmen, according to current HRC policy, only current residents and incoming freshmen in the Honors College can select a space in honors housing. Please keep that in mind as you select your housing for your freshman year.
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Can I move anywhere I want on campus after my freshman year?

You will have many choices as a sophomore and above, but these will be determined, in part, by gender, living-learning community participation, and your housing assignment during your freshman year. In order to select a space in one of the suite-style buildings, you must be living there during room selection. You also have the ability to move off campus beginning as a sophomore.
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Where should I live if I need housing over break periods? Do any residence halls remain open?

If you know that you will need housing during periods during which the University closes, you may want to consider living in Burke East or West, Parham Hall, the Highlands, Palmer, or Bryce Lawn. These residence halls do not close during break periods and are available to incoming freshmen. Residence halls do not close during Fall Break or Thanksgiving Break, but other residence halls do close during Winter Break and Spring Break.
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How can I receive mail and packages when I live on campus?

In order to receive mail, a student must rent a post office box at the Ferguson Center Post Office. Mail is not delivered to the residence halls. In order to receive a package through FedEx, UPS, or any other commercial service, they must be sent to the Paty Package Delivery Center. The student will be contacted when the package arrives and they can pick it up with a picture ID.

Please address packages as follows:
Student Name/Residence Hall (e.g., Tutwiler Hall)
c/o Paty Package Delivery Center
210 McCorvey Dr.
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

Please have the sender include your cell phone number, if possible, for ease of contacting. You should not receive food, flowers, or other perishable items through the Paty Package Center.
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