Parent and Family FAQ
Are freshmen required to live on campus at The University of Alabama?
Yes. Numerous studies indicate that living on campus has social and academic benefits for first year students, and all UA freshmen are expected to live on campus. Students who will live in the residence of their parent or legal guardian can receive an exemption. Exemption requests for other reasons will also be considered. In order to have your exemption request considered, you must submit it by July 15, 2010. Students other than freshmen are not required to live on campus but may apply for housing as space permits.
How does an incoming freshman apply for housing for 2010/2011?
The online application will be available beginning October 1, 2009. New freshmen 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 the application and in order for that student to be eligible for online room selection in spring 2010. Students will receive e-mail notification later in the year regarding the date that they will be eligible to go online and select their residence hall room. A student’s first date to access the online room selection process is determined by 1) the date s/he applies for housing, 2) living-learning community participation, if any, and 3) any special needs. In other words, it works to an incoming freshman’s advantage to apply for housing as soon as s/he has been admitted and has paid the Freshman Enrollment Deposit.
Is the housing deposit refundable if my freshman does not attend UA?
A freshman who decides not to attend UA will receive a refund of his/her prepayment as long as that student cancels his/her housing application in writing by July 1, 2010. To cancel, e-mail chewitt@sa.ua.edu.
How will my student’s housing assignment be made?
Most incoming freshmen and returning students have the ability to pick their own residence hall room online. Dates for online room selection are assigned, with returning students selecting their rooms beginning in February. Students in honors housing and other living-learning communities, who apply for housing by the March 1, 2010 deadline select their rooms in March, while other freshmen who apply by April 1 begin selecting their rooms in April. Students can change their assignment as many times as they wish before the room selection process ends.
Can my student change housing after the school year begins?
Yes. Housing and Residential Communities will change a student’s room throughout the year, as space permits. A student who wishes to move within the same residence hall should see his/her Community Director. Students who wish to move from one residence hall to another should complete a room change request form in the HRC office in Burke East.
My student is having trouble getting along with a roommate. What should s/he do?
Living with another person is one of the more challenging aspects of college life, but also one of the most beneficial. The communication and negotiation skills that students must utilize to live successfully together will have lifelong benefits. To facilitate the relationship, roommates should be sure to complete the roommate agreement they received at the beginning of the year. Students who need help in communication or mediation should talk to their RA or Community Director. Remember, we can’t help if we don’t know there is a problem. When the situation deteriorates to the point that living together comfortably is no longer an option, the HRC staff will assist with a room change, if requested.
Does my student have to continue living on campus in the spring?
The housing contract is in place for the entire academic year. Unless your student is withdrawing from school, leaving for study abroad or internship, or getting married, your student will not have his/her housing contract cancelled. If you believe your student has extenuating circumstances that might warrant a contract cancellation, s/he should apply for contract cancellation with the HRC office. Please note, moving into a sorority or fraternity house is not cause for contract cancellation.
Do the residence halls close for holiday breaks?
The residence halls will remain open during the Thanksgiving holiday in 2009. The residence halls will close for Winter Break at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 12, and will reopen at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 3. The residence halls will close for Spring Break at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 12, and reopen at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 21. Rose Towers, the Highlands, the Bluff, and Bryce Lawn remain open during these break periods. Students in all other residence halls must plan to leave the residence halls while they are closed. A very limited amount of break housing is available during break periods. Please contact HRC for more information.
Is there a shuttle service to the Birmingham airport?
Yes. There are several commercial services that provide transportation to the airport throughout the year. Additionally, HRC provides a shuttle service during break periods when the University closes. For more information or to make a reservation, please call 205-348-6676.
How can my student receive mail and packages?
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, you must send them to the Paty Package Delivery Center. The student will be contacted when the package arrives and pick it up with 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 35401Please include student’s cell phone number for ease of contacting. Please do not send flowers or perishable items.
How does a current student apply for campus housing for 2010/2011?
If your student currently lives on campus and wishes to return to campus housing for 2010/2011, s/he must take part in the recontracting process. The online housing application is now available. Your student will have until February 1, 2010, to submit the online application. At this time, only the application, with no contract and no deposit, will be due. Your student will be notified by e-mail shortly after the February 1 deadline whether s/he can continue the recontracting process and complete the contract and deposit.
Is my student guaranteed housing after freshman year?
No. Space for returning students is limited. Housing and Residential Communities will not accept a student’s deposit until we are certain that we will have a space in campus housing for that student. If your student is permitted to complete the final two steps of recontracting and pays the $250.00 deposit, then s/he will have a space on campus.
How will my student be assigned a room on campus?
If your student is able to complete the housing application, contract, and deposit, s/he will be able to select a room online. Online room selection takes place in February and early March. A student’s initial time to enter room selection is determined by where s/he want to live, e.g., if that student wants to return to the same room, and by academic classification, e.g., rising senior, rising junior, etc.
If my student signs the housing contract and changes his/her mind, can we cancel it?
The housing contract is a legally binding contract, just like a lease one might sign for an apartment. It is always up to HRC’s discretion whether we will cancel a contract. If a student applies to cancel his/her contract before the cancellation deadline of July 1, and it is cancelled, that student will receive a refund of their $225.00 prepayment. After the July 1 deadline, the student will lose the $225.00 prepayment and will be assessed an additional $250.00 fee, if HRC cancels the contract. We recommend that a student never sign a lease on an off-campus house or apartment until s/he is certain that the housing contract will be cancelled.
How will my student know when to sign the housing contract and pay the deposit?
If a student can complete those steps, s/he will receive an e-mail. Students should check their crimson e-mail regularly so that they do not miss important recontracting e-mails.
Where can my student find information about off-campus housing?
Great resources to learn about off-campus housing include www.crimsonchoice.ua.edu, www.ttownliving.ua.edu, and http://housing.ua.edu/offcampus. There will also be off-campus housing fairs in the Ferguson Center during the early spring.
What should my student do if s/he has a medical need that affects his/her housing?
In order for HRC to accommodate a special request, please submit documentation from your student’s physician by February 1, 2010. This should be faxed to 205-348-7135, along with your specific housing need.
Living on campus puts you right in the middle of The University of Alabama. It's harder not to dive-in when you are exposed to so many activities and people are literally knocking on your door telling you about opportunities. It's not always fun and games. Sometimes you are forced to live with someone you never thought you would even speak to, but that's when you grow up and find out who you really are.
Sarah Luken Hydrick, MBA candidate 2009, Hall Director in Friedman Hall