Now if a student has a full tuition scholarship and an extra $2,500 stipend for engineering/CS, will that cover the fees and still have some leftover to use towards housing/food?
Also if you qualify for AOTC you could claim the tax credit for fees and books, and include the $2,500 in student’s income as taxable scholarship.
Yes @mommdc .There are some fees that one pays in addition to tuition, that the stipend will cover. Averaging the fees from 6 semesters, each semester for my DD eng student has been about $226. Dining dollars $325/semester. Rest can apply to R/B.
When living off campus, if meal plan on campus is under the remaining scholarship amount, school will electronically refund overage. DD got her refund for Spring term on Jan 4.
Since DD had AL Pre-paid College Tuition Plan in addition to the eng and Presidential scholarships, she couldn’t qualify for the tax credit. But DD with scholarship at UAB did qualify for the tax credit. The tax credit is also limited if income is over a certain amount.
We paid pretty close to the University estimate for room and board, but my daughter chose to live alone or with just one roommate after she left the dorms. She lived two years in a 1 BR in a newer, furnished complex within walking distance of campus and one year in a 3 BR house about 6 miles from campus. Her rent and utility costs were more than twice your $400/mo. estimate. Her food costs went down after freshman year, and while Dining Dollars are still mandatory after freshman year, if you don’t use them you can request a refund at the end of the year. My daughter rarely used any Dining Dollars, so she always got a pretty big refund. My daughter also kept her book expenses pretty low. She rented or bought used books, she would ask profs if prior editions (WAY cheaper) were acceptable and they often were, and she found a surprising number of books free online. Finally, her transportation costs weren’t that high for living 12 hours away. She only flew home twice in 5 years; she has a car and drove herself down and back from school at the beginning and end of the year (and junior and senior year she spent summers in Tuscaloosa, so no need to even do that).
ETA: as for security deposits, my daughter had no charges for her two years in the apartment complex and there were no mandatory cleaning fees. The house she’s in this year has a mandatory cleaning fee in a stated amount (and she will move out without cleaning because of that), but except for that I expect that she will get her security deposit back.
I wonder how that works and if it’s legal.
If anyone here is familiar with the co-op program at Bama, can they please elaborate on the housing? Where would students who participate in co-op live? And is the housing (and transportation) be provided by the company? If not, is the pay good enough to cover all the costs for that period and still have some left? Finally, when exactly does this co-op happen and for how long? Summers or in between the academic year? One term of four months or three such terms?
As an international student, I want to graduate debt-free while still having the possibility of getting a job after graduation (not easy for internationals). But I digress. My main concern is the living costs during co-op.
One problem with books is, while often you can rent them or buy them used for a fraction of new, if the prof requires online access codes, you will have to buy them.
For example my D’s German book was $200 new but included the access code, a used one would have been cheaper, but the access code alone was $150, so I told her just to buy it new. Similarly with chemistry.
But she has been able to rent some of her books (bio, ochem) and saved money, some of her science and language books have been good for two semesters as well. It just depends.
Just speaking as a (non-Alabama) faculty member, you have to be careful of Kindle-type books—the formatting is getting better, but surprisingly often diagrams and such don’t appear correctly on the virtual page. I’d look carefully at the reviews for a digital version before getting it—but if it’s formatted correctly (and paginated the same as the paper version!), then yes, go for it.
As for free scans of books online, in most cases (and unless an open-access textbook has been specifically chosen by the instructor) it’s a very real copyright violation, or an out of date edition.
Many recommend looking at what professor has listed for books (if they have it on some communication before class starts - and doing some preliminary looking at costs and sources) but going to first class and seeing syllabus and hearing what professor says before making any book or other supply purchases. Many times my students (at UA and UAB) found some books could use an earlier version, etc. Much cost savings by waiting. DDs also found many sources for books - but key is ISBN number, any codes that are purchased with the book (for electronic access for stuff critical for the class) etc.
Yes, I agree, my D’s professors were good about letting them know before first semester (by email) what was needed.
Now she just waits until the first class to find out for sure. Amazon prime is fast.
To give you more data, my DS is off campus about 2 miles away at one of the bigger complexes around $420/mo which includes utilities and room furniture rental.
yes dining dollars every year but you will get a refund if you don’t use it or a portion of it.
@mundanewarrior if you start a new thread with your co-op questions I’ll provide all the details on my son’s experience
@Rdtsmith So I guess there are good deals for those willing to move a mile or two away from campus. The one I found for $379 included furniture, utilities and a shuttle service to campus. Said it was 7 minutes away.
Yes my DS has a car but the shuttle is pretty reliable from his complex. There are kids who live in Northport just over the river who pay less. If you plan to bike to school make sure you map out the route first as some are NOT bike friendly at all.
I wouldn’t DEFINITELY look into the safety and reviews of the apartments. There are many apartment complexes in the $400 budget that are very sketchy. Look into safety reports. I know there was an article from AL.com about safety at the apartments. For example, campus way and woodlands. Also some apartments that advertise to students that don’t fill all their apartments, then open it to low income families. I tried to stay around $600 but struggled. I pay $650 for a large one bedroom on University Blvd. I love it. But I don’t have a shuttle. I pay for electric seperate. And it came unfurnished.
Thanks, @bamagirl18. I just found an article (dated, I know) about crime in some UA area apartments…yikes. I had no idea…
http://blog.al.com/tuscaloosa/2013/09/study_shows_the_most_dangerous.html
@jrcsmom
I’m not ready to make a thread yet. I have not done enough research. But in the next few days, you can expect a co-op thread from me.
My question in this thread is more about the living costs tho.
FWIW my son lived at the Woodlands for 2 years. I stayed there many time and never once felt unsafe in the parking lot or in his apartment day or night. The biggest issue I had there was the noise level. He only left because of roommate issues.
The Woodlands backs up to Target and I’d say most consider it a safe retail area and is only about 3-4 blocks from the Lofts and any crime that occurs at one can just as easily occur at the other. The fact is with young adults on their own for the first time, experimenting with alcohol and potentially other drugs, and dealing with young adult relationships there are going to be isolated incidents anywhere.
My son now lives in a townhome which he says backs up to the ‘ghetto’ a lower income more residential and less student oriented neighborhood in town. Last winter break (2015) his apartment as well as the neighboring apartment were broken into and his TV was stolen as well as his roommates video gaming system and games. He’s still living there this year. Unfortunate incidents happen sometimes and could have happened at any other complex over an extended break when student units are targeted because they are expected to be vacant. There are even thefts in the dorms on occasion.
Being aware of safety and security are always good habits, being overly worried is not. Although I’ll admit I haven’t ventured through all of Tuscaloosa’s neighborhoods, I haven’t seen any student oriented areas that surround campus that I have ever felt unsafe in.
@mundanewarrior - the short answer is the living costs vary - some businesses are close enough to Tuscaloosa that students stay in their student housing which is what my son did, some provide stipends, others expect you to provide your own housing. If you work away from town, since the co-op sessions alternate with class sessions you have the option of getting a lease in town and then subletting while on your work sessions or not getting your own lease and then finding a sublet for the semesters you are in class.
Okay, looking a little closer at this issue, it seems that the crime stats in Tuscaloosa are not that much worse than in our nearby college town, Isla Vista (next to UCSB). I get what you are saying, @jrcsmom about not feeling unsafe there in spite of what the crime stats may look like on paper.
@Zekesima Just to let you know, if your son attends Bama there are several FB pages for the parents. There is a wealth of information there and parents willing to help out w/ all our sons and daughters.
So if you become a Bama mom, they are worth looking into.
Thank you, @laralei ! I will keep that in mind. Thanks again to all who posted–this has been very helpful.