<p>I know on campus housing is expensive for the summer, but renting a non furnished apartment would be a major cost outlay for some scholarship students for the summer.</p>
<p>I noticed that the Bluffs apartments do come furnished, and that it is offered at a full summer rate for summer housing.</p>
<p>I thought these apartments were occupied year round by the students who live there.</p>
<p>Are these rooms in The Bluffs a sublet from students who are excused from summer rentals, or are these rooms that are vacant year round?</p>
<p>I was wondering how the university could offer a room in someone’s Bluff apartment while the current renter still has their possessions there, so I’m assuming these must be vacant apartments. </p>
<p>Anyway, just curious, as I’ve been reading a lot of info about the lack of summer jobs, as we are finding out, and how kids are returning to their colleges for the summer to get work on campus or the surrounding community. If one were to return to the Bama area to find work, and not necessarily take classes, would they be able to get a room for the summer in the Bluffs through housing, or would they have to sublet from a current Bluff resident?</p>
<p>I know it would probably be much cheaper to sublet from someone with off campus housing if you’re just returning to the area for work, but considering you would have to furnish the apartment for the summer, the Bluffs might be a more convenient, although costly, alternative.</p>
<p>In short, has anybody lived in the Bluffs during the summer, even though they did not live there during the regular school year?</p>
<p>I found this listing on the Bama website for summer housing. A friend was looking for summer housing for a son doing research for a professor in the summer.</p>
<p>There were listings for the interim session, listings for each summer session, and there was a listing for the full summer. I figured the full summer rates were for students who were working/volunteering on campus all summer, not necessarily enrolled in particular class sessions. Or it could just be people who want to stay in Tuscaloosa all summer as well. Perhaps there are international students that would rather stay on campus than fly home, but perhaps have housing scholarships for the school year that they’d return to. </p>
<p>When I was in college, I had a good friend from Brazil. She lived on campus during the summer and worked at a nearby grocery store. Sure, her paycheck barely, if at all, covered her rent, but it was a lot cheaper than flying home, and I don’t think she wanted to go home anyway. </p>
<p>There are an amazing number of kids who graduated from high school with my son who are heading back to their college towns this summer. They finished the semester, came home to visit, and, as there are no prospects for employment in our city, they are returning back to their campuses to find work, take classes, or just enjoy their college towns without the stress of school. Some of them go to school in New York, or the DC area, so who can blame them?</p>
<p>Many of the off campus sublets I see are for furnished apartments. Students might leave some of their stuff there over the summer (TV, vacuum cleaner, maybe some winter clothes) or they may move out as the sublease is literally the last few months of their lease agreement.</p>
<p>Graduating seniors and those with summer internships or study abroads are exempt from the summer housing requirement. It is likely their rooms that are available as Housing has been decreasing the number of rooms it rents out at the Bluffs.</p>
<p>It’s odd that more housing complexes aren’t offering May-April leases instead of the current August-July ones. As it stands now, graduating seniors have 3 months of a lease left after they graduate in May.</p>
<p>^^^So, are you saying seniors and study abroad and internship kids move out in May and do not pay for the summer, even though it’s usually a year long lease?</p>
<p>If they are exempt and are not paying for those months, it would seem that they would have to vacate their belongings. Seems odd that housing would let them have free storage of their belongings. There’s also the issue of liability, if a summer lessee would damage a current student’s personal belongings, like their TV or vacuum cleaner.</p>
<p>Is the Bluff rented out to individuals, not just part of university summer housing? If so, how would one find out if any sublets are available at the Bluff? Those would probably be less expensive.</p>
<p>Another question about living at the Bluff, just in general. If it’s done through the university, does the student have to pay the required dining dollars? I’m talking about summer or fall or spring. I’m assuming that if you rented from the Bluff through their management company, if there is one separate from the university, that you would not have to have dining dollars.</p>
<p>Montegut: My son and one of his roommates are not paying for their housing at the Bluffs this summer. They had to file letters with housing detailing why they would not need their place during the summer. Each has an internship overseas. Because of this, my son stored his belongings at his roommate’s home near Birmingham. The third member of the group is on campus and living there this summer. He’s a chem engineering major taking classes.</p>
<p>My son chose to have us pay for his Dining Dollars, just because he always wanted to know he could eat with friends on campus during the week. He loved the in-apartment laundry (he figures that he saved $20 to $25 a month). The convenience of having the kitchen is nice, too. When we visited during Honors Week, my son asked if I would cook for him and his friends one night. And believe it or not, there were leftovers that he enjoyed a day or so later.</p>
<p>^^^Momreads, with your son and his roommate on internships, and the third roommate remaining, would the overseas boys’ rooms be ones that housing would rent?</p>
<p>Also, the laundry is free in Bluffs? There’s a washer/dryer in the apartment, but you don’t have to swipe to use it? I know, sounds like stupid question, but figure if there’s a way to charge for something, they’ll do it.</p>
<p>As for dining dollars, is that just an option your son chose, or is it a requirement for Bluffs residents since it is university sanctioned housing, even though it’s not physically on campus?</p>
<p>Housing, if it chooses, can place students in my son’s room as well as his roommate’s. (BTW, really nice rooms, too). As for laundry, it’s just like the W/D units are your home. No swiping of the ACT card. As for dining dollars, I’m not sure if it’s required, but I do not think they are. My son wanted them for convenience – he did not want to hit the ATM every time he wanted lunch with friends.</p>
<p>Whether you’re on campus or a commuter, dining dollars are required? If one comes back for a summer course, can they use the rollover bama cash left over from spring?</p>
<p>Also, the laundry is free in Bluffs? There’s a washer/dryer in the apartment, but you don’t have to swipe to use it? I know, sounds like stupid question, but figure if there’s a way to charge for something, they’ll do it.</p>
<p>Use of the laundry machines in the Bluff apts is FREE. There are no swipe machines or anything. The machines are just like at home.</p>
<p>Dining Dollars are required no matter where you live…on campus, off campus, at The Bluff, wherever.</p>
<p>If you want to get a cash refund from leftover Spring DD, then do so and then use the cash refund to buy any required DD for summer or fall.</p>
<p>that said, my son wasn’t charged DD for his summer class…don’t know why. He did buy a 20 meal plan for this summer class.</p>
<p>Son’s DD automatically rolled into BamaCash on his action card at the end of the spring semester. Here is the official word: “Unused Dining Dollars roll from fall to spring semester. At the end of the spring semester, students may request a refund of remaining Dining Dollar Funds. If a refund is not requested, the remaining funds are transferred to the student’s Bama Cash account.”</p>
He did buy a 20 meal plan for this summer class.</p>