<p>I disagree that this is the process at every school in the country. No other school we looked at required a Jan 1 deposit. This includes other full tuition merit universities as well as several top 20 ranked schools. In fact no other school required a housing deposit before the May 1 acceptance deadline. Perhaps our sample between 2 kids does not overlap with what others have experienced. This dichotomy of experience is perhaps the best reason why UA housing and the Honors College need to more clearly communicate their limitations in offering Honors housing. The early deadline was indeed communicated, but I and several others Ive spoken to were under the impression that if our kids didn’t mind getting a random roommate, and didn’t favor any specific Honors dorm, the student could still choose Honors dorms. This was confirmed here by UA Housing in March. I think future CC-savvy applicants will see this thread and be clear on sending a deposit if Honors dorms are a significant part of their decision, but we all know this is a very small sample.</p>
<p>I actually recall that another school which offered both my daughters full tuition (I think it was Miami in Ohio) sent us a postcard contrasting themselves from unnamed universities in that they didn’t “pressure you to commit early.” At the time I didn’t even connect it to Alabama, frankly because on January 1 Alabama was not in focus as a top choice in our house.</p>
<p>The problem is not with Alabama requiring an early housing deposit. Many state schools require students to express interest in on campus housing by paying a housing deposit either at the time of application or the time of admission. The problem arises because Alabama requires the prospective student to to first enroll in the University of Alabama by paying the enrollment deposit before they are able to pay the housing deposit. </p>
<p>Pressuring students to enroll before May 1 so that they can receive desirable housing violates NACAC’s guidelines. (“Post-secondary members agree that they will . . . work with their institutions senior administrative officers to ensure that financial aid and scholarship offers and housing options are not used to manipulate commitments prior to May 1”) </p>
<p>Requiring students to enroll before May 1 so that they can pay the housing deposit also requires students who have applied to the other schools via the Common App to decide whether to break their agreement to deposit at only one school (“I affirm that I will send an enrollment deposit (or equivalent) to only one institution; sending multiple deposits (or equivalent) may result in the withdrawal of my admission offers from all institutions. [Note: Students may send an enrollment deposit (or equivalent) to a second institution where they have been admitted fromthe waitlist, provided that they inform the first institution that they will no longer be enrolling.]”)</p>
<p>There would be no problem if Alabama simply required payment of a housing deposit, even if that date was well before May 1 – even if it was non-refundable. Many schools, including the University of Maryland, the University of Georgia, the University of Texas and Texas A&M require this step. It is the requirement that the student accept enrollment well before May 1 so that they can apply for housing that is problematic and that creates ethical problems for students.</p>
<p>Crossed with you, paying4college. The postcard we received also cited some of the language you quoted. It appears at least one school is prepared to call out other universities who are on the edge on this issue, if not by name.</p>
<p>I’m currently an honors student at UA and I didn’t get a chance to get honors housing due to when I finally sent in a deposit. I ended up living in Burke East last year, and I actually loved it. Burke has a lot of pros compared to the honors dorms due to its location to the quad as well as Bryant-Denny. It also has its own dining hall and Buffalo Phils and I met a lot of honors students in Burke. I was in one of the suite style rooms so I had the best of both worlds. I know the majority of the female RAs going to be in Burke in the fall and they make their best efforts to make sure all of the residents are happy and all problems are taken care of. If she does end up being in Burke, it may not be a bad thing. I have heard how the suite style honors dorms basically shut everyone off and it’s not always a great environment. </p>
<p>Just an opinion from the other side of the fence :)</p>
<p>Hope all works out</p>
<p>If we had known that a Presidential scholarship recipient, NMF, CBHP student would be at risk of living in non-honors housing at such a large, academically diverse school 800 miles away, it may have been the factor that tipped the decision away from Alabama in favor of a school with a more comprehensive first-year experience</p>
<p>A NMF student who commits later usually always gets honors housing. Bama sets aside some Honors beds for the NMFs who commit late because their scholarship includes housing. In years past, those reserved spots were in Riverside North (which often was the last choice for those choosing honors housing). Don’t know where those spots were this last year.</p>