<p>This is no surprise as every year almost every school in America increases its tuition. However this year I am especially displeased, to the point which I may begin telling prospective students to strongly consider NOT attending this university. In addition to the standard and almost mandatory tuition hikes, our administration has decided to decrease the number of hours students can take before they are charged an “overload” fee. Originally a student would be charged full time tuition for 12-18 hours of classes. So whether a student took 12 hours or 18 hours he or she would be charged the same. Any additional hours would result in being charged an overload fee per hour. A couple years ago the administration changed that to 12-17 hours. Now this year, our administration has again lowered it to 12-16 hours. Now beginning with the 17th hour, students will be charged an overload fee. </p>
<p>This may not pose a problem to many students as the average student may only take 16 hours max for example. However, for students studying sciences, some business, and engineering, often times, the very “master/planned” curriculum itself requires taking 17 hours a semester. I know many students who take 18 hours because of a minor, or pre-med, or other pre-professional track. This will add an additional undue burden to an already increases tuition hike. </p>
<p>Finally, I must express extreme displeasure in the way our parking services treats (read targets) we students. Our campus parking is divided into zones and permits are required to park in each zone. There are residential zones for those living on campus and commuter/perimeter zones for those that live off campus. The zone rules are in effect 7am-6pm M-F. Now, parking in an improper zone comes with a $50 fine (used to be a $10 fine). During the school year, when parking is very limited, this is necessary to ensure that those who paid for their permit have parking. However, during the summer, there is significantly less traffic. The residential zones are virtually empty. Simply put - everyone can find a parking spot. Everyone knows that during the summer the parking services are much more relaxed. However, this summer, for some reason I have seen students receiving tickets daily for very minor parking violations, i.e., if a student is parked in a 30 min space outside his dorm, don’t give him/her a ticket because there are plenty of other 30 min and other spaces available. I personally have received a ticket at 1130pm for “not being parked in a correct space”. I believe it is extremely unethical to ticket students for such minor violations during the summer. As I mentioned, one purpose of the zoning system is to create order during the regular semester and to ensure there are enough parking spaces. During the summer this is not necessary as the population on campus is greatly reduced.</p>
<p>I will be working as an ambassador to my college this upcoming school year and this along with a few other administrative flaws may seriously cause me to tell the visiting and prospective students to consider attending another university.</p>
<p>You will be an ambassador for UA? or to UA? What are you talking about? If you are this upset with UA, in no way should you agree to work for UA and then furtively sabotage its interests. </p>
<p>I totally understand the frustration with tuition. However, I dont think you and other critics realize the financial pressure faced by college administrators, especially in states as unsupportive as Alabama. If UA does not raise tuition, various University services and things like salaries will suffer. Each of the tuition dependent services or salaries affect college rankings. Would you rather UA fall behind in what it pays its faculty? In what it spends per student? </p>
<p>Unless you want your degree to be less attractive, you will say no to the above questions. </p>
<p>Furthermore, UA is extremely generous in its scholarship offerings. Compare what they give out each year to other schools. If you are a very good student, and work hard, you will most likely find financial support at UA. You can’t say the same thing about other schools. </p>
<p>As for the parking Nazis, I cant argue with that. Everyone hates parking enforcement. Trust me, it is even worse in most major cities.</p>
<p>Still, I have to agree with the OP on one point- Alabama parking is awful. It’s getting marginally better, but the selection of parking spaces is abysmal, especially for those close to classrooms. Still, though, parking should not deter students from considering Alabama- it’s a great school, with numerous opportunities (especially in the Honors program).</p>
<p>Random side note- a friend of mine goes to USC, and his Toyota was stolen in broad daylight, in full view of campus security cams- the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere, eh?</p>
<p>Arg Im frustrated with the scholarship office now! I won a 2500 dollar National Merit corporation scholarship and when i called bama way back when i found out, they said it would stack with their 1000 dollar a year scholarship. this was how i am paying for books. But when i called today, they said i dont get the 1000 dollars a year. Now i need a new way to pay for books. Greeeeeaaat.</p>
<p>Here you go- since you already have free tuition, if your parents pay for fees or books, they can get a direct refund of the first $2500 they spend on them- making them free, in effect. (also, you can sell the books later and make some serious cash, lol)</p>
<p>Well, most people at UA are not on full-tuition scholarships, and for them this is a purposefully hurtful policy. Shame on UA for being so money-grubbing.</p>
<p>And I agree about parking, OP, 100%. More money grubbing to pay for their precious Crimson Ride, but not a penny toward new parking decks for the people who need them the most - commuters.</p>
<p>I long ago got fed up with this university’s administration. Hell if they get a dime from me in alumni donations.</p>
<p>ill admit that the policy does make it harder for people to take the appropriate amount of hours for certain majors, but many other schools do this type of thing as well. Parking does suck though. i mean, like really badly. but idk if i will have a car, so its ok with me:)</p>
<p>To the OP: Many state universities are in a big budget crunch. If they don’t find ways to make up for the lost state revenues, all programs will suffer. Is that what you want?</p>
<p>This happened in Maryland and Ohio. The governors here put a moritorium on tuition raises at the same time that they cut state funding. The result was that many programs are either on the chopping block or being significantly impacted in other ways. Is that what you want at Alabama?Also Maryland and some Ohio schools also are charging more for overload fees and reducing the number of hours that students can take before incurring overload fees. College must consult with each other because I am seeing this occur at other schools.</p>
<p>I do know that raising fees in various ways is unsettling and burdensome to everyone. However, many state schools don’t really have a choice. They are still a GREAT deal compared to that of most private schools.</p>
<p>Finally, Alabama got themselves in a bind. They give out a large number of scholarships,which make it very reasonable to attend school there. Sadly, the downside is that they get a lot of reduced revenue as a result of trying to recruit these top kids.</p>
<p>As for parking, I hear you. This is a problem at many schools. It isn’t endemic to UA. You just have to live with it or don’t bring a car.</p>
<p>Most state colleges charge by the credit hour, from zero up. You were given a gift before, but that same approach penalized those taking 12 to 15 hours. Get over it.</p>
<p>AT UT a parking permit is considered a license to hunt and not a right to park. To control outrageous behavior by overly-entitled students, fines and penalties need to be severe to deter inappropriate behavior. If people parked by the rules, the cops would not need to be to out there, ticketing, at all. </p>
<p>Perhaps you should rethink your “ambassador” role. Be thankful for the education that you are offered and any financial aid you have received.</p>
<p>Overly entitled? I don’t think it’s too much to ask for a parking spot within a ten minute walk of campus. Or a reliable transit system. I guess you work for a college administration. Either that, or you’ve eaten up their BS like a champ.</p>
<p>OP: don’t listen to the naysayers. You owe it to future students to give them the unadulterated truth. UA’s propaganda paints itself the perfect place to be, so it’s your job to soften to cushion for anyone who’s naive to believe it. That’s not the same thing as trashing the university.</p>
<p>Ok, I’ll admit I may have went a little overboard. I just had to vent. </p>
<p>Kansasdemocrat - are you sure your full ride covers the overload fee? I’m pretty sure (or was pretty sure) that the full-tuition portion of a scholarship covers only 12-17(16, now) hours. </p>
<p>Yes, UA is very generous with their scholarships, especially compared to other in-state schools. But still, they shouldn’t nickle and dime their students at every corner. </p>
<p>Taxguy - I think you may have nailed it about Alabama getting themselves in a bind by giving out too many scholarships. Each year, they seem to give out more money while lowering the standards for those same scholarships. It’s all part of our president’s master plan. It’s great that we are able to do that, but I guess this economy as come back to bite us.</p>
<p>Toadstool - I agree with your parking views, but as I mentioned during the summer, there is no need to “hunt” for spot. Compared to the regular school year parking spaces are abundant. My wining is due to the fact that the parking patrol and even our UAPD are giving out tickets so harshly during the summer. They used to cut some slack during the summer but now all of a sudden they are over-enforcing them.</p>
<p>I had an officer try to give out tickets on move in day for one of the summer camp programs going on. We were like are you serious?! We had to explain to him that it was move in day and that they will move their cars as soon as possible b/c I guess he couldn’t figure it out.</p>
<p>we can file for refunds? I was under the impression scholarships covered 17 or 18 hours, and when i got the email about 16 i freaked out. so i emailed the college scholarships dept. uaprophet im beginning to agree that this is screwed up. But they cant tell me it covers 17 and then change it to 16! i cant afford to cover the extra OOS cost if i have to take 19 hours for my ME major.</p>
<p>Well, just read the USA Today article I posted: you can get a full tax refund of the first $2500 you spend on tuition (free), books, and fees, so even though your scholarship covers tuition, you can still get the rest of your expenses (minus room and board) for free, courtesy of the stimulus package.</p>
<p>oh yeah my dad told me something like that last night when i was freaking out over this whole thing. Im still quite upset, and im waiting for the scholarship office to email me back as to how many hours my scholarship will cover exactly.</p>
<p>We e-mailed the scholarship office this morning and got a reply. You should be grandfathered under the old policy of 12-17 hours for your scholarship. You need to let the scholarship people know if you are taking 17 hours, so that they can go manually into the file and not have the system charge you – at least that is what we have been told in writing.</p>