<p>I can only imagine the nightmare that would happen if potential students were allowed to reserve housing even though they knew they may not be using. Which is why many of the hotels in college towns with a huge draw for football games now make all reservations NON refundable. They have had too many that just book and hold rooms “just in case” and then cancel them at the last minute. It is not right to those students that have made up their mind that they do wish to attend that school and can not get a dorm assignment. The juggling that would be done at the last minute for the housing department would be a nightmare. </p>
<p>Or, you do what one school I know has. On the housing application you are allowed to give your dorm building preferences 1-3, roommates1-3. Then you have to decide and indicate which is more important, dorm building or roommate. The students are not informed until mid June which dorm building they are in and their roommates. Sorry, I don’t like that! At all! Why? I liked being prepared and not hit with every expense all at once for college. Which means I find out in mid June my kid is going to be in a suite vs a traditional dorm and needs more dorm supplies. Or, your kid that needs more quiet time to study and sleep that would function better in a suite style dorm is told they are in a traditional dorm. </p>
<p>You have to look at some of these things from a business perspective. Bama is luring in these top kids with great merit aid. Giving them the option to pick their dorm building, room and roommate(s) early on. The Honors student that wants the Honors dorm knows if they put their deposits in early they will have no problem getting that dorm. You won’t have the parent that is all upset that they were promised these things but held out making deposits and ends up in an older traditional dorm. The wait is over, they know what to prepare for and can enjoy their last year of high school. Bama’s Housing Dept is “off the hook” and it took less work since it was done by the students ahead of time. They have plenty of time to iron out any issues and not scrambling in June and July trying to figure out where to put all of these kids. They know their anticipated enrollment and it probably has very little fluctuation over the summer.</p>
<p>I don’t understand why colleges cannot provide enough housing for students. At some universities, housing is so tight that students are forced to move off campus. Why can’t they just build enough housing? I would think that there are enough students that would love to pay more to have a single when available, which would fill up any “extra” space.</p>
<p>I really like the way the University of Kentucky handles this. After acceptance, one signs up for a summer advising conference, holding a spot for that student. No deposit is required. If you decide not to go, you just cancel your 2 day conference. The housing application allows one to list up to 5 dorms, apply for living learning communities, and get a place in line. No deposit is required. It allows for a stress reduced (not stress free) decision to be made, without worries of “missing out.” It gives a very positive impression regarding the school, and makes prospective parents feel more at ease.</p>
<p>because not all students want to live on campus. lets say that univ or mars has dorm beds for ALL of its students. well, it turns out that only 25% of students want to live on campus. so now univ of mars is stuck with 75% of their beds empty.</p>
<p>the only way this works is if all students are guaranteed and required to live on campus. that is not really possible when a school reaches a certain size or is in the process of growing.</p>
<p>it is a balancing act. the school wants to fill the dorm beds it does have as much as possible, and in UA’s case, it wants all freshmen to live on campus. this situation leaves most who are not freshmen out of luck.</p>
<p>I am not saying to have enough beds available for the entire student population. When rooms that are meant for one student are being used for two, or when a student is having an issue, but there are no rooms to change to, it is not enough. I am sure that if more premium type housing was built, where students who were not freshman had options, many might choose to live there versus off campus. Maybe I am just thinking back to my college days, as the problem seems to still exist at many colleges if what I read is accurate. There was no way to get a single even if you wanted one. It appears that is the case at many schools today. Some schools appear way ahead of the game, offering apartment living for upperclassmen, with 9 month contracts available. I could be wrong, but I assume that many freshman would choose a single if available, which would provide a little flexibility during high enrollment years. If some floors were not utilized in a building, they could probably rent those rooms out on Football weekends to parents and still recover costs, assuming what I hear hotel rooms in Tuscaloosa go for during big events is true. Think of the nostalgia of staying on campus and being able to eat in a dorm for three times the price of what is costs the university.</p>
<p>That is exactly what the current policy causes to happen. Students pay their enrollment and housing deposits to reserve a space “just in case” they choose UA and then don’t bother to show up – or even let Alabama know that they aren’t coming. The fact that almost all of the freshman women who were temporarily assigned to forced doubles in Bryce Lawn and The Highlands were accommodated in permanent rooms within the first week of school shows the degree to which the current policy causes miscalculations of the actual numbers of rooms required to house students who are actually plan to attend UA. From a planning perspective, Alabama would be better off allowing students to make their enrollment and housing deposits in line with the national decision time frames required by NACAC so that it can be certain that those who sign up for housing are actually enrolling at UA and thus likely to show up – instead of just paying the enrollment deposit as a way of getting in line so that they will have a good housing situation if they choose their “safety.”</p>
<p>Here’s a dumb question, which I think I already know the answer to - if you ask for your enrollment deposit back, based on the issues outlined above, does that mean your child is no longer in the admitted applicants pool?</p>
<p>Thanks but that wasn’t my question. If the school is contacted about getting any deposit back does that mean your child is no longer considered an accepted student?</p>
<p>Step 2 = student is accepted … is sitting on the acceptance but has not submitted an enrollment deposit … they have until May 1st to decide</p>
<p>Step 3 = student submits enrollment deposit early along with housing deposit because of Bama’s dubious deposit rules</p>
<p>Step 4 = for some reason student wants to take back the enrollment deposit … now what is their status. Do they?</p>
<p>Go back to step 2 where they are an accepted student who has until May 1st to decide? Or by withdrawing their enrollment deposit does Bama considered that turning down Bama? or restrict their options in any way?</p>
<p>Good question. And in a world where more schools place this requirement to get on the housing list a student would be wise to have their enrollment deposit at their current #1 choice … and to do that they may want to pull back an enrollment deposit while keeping that option open.</p>
<p>I’m not sure that’s what’s being asked because enrollment deposits aren’t returned…so asking for one back will get you nowhere. </p>
<p>So, if a person is at Step 4, it makes no sense to “go back to step 2 and have until May to decide.” There’s no “going back” because there’s no deposit being refunded. since there’s no refund, there’s no reason to tell Bama that you’re not coming until you know for sure that you’re going elsewhere.</p>
<p>FRESHMAN ENROLLMENT DEPOSIT
Upon admission to UA, all entering freshmen are required to submit a $200 NONREFUNDABLE Freshman Enrollment Deposit (Fall tuition prepayment). Here are a few things to remember about the enrollment deposit and how it fits into the Admissions process:</p>
<p>The Freshman Enrollment Deposit must be paid before applying for housing or registering for orientation.
The deadline for paying the Freshman Enrollment Deposit is May 1, 2014.
Further instructions will be sent via myBama email to students who are admitted to UA.</p>
<p>May I ask why you would withdraw your enrollment deposit UNLESS you were no longer interested in attending?</p>
<p>Right, that’s what I should have asked. </p>
<p>Either way, if you ask to withdraw your name (say you have an ED acceptance), then you’re declining admission. Bama doesn’t give your enrollment money back.</p>
<p>Because I am not comfortable having one after hearing about the ethical considerations when all her acceptances are not yet in. Housing issues certainly puts pressure on families. We toured a school that said be sure to get your deposit in or you may not get housing.</p>
<p>My D has also been accepted at UA . It’s a top 2 choice but we haven’t visited yet. Will go in March. Her other choice is also rolling admit and requires enrollment depost to get in housing line. Thinking of depositing at both schools to get in line for housing and withdrawing one in March after final visit. In this case is double deposit ok.</p>
<p>It’s fine…people do it all the time. Bama is not on the Common app.</p>
<p>Anyway…some people will claim that there can be ramifications, but if there actually were any, we’d have long heard about them in the Bama forum or on the other CC forums.</p>