<p>My ds will be applying to college this fall. He is casting a wide net and will likely have three safeties on his list. I have been reading a few different places on CC that there are lots of housing crunches everywhere. He will apply to some schools who do not make decisions until April 1.</p>
<p>My main question is: Is it the NORM to be able to place a housing deposit without an enrollment deposit? Is it UNUSUAL that one must place an enrollment deposit before a housing deposit? Same question, I realize! :)</p>
<p>One of his safeties is Alabama. On a thread on the Alabama forum (sorry, I am too techno-challenged to do the hyper-link thingie - it's the one about cookies with chocolate chips v. cookies with raisins) there is a discussion about their housing crunch, and it is indicated that one must make an enrollment deposit to make a housing deposit. However, I have read over and over again on CC that it is unethical to make more than one enrollment deposit. Then, someone on CC told me that "rule" only applied to Common App schools. But another IRL friend told me that one could ONLY make one enrollment deposit anywhere - his daughter just went through the college application process last year - whether a Common App school or not.</p>
<p>I don't want my ds to get crummy housing if he winds up at a safety. I was always under the impression that EVERYONE allowed housing deposits without enrollment deposits, but now I am unsure. My ds would make Honors at Alabama (I think it's pretty cut and dry - just fill out an app for it??? - maybe I better check on that again, too!), but he is applying to a couple of state schools where regular admission would be a safety but Honors would not. He would not attend those state schools unless he got Honors. But even if he found out early on that he was in Honors at those state schools, he isn't going to be prepared to make a decision until April. What if two of his safeties required enrollment deposits to put down housing deposits? Doesn't that put pressure on him to make a choice among safeties early? Or at least force him to make a choice in order to get better housing?</p>
<p>How can I find out which schools require enrollment deposits in order to make housing deposits???? It really seems like an unfair way for big state schools with housing crunches to put pressure on kids prior to the "big" day. Please understand - I have NO issue making housing deposits - even if none of them are refunded. But I certainly don't want to do anything unethical.</p>
<p>Stressed today!</p>
<p>Don’t stress. Yes, it is normal to put more than one housing deposit down. At many places this is refundable if you cancel before a certain date.</p>
<p>Your ONE enrollment deposit should not be due until May 1 unless you are an ED acceptance.</p>
<p>Thanks, thumper1. I am NOT stressed about putting more than one housing deposit down. I am happy to do this everywhere my ds gets in whether it is refundable or not. But what I am being told on the Alabama forum is that to pay a housing deposit at Alabama one must first pay an enrollment deposit. Which would either force a decision to get good housing or risk bad housing if Alabama winds up the choice.</p>
<p>I am concerned if other schools have this policy (enrollment deposit required for housing deposit) as well since one is only supposed to make only ONE enrollment deposit.</p>
<p>Send a PM to mom2collegekids…she knows much about 'bamas policies.</p>
<p>Or call the school to ask them!</p>
<p>Ha ha! I have! I fear I have undermined/insulted her knowledge of all things Bama by asking this question here! She is 100% correct that an enrollment deposit is required for housing. I found that on their website. What I cannot find is if that enrollment deposit is considered binding. I am hoping they are unusual in this approach. I don’t understand why they just don’t make the housing deposit more expensive. </p>
<p>I do think I will call them.</p>
<p>You can only deposit for enrollment at one school at a time, as I understand it. But, with such an early enrollment required, I’m not sure if this is actually legally binding. The general policy is not to require a decision until May 1st.</p>
<p>But, if the deposit is due this early, and this happens at more than one school, I’m not sure what the accepted practice is. If it were my kid, and we didn’t face this, I would probably call admissions and let them know if I had to make an enrollment dep. at more than one school before May1st. These departments aren’t generally trying to get you to “commit” as they are making sure you have any intention of attending if you are going to get the priority housing, imho.</p>
<p>I called Alabama. The woman I spoke with said it was binding, but if my ds decided to go elsewhere, it was “not a big deal.” Just to let them know in writing that he was enrolling elsewhere. </p>
<p>My concern is that it IS a big deal elsewhere - I don’t want another school to pull on offer of admission (or not extend one) because of a $200 enrollment deposit.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>They won’t.</p>
<p>An early deposit to obtain housing priority is not atypical of publics. And the word, priority, is the key. For those that don’t have the cash or want to wait, they end up in the dorming lottery.</p>
<p>(Can’t say I have ever seen that requirement for private colleges…)</p>
<p>How would another school KNOW that you put an early deposit down on Alabama? Yes, some schools share lists, especially for ED candidates. But I don’t think Alabama is on that share list.</p>
<p>Is the $200 refundable? What about the housing deposit? Or is it $200 total?</p>
<p>I believe enrollment is $200 and is non-refundable. There is a separate amount paid for a housing deposit - not sure of the amount. The enrollment deposit is required before one can apply for housing. Two separate deposits. </p>
<p>I don’t know how another school would know, thumper1, but I don’t want to do something unethical whether they would know or not. My understanding is that Common App schools only allow one enrollment deposit.</p>
<p>We had this scenario a few years back and called the schools involved. They both told us it was ok to have enrollment deposits (required to insure housing) at more than one school BEFORE May 1st, but that we had to cancel all but one by the deadline. The key is to only have one active enrollment on May 1st. The deposits at some schools are refundable while others are not. Your best bet is to always call the schools involved directly.</p>
<p>I don’t think you have to do anything unethical.</p>
<p>Does your daughter have her schools ranked? Has she visited? Does she know if Bama is a top choice? </p>
<p>So, if you enroll deposit at Bama and then a preferred school accepts her (which likely won’t require the deposit) she can wait til May. Or, if a school she will definitely attend over Bama accepts her, she can withdraw her enrollment and commit there.</p>
<p>It’s not unethical to deposit at more than one school, just at more than one school AT A TIME. Think about the waitlist situations. It is not unethical to accept a waitlist spot up to the day of enrollment. You just lose the deposit.</p>
<p>(I’m sure there are those who would say just deposit wherever.) I personally think if a school is going to ask for a non-refundable deposit that early then they are not acting in a very fair way. OTOH, these big state schools have to find ways to give housing priority to the kids who know they want to be there no matter what.</p>
<p>Good luck to you guys.</p>
<p>Thanks. Schools are not ranked at this point. Alabama is a safety because of generous merit aid. It would be fine if they guaranteed honors housing for honors students, but I don’t believe they do.</p>
<p>We just returned home from a visit to UT-Austin & TAMU, who both require enrollment deposits before housing deposits (if I’m remembering correctly!). Currently, DS has UA, TAMU & UT on the top of his list. UA would definitely be a safety, but UT and TAMU would only be doable if scholarship money comes through. And if I understand correctly, we won’t know that until later in the game. But they are the ones that I’m most concerned about housing! </p>
<p>I posted this in another thread, but UT has 7,000 spots for student housing, while they’re incoming freshman class is 8,000+. If DS happens to get admitted to UT or TAMU, we would need to put housing (and enrollment) deposit down in order to secure any type of housing just for the chance that he might get enough in scholarships to make it affordable. But in doing that, he would have to forfeit putting any type of housing (and enrollment) deposit down at UA and run the chance of not getting into his preferred housing there. All this because I would not feel comfortable putting enrollment deposits down at more than one school - and enrollment deposits are not refundable. </p>
<p>I am ok with putting refundable housing deposits down, as long as enrollment deposit is not a pre-requisite. I guess we’ll just need to read the fine print of every school DS is interested in and flip a coin on which one gets the enrollment deposit until all the financial information is in. :(</p>
<p>beadymom, I believe when FA is an issue, a lot of these rules go out the window. </p>
<p>Call the admissions offices and don’t ask, TELL them you will have to double deposit while you wait to get your FA offer. I’d be very surprised if they argue.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t do it now. Just do it if you find yourself in that situation.</p>
<p>We were asked to do an enrollment deposit when DD was accepted to U of South Carolina. DD politely contacted them and said she was not prepared to make her matriculation decision until the May 1 date and requested an extension…which they gave her.</p>
<p>Thumper, did she still get to do the priority housing?</p>
<p>I think that becomes a big issue at Alabama, because these merit scholar kids all, understandably, want the honors housing. fwiw</p>
<p>We deposited at Alabama this year in January and my dd is not going there now. We send an email and received a credit on our credit card for the refundable part about 2 weeks later. It was very easy. My guess is they are doing this ALOT because they are a great safety for so many honors type kids with their great merit! And they are a great school for those who end up attending - we have friends with kids there that are thriving! Goodluck with your search.</p>
<p>Great question. My S will likely be in the same situation. Although UA is a great school, he won’t be in a position to make a final decision until he hears from all schools on April 1. Reading some of the housing threads on the 'Bama forum, I was concerned about his ability to get honors housing if he ends up attending. I hadn’t even thought of the possibility of putting down an enrollment deposit without being sure he would attend the school. Sounds like a good idea, though, as long as he lets 'Bama know of any change of plans before depositing at another school should the situation arise. Guess I should check out Northeastern’s policy for honors housing too!</p>
<p>We did as poetgrl outlined.</p>
<p>We MADE the Enrollment and Housing deposit at Bama as early as possible.</p>
<p>I did not see it as unethical. If he would have changed his mind, we would have requested a refund from Bama for the enrollment (housing is not refundable) BEFORE the May 1 deadline of placing an Enrollment deposit elsewhere.</p>
<p>Out of the 12 schools he applied, Bama was the only school we needed to place the enrollment AND housing early to secure housing.</p>
<p>Another school, the housing could be paid without enrollment.</p>
<p>The remaining schools on DS list did not require we do this before May 1.</p>