<p>The fact that one has to pay a non-refundable enrollment deposit in order to place a housing deposit is something that many families have questioned over the years. Yes, the deposit often has to be placed before financial aid packages arrive. The way my family and others rationalized paying a $450 deposit, of which $225 was nonrefundable is that UA was my top choice and would likely have a good financial aid package. If for some reason I decided to not attend UA, my family was out $225. While that’s a significant amount of money, when one considers all the money spent on applying to colleges one won’t attend and the large amount of money spent over 4+ years of college, $225 is a small gamble. Would my family have risked that at every school I was accepted? No. 2-3 schools? Possibly.</p>
<p>Seatide…University of Alabama is a member of the NACAC (national association for college admissions counseling) Because they are in some way asking for a nonrefundable enrollment deposit before May 1st, they would be in violation of NACAC policies.</p>
<p>General question that some may not think of. If you live off campus, you would get a commuter parking pass. If you live on campus, you would get a residential parking pass, and would park in your dorm’s lot. Now, what kind of parking pass and where do you park if you live in a fraternity/sorority house?</p>
<p>I agree with mom2collegekids about the deposit.</p>
<p>About the dorms reputation, since most of the students living in the dorms are freshmen, a dorm that is known as a party dorm one year might not be one the following year. A few exception would be living communities or Mallet affiliated dorm.</p>
<p>there is a parking lot near the sorority houses. i think there is a garage on the plans.</p>
<p>some of the residents (maybe half) of the newer houses will have the opportunity to purchase a spot in a reserved lot behind their house. it is a little pricey, but handy to know there will be a spot waiting for you.</p>
<p>Alabama agreed to this when they became a member of the NACAC so I believe what they are doing is in clear violation:</p>
<ol>
<li>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;</li>
</ol>
<p>If people have a problem with University of Alabama policy, they don’t have to apply there. If this is a deal breaker for some people, vote with your feet and go elsewhere.</p>
<p>First, I wish UA would change this policy. Having said that, I never felt manipulated or pressured in any way to make a housing deposit. It was totally up to me. So, as a family we made a calculated decision that it was better to be safe than sorry. I have no qualms ethically with our decision. I believe that as long as a student doesn’t have more than one deposit down on May 1st then they are operating within the bounds of the agreement.</p>
<p>Second, if I felt as strongly as some of the posters in this thread, it would be hypocritical to attend UA. If one truly believes that this policy is so egregious, why would you subject your children to 4 years at this institution?</p>
<p>That is a rhetorical question. The answer by the way is the $$$!</p>
<p>River…if you feel this way, then you should contact Bama Housing (as I suggested earlier). Complaining here won’t change anything, will it? </p>
<p>Contact someone in a leadership position, not someone who just answers the phone. You can also politely let them know that you’re considering reporting the issue. </p>
<p>Since Alabama is NOT the only school that does this, I suspect that either it’s a largely ignored violation or it isn’t a violation because of some fine line. Maybe because Bama promises to have housing for all freshman, that is the “gray area”. Also, Bama isn’t letting those early depositors to choose housing prior to May 1st, so maybe that’s another “gray area.”</p>
<p>Certainly those schools that have ED policies are allowed to ignore that rule, so maybe there are some other caveats.</p>
<p>Mom2agrtds: Hi - I was in the same boat as you a while back. NO other schools that my S was considering required a non-refundable enrollment deposit as well as the mostly-refundable housing deposit before being able to proceed with housing. I wasn’t thrilled at the time, but we took the plunge and made the payments so he would have a good chance at getting the housing situation he wanted, etc. My S actually sounds a lot like yours except that he is also quite into sports. He’s planning to live in Burke and is casually looking for a roommate via the Class of 18 FB page and via the Roommate Finder. We are now 99.5% sure he will attend UA; he is very excited of course! Good luck!</p>
<p>This issue about deposits has been discussed many, many times on this forum, just do a search. If it bothers you to deposit then you have to make that clear to the administartion. Dont complain to just housing but to the administration itself, as high as you can go. Voice your concerns to the right people, really we can discuss it here ad nauseum but the requirement will not change because of that.</p>
<p>As Aeromom said you certainly have a right not to apply to UA if the deposit bothers you. Or if applying, you can choose not to deposit and take “potluck” for a housing choice. It really is a personal decision.</p>
<p>However, I believe that the wording is that you can not Double Deposit after the deadline and the deadline is May 1st., isn’t that correct? Therefore, if you deposit before May 1st, change your mind and withdraw the acceptance to the college you have deposited at, and then accept admission and deposit elsewhere, how is that a violation? You would still only have one acceptance/deposit at any one time. isn’t it just a matter of timing?? </p>
<p>Again, you have to do what is best for you and your student.</p>
<p>robotbldmom, you are on the right track. It all boils down to not having more than 1 deposit down at any given time. I’ve read enough legal mumbo jumbo to figure out the wording and what it means. </p>
<p>Here is the nuts and bolts of what this all means:
If the student is accepted into UA and is their second choice they can make a deposit to “play it safe” while they wait on their 1st pick school to send an acceptance. They can make the deposit on the first day that it is open, October 1st. Then when April 1st rolls around and they receive the acceptance to their first choice school and that is where they (and their family) really want to be, they simply pull their UA acceptance and place it with their top pick school. What the rule is saying is that Jr or Suzy can NOT keep their acceptance AND deposit at UA and put in one at the other school. Jr or Suzy can NOT have 2 (or more) deposits at any given school. That is what the rule stipulates. </p>
<p>There are a host of other big colleges that start accepting deposits way before May 1st.</p>