Hi, I received Alabama’s NMF scholarship package, but I missed the deadline for whatever full ride scholarship they offered. The deal is pretty sweet but to really make Alabama my top contender, the 8k a year for a room during years 2-4 is getting in the way. Are there any opportunities to have the room covered by scholarship as well? Is the admissions office able to have any leeway on this?
You could look to outside scholarships for additional funds for board those years.
I’m not aware of any full ride scholarship at UA. The NMF scholarship is the most generous one they offer. It covers full tuition plus first year room. If you go engineering, you will also receive the $2500 per year on top of the NMF scholarship.
Off campus housing can be much more affordable for years 2-4, as long as you don’t get the top of the line apartments that border campus.
Investigate departmental scholarships. They are competitive and only awarded to a handful of students, but there are dept scholarships available. Here are just a few that are available:
http://www.as.ua.edu/home/advising/college-wide-and-departmental-scholarships/
http://cis.ua.edu/undergraduates/scholarships/
http://math.ua.edu/resources-for-students/scholarships/
What is your major???
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Income Bracket: 200k+
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My mom said she could pay $25k and my dad said he could do about the same (they’re separated). But my mom didn’t trust my dad to pay anything and encouraged me to make a list without an expectation that that money would be there
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What is the problem?
Your first year you’d get tuition, room and $3500
for years 2-4, you’d get tuition and $3500
for year 5 (or summer abroad) you’d get tuition.
$2000 for a summer experience
you can take the SUB loan every year, bank the first year, and use that for a future year.
Your mom would have to pay MINIMAL for your undergrad. If your dad helps, that even less for your mom to pay.
What is the issue?
? Which of your other schools would be cheaper than Bama?
And, yes if you major in Comp Sci or Eng’g, you’d get an add’l 2500 per year.
OP says “he missed the deadline”. Isn’t the NMF package offer good until May? It’s the other institutional scholarships – like the Residential Scholarship – that have the Dec application deadline.
StagNation Yes there is, you can become an Resident Advisor (RA).
http://housing.ua.edu/pdfs/HRC_Student_Staff_Roles.pdf
In addition to free housing, you will also receive a monthly stipend of $160
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OP says “he missed the deadline”. Isn’t the NMF package offer good until May? It’s the other institutional scholarships – like the Residential Scholarship – that have the Dec application deadline.
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?? What “residential scholarship” ?? Are you talking about becoming a RA? Incoming Frosh can’t apply for that, so he hasn’t missed that…
He’s talking about missing the deadline for Bama’s larger awards…I think like Academic Elite or Crimson Elite or something.
But, he’s NMF, he wouldn’t get those anyway. I think he knows that he hasn’t missed the NMF deadline.
m2ck According to OP, he needs room scholarship starting in year 2, not as freshman. Yes, I’m talking about becoming an RA if he needs to have room covered for years 2-4. He will have room covered and receive a substantial stipend that with his NMF scholarship will cover board and possibly books as well. So no need for loans per your suggestion.
@class2012mom That’s a good idea. @Mom2aphysicsgeek, that’s a good one as well!
@mom2collegekids Bama is my cheapest school and already a bargain, but I’m just looking to see if I can get any more money. Wouldn’t want to miss anything. Yesterday I changed my major to Comp Sci for the extra $2500. It’s one of maybe 4 or 5 majors I’m considering but I read that you can’t get the money for any previous years.
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m2ck According to OP, he needs room scholarship starting in year 2, not as freshman. Yes, I'm talking about becoming an RA if he needs to have room covered for years 2-4. He will have room covered and receive a substantial stipend that with his NMF scholarship will cover board and possibly books as well. So no need for loans per your suggestion.
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You misunderstood my post. I totally understood the situation.
I only mentioned taking the sub loan because he could save it for a later year, if needed for housing costs. No interest would accumulate on a sub loan.
And, yes of course housing is provided for the first year for a NMF…that’s why I commented that he hasn’t missed any deadlines for that.
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Yesterday I changed my major to Comp Sci for the extra $2500. It's one of maybe 4 or 5 majors I'm considering but I read that you can't get the money for any previous years.
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good.
I’m not sure what you mean in that second sentence but if you mean that you can’t declare CS in a later year and get that money, that is true.
One can live very well at UA on $50,000 plus tuition over four years, 35,000-40,000 if they are more thrifty. With the NMF scholarship, engineering scholarship, and $25,000, the OP has that almost fully covered.
The biggest way to save money at UA is to not have a car and live off campus in a slightly older apartment with fewer amenities. It’s still possible to share an apartment for less than $500 per person, per month on a 12 month lease, utilities included. It can be even less if a bunch of friends are sharing a house near campus.
Definitely research alternative ways to purchase or rent textbooks. I was able to cut my textbook expenses by more than half by purchasing them online.
If you want to study abroad, you may be able to organize it such that your housing and airfare are covered by the tuition portion of your scholarship.
Be thrifty and that $3500 in scholarship money could likely cover food, books, and personal expenses. Add in $800 for course fees, $1500 in travel expenses, and $6,000 for the cost of housing and you’re at around $8300 per year or $24,900 for the final three years and around $27,000 for all four years. If your mom can afford $25,000 plus the costs she’s already paying for expenses while you’re living with her, you wouldn’t need to take out any loans.