<p>My son received a letter today from UK. It was a pretty general letter urging him to apply, congratulating him on his high school career achievements, etc. He's already been accepted so I guess this was just making sure he stays interested. The interesting part is at the end and it says, "In addition, as notifications of those who have been named National Merit Finalists are being released, I would like to remind you that students who are named NMF automatically receive our Patterson Scholarship valued at over $78,000, which covers the cost of undergraduate tuition, PREMIUM housing, a $2,600/year meal allowance, the latest version of iPad and $2,000 for a Summer Education Abroad program." It goes on to say how the student needs to designate UK as #1 choice, etc. Am I reading this that premium housing would maybe be the new dorms? Anyone else have a take on this? Thanks!</p>
<p>Yes, we called and they confirmed that the premium housing is indeed the new dorms. Also, if you live off campus, they will give you the cash value of the premium dorms to pay for your off campus apartment.</p>
<p>Wow, that is great…new information for us! Thanks for letting us know.</p>
<p>We are also highly considering UK, and I did write them to confirm about the new dorms, and was told that Patterson Scholars can live wherever they wish on campus, and premium rooms are covered by the scholarship - the only extra costs he would have to cover would be if he upgrade the meal plan (which is the minimum, but have been told my many, many people to try it first before you upgrade because it works fine for just about everyone). </p>
<p>He has applied - waiting to hear on Honors College Status, but has already filled out his housing to live in Champions II Engineering LLC. We are finding the roommate search a bit difficult - not much info in the bios and for some reason we can’t get to most of it, and most all his matches are upperclassmen. Very confusing.</p>
<p>Do you know if they meant that Patterson scholars are guaranteed whichever dorm they want, or if they can request whichever dorm they want? My D has not really looked at roommates yet, as we do not know if she will be accepted into Honors/Honors LLC, or will be in a different dorm. We originally thought Central either way. Now, we are not so sure that she would want the everyday reminder that she did not get into Honors if she does not make it.</p>
<p>WV Parent- thanks for the info on the meal plan. My son has completed the housing application and the matches seemed to be inaccessible as well. He has asked for the Honors dorms but now thinks he might prefer Haggin Hall since he wants to eventually go into the medical field. He seems content to let them assign him and doesn’t seem to be concerned about it either way. He just wants to be in one of the premium dorms! Still waiting on the Honors status as well… </p>
<p>UPDATE: I just emailed Kentucky with a couple other questions (mostly I wanted to know the EXACT deadline that we have to have UK listed at the #1 choice for the Patterson- the most recent letter we got from KY (dated Feb. 13) stated a vague “mid-April” deadline. The person I emailed gave me different information that she did before. I had previously been told the Patterson would cover the room costs at ANY dorm, now they evidently have changed their tune to this: </p>
<p>“You are correct that his only additional cost would be for upgrading a meal plan. He has an option to live in premium housing, but not all communities are covered by the Patterson, which is contrary to what was true last year. I’m not certain if I told you previously that all were covered, but it is not true this year. He can live in any of our $2,323/semester traditional style housing options or any of our $3,425/semester suite style buildings (Central, Roselle, Baldwin, Ingles, and Smith) for no additional cost. Champions Court, Woodland Glen, or Haggin would be an extra cost of $479/semester. If he wants to live in a private bedroom in Champions Court II, it would be an additional $791/semester.”</p>
<p>I guess they could stay at any dorm last year, but with the new high-end dorms, they revised their policy. We have already been assigned to the Engineering LLC (Champions Court 1), thinking it would be covered, but now it looks like it will run us an extra $1000 a year. There goes the stipend. Since Central IS covered, we may have to re-think the dorm if he gets accepted into honors. I was also told those letters are going out now (some have been sent, remainder going out this week) and we should expect in hand by next week.</p>
<p>Glad that your shared the information. It definitely is confusing the way our letter was worded in that I assumed premium housing was all new dorms. My son definitely wants a new dorm so, as you say, there goes the stipend. There is KEES money available to Kentucky students. Does WV have a similar plan? I think my son will be getting approximately $2500/year in KEES money. My son has listed UK as #1 choice since he filled out National Merit paperwork back in September. We have not heard anything from the honors program nor has he been assigned a dorm!</p>
<p>I found the letter VERY misleading in the mentioning of premium housing. I did send an email to the person that it came from (Don Witt) for further clarification. I’m not sure my son will want to switch to Honors (if he even gets in) since Champions has the Engineering LLC and it is pretty darn nice - private bedroom and full size tempeurpedic. and a DOOR to the bedroom - lol. We are still deciding between UK and WVU and need to figure it out quick. Right now he has KY as his #1 school listed on NM, but he is going back and forth daily. West Virginia offers a PROMISE scholarship to WV Residents that qualify academically if they go to WV colleges, which is around $4700 per year which can combine with their National Merit package. Both schools are pretty close in scholarship offers, but Kentucky just went down $1000 with this new info, so they may be even now. </p>
<p>I emailed UK about a few things yesterday. The staff at UK are always so great about getting back to people in such a timely fashion, so I did get a response today. Here is what was said about dorms.</p>
<p>“Students won’t find out their housing assignment until June. We do have a lot of students that find a roommate at Merit Weekend. If students are requesting roommates, they will have to list each hall in the same order. For more detailed information about Housing, you can contact their office at 859-251-1866.” </p>
<p>I did not get the letter that you have gotten, so appreciate the details that you are sharing, kyproud and WVParent. I was told that they hope to have the rest of the acceptances to Honors sent out in the next week or 2.</p>
<p>I am glad to hear all the above information. Also when I was reviewing my son’s housing I noticed a line that said you would not get assigned a room until your meningitis vaccine is complete. I am scheduling my son’s tomorrow. I thought as long as got it before August we would be fine. We are going up for merit weekend 3/7-3/8. I hope to find out more info then. Good luck to all!</p>
<p>Honors acceptance letter came in today’s mail. He’s in - now we just have to decide whether or not to cough up the extra money for the new dorms or stay in Central. I guess that’s a pretty good problem to have. My freshman year in college, I had a crappy matress on the floor and milk crates as a headboard. :)) </p>
<p>Congratulations to you and your son. Keeping our fingers crossed for good news.</p>
<p>WV parent, congratulations to your son, that’s exciting…will he have the option to say in either dorm? I guess I thought honors meant automatic Central Hall. I hope they get to pick. My son is being heavily influenced by the full size tempurpedic mattresses too! He is more concerned on getting into Haggin Hall or Woodland then getting in the honors program! Good luck to your student Napermom!</p>
<p>Thanks. Daughter heard “granite” and Tempurpedic at a local event. Guess if she gets the new dorms she has no incentive to come home to visit laminate/Posturepedic.</p>
<p>Napermom and WV parents you guys are too funny. 
</p>
<p>NaperMom, I never thought of that. Guess I better do a little upgrading at the house so mine will consider coming home! :((
I’m not positive, but I don’t think they HAVE to live in the Honors dorm. Of course, last year that would have been his choice, because it is pretty darn awesome and we like the location a lot, but with the new dorms, I think he would prefer sharing a bathroom with one person instead of four. Plus the bigger bed and an actual bedroom door just in case the roommate is annoying. LOL </p>
<p>As a NMF, UK is also a top consideration for my son along with Alabama and UC, all of which have great NMF scholarships and offer ChemE with some medical school prep options. We visited UK twice (general tour and info a year ago, then an engineering focus afternoon last Fall) and are going back for Merit Weekend soon. So far likes everything about the school and the convenient access from SW Ohio. Ohio State’s offer leaves a residual cost of over $18K per year. Case Western, $32K! As a practical person I just can’t see not taking one of these very generous offers and paths to a debt free graduation.</p>
<p>I digress; back to the subject …</p>
<p>He received the same letter from Don Witt dated 13 Feb and saw the “premium housing” reference as well. Until this came, I had understood “traditional double” was what was covered. But now I am still a little confused even after reading WVParent’s post of a reply from a UK rep to clarify. At <a href=“Home | Wildcat Living”>Home | Wildcat Living; rates ('13-14) are given as $2323 for traditional double and $3325 (not $3425) for premium double. I get where those numbers come from. However, a premium single (I read that as private bedroom as is standard in Champions Court I) is listed as $4988, so I don’t understand the $479 and $791 additional to $3325. The math would indicate more than those amounts, or I am simply missing something. Perhaps an all new rate structure with even more tiers than Traditional/Premium and Double/Single? Thoughts? Explanations?</p>
<p>The UK folks are indeed great but it seems this could all be much less confusing. Other ambiguities are: (1) tuition is covered for OOS, but then in same paragraph says total package is $78K, then (2) Patterson is automatic for admitted NMF who list UK #1, but then also says this makes one “eligible” for Patterson?</p>
<p>Word out to current NMF UK students … What are you being told about housing related to your scholarship for Fall '14? What else can you comment on regarding the scholarship and your experience so far?</p>
<p>My son is OOS considering UKY Honors. Here’s info I got from someone in the scholarship office:
“The Patterson scholarship will always pay the price of a double room in the Honors Program dorm (so it would pay for him to have a room in the Honors dorm with a roommate, but not a single room in the Honors dorm) along with the minimum meal plan that is required for on campus living. Regarding the other new dorms that are coming up on campus next year, as they have not set prices for those just yet, we are unsure if they will be more expensive than the Honors dorm… if they are, he could live in one of those dorms and pay for the cost difference in the dorms out of pocket. On the flip side of that, if he were to live in a dorm that is less expensive than the Honors dorm, he would receive a residual check for the cost difference between his dorm and the Honors dorm.”</p>
<p>I hope that previous quote wasn’t too long!-- So, what’s great about UKY Honors? Son is also considering Oklahoma and Barrett. Those schools seem great. He thinks Kentucky Honors must be good,too. Anyone know?</p>