I am a loooong time reader but have now decided to come out of the shadows I am a 2017 NMSF who has applied and been accepted to UA for Summer 2017 (chemistry major).
I’ve seen a couple posts here and there about this topic, but I would like to read some more experiences if that’s okay with everyone.
I see that Alabama’s NMF award covers tuition for 10 semesters… about how much do course/enrollment fees typically run? The letter saying I was awarded the Presidential Scholarship says tuition is $26,950 for 2016-2017, but one link on their website says tuition is $27,750 (https://www.ua.edu/about/quickfacts) while another says $27,750 is tuition and fees (http://financialaid.ua.edu/cost/), so I just wasn’t sure.
Also, how are housing costs? Generally speaking, is it cheaper to live on campus, off campus, apartment, etc.?
Long story short, about how much out of pocket did you end up paying as a NMF at Alabama? With the freshman dining plan being mandatory ($1,775 a semester) and the stipend being disbursed as $1,750 each for fall and spring, I was just wondering how exactly costs added up for each year.
^^Lemon88^^ Congrats on making NMF! Our DS did as well and is halfway thru his second year. With the engineering scholarship added on top, he actually got to put about $1200 back in his pocket by the end of the 1st year. This was inclusive of tuition, room, board, fees and books. A great deal the 1st year and continues (albeit not including housing from year 2 onward). We pay about $9000 yearly out of pocket by him living off campus in a nice condo. Best of luck on your adventure and start looking for you research opportunities now! Get a head start on this great opportunity.
@BocaTerp I’m a 2017 NMSF, not NMF… but hopefully will advance [-O<
That is amazing that he had such a sizable amount to pocket at the end of the year!
I put chemistry as my major (which is very subject to change), but that extra $2500 has really made me think twice about their engineering majors, namely their chemistry and chemical engineering dual program. If you don’t my asking, what was your DS’ major?
@kjcphmom That is certainly eye opening… Thank you for the heads up. Do you happen to know about how much of the money goes to taxes? I would guess that there is a specific rate.
If you want that 2500 per year, you have to name Eng’g as your primary major… After you enroll you could add Chemistry as a second major, if desired.
The amount by which the scholarship exceeds “qualified expenses” is considered unearned income. There is no specific rate - it depends on the rest of your tax situation and possibly your parents’ tax situation, as you may have to pay the “kiddie tax” on that unearned income, which means you’re paying at your parents’ rate. My daughter ended up being taxed on her excess scholarship funds at pretty much the highest marginal rate, even though her income was not significant.
@aeromom so if you go through the first year and decide engineering isn’t for you, do you have to repay the scholarship or no? Clearly you lose it after year one but what happens to the money you already used? I’m just curious I would never do that for the money!
It is highly unethical to accept the ENGINEERING scholarship if a student does not intend to major in Engineering. You do not need to repay the money. UA is offering these scholarships in good faith, and they trust students to legit enter into engineering, not just to get the dough for a year and then transfer out to the college/major they intended to do all along. There have been students who post here that they are interested in xxx, and yet put down Engineering to get the scholarship when they have no intention of sticking with it. Just callin’ those kids out.
@BocaTerp What a coincidence! I had heard that engineering/science courses tended to run a little more than some other courses due to the lab fees, so I did not think there would be a sizable amount of money left over for a science/engineering student; it is great to see that it is still possible! I had an interest in CBH, but did not believe I could apply since I wasn’t planning on joining the honors college.
@“beth’s mom” Thank you for the information! I was under the impression that if the funds were used for required expenses for the school (tuition, books, fees, etc.) the tax would not apply, but it is interesting to see that it just really depends on how things shake out with what is considered qualified and the particular tax situation. I will be sure to take that into consideration.
@mom2collegekids Thank you! I will be sure to keep that in mind should I end up double majoring with chemistry and chemical engineering.
@aeromom Thank you for the link! There is definitely a lot of important information on that page, I’m not sure how I missed that page my first time perusing UA’s site. I wholeheartedly agree with your point about declaring engineering just for the money. I had heard of the scholarship before hand, but at the time was not intending to major in engineering, so I did not put that on the application. Engineering has always been in the back of my mind, though, so it is very possible I may end up as an engineering major; for me, the additional scholarship would just be an extra benefit, I definitely would not declare engineering just to get the money.
I am a 2017 NMSF who has applied and been accepted to UA for Summer 2017 (chemistry major).
I had heard that engineering/science courses tended to run a little more than some other courses due to the lab fees, so I did not think there would be a sizable amount of money left over for a science/engineering student; it is great to see that it is still possible! I had an interest in CBH, but did not believe I could apply since I wasn’t planning on joining the honors college.