<p>Very disappointed with the reduction. I’m only getting son to visit because of the chance of a full ride. </p>
<p>But, it still remains a very generous scholarship.</p>
<p>UA is still covering on-campus housing for the one year students are required to be on campus. After that students can find housing that’s a lot less expensive, so while there will be an additional financial outlay in subsequent years, it doesn’t have to be the $8800 a year that the super suites cost. It’s still a really nice scholarship, even with the change.</p>
<p>beth’s mom – Having to acquire off campus housing is why Bama may lose appeal to my son. </p>
<p>He doesn’t want the headache. He is not a planner. He loved the LACs with guaranteed 4 yr housing. Of course, in our area we are tainted by the Penn State horror stories where if you don’t secure a place by 10 months in advance you may not get an apartment.</p>
<p>Very, very disapointing. This will be a deal-killer for many.</p>
<p>So what are the other (non-NMF) scholarships that include honors housing???</p>
<p>I agree - part of the appeal was not having to deal with searching for off campus housing each year. My 2012 S applied, and I had in mind having my 2015 S apply if he makes NMF. Not a deal killer necessarily, but it does make it less appealing. </p>
<p>Just out of curiosity, since this if the 2013-2014 package we’re talking about, does that mean that the current rising seniors (class of 2013) still have the 4 year guarantee?</p>
<p>Based on this latest change does anyone know if the other UA campuses will also be reducing their NMF packages? Both UAB and UAH have excellent NMF scholarship packages and their website description of the the NMF packages haven’t changed yet.</p>
<p>PinotNoir: If you are taking about the Alabama Class of 2013, yes, the students still receive four years of honors housing. I saw the e-mail my son got the other day from housing. It listed his roommates’ names, e-mails and phone numbers along with the value of his room at the Bluffs, who is nearly $5,000 a semester.</p>
<p>TXArchitect: The Crimson Scholarship, which is non-NMF, includes honors housing. But only five to seven are given each year, and usually, just one to an OOS student.</p>
<p>Longhaul: Finding student housing in T-Town is not a bad experience. The school holds a couple of off-camps housing events during the year. Students have a chance to get brochures and talk with representatives of each place. Also, there are some that offer transportation (the Crimson Ride) to and from the campus. There is a tremendous savings in living off campus – it is something I already addressed with my younger son, should have go to UA. He probably will not be a NMF (our cutoff in Virginia is usually very high). As for Penn State, my son just returned from distance running camp there. While he said it was a nice school, it was too big for him.</p>
<p>I am confused now. Current rising seniors (thhose who are applying NOW to begin UA in the fall of 2013) WILL get the four years???</p>
<p>Tx…</p>
<p>I think Momreads post is confusing. </p>
<p>If the change is true, then Fall 2013 Bama Frosh class will NOT get the 4 years of housing. The change is affecting those seniors who are applying this application season. </p>
<p>This Fall 2012 frosh class WILL still get the 4 years.</p>
<p>Wow. We visited just the last week of May and were given a summary of NMF scholarship that included 4 years in an Honors Dorm and we were given a tour of said dorm. We applied, as soon as the application opened, the transcripts and SAT scores are already at UA…</p>
<p>AND NOW THEY CHANGE THE PACKAGE? AFTER the application opened???</p>
<p>Since much of the appeal to us was the prospect of staying in the same dorm for all four years, do you think that NMFs will have lost their priority to stay in the Honors dorms, since the university will not be including the subsequent three years in the NMF scholarship???</p>
<p>It would seem so, if the motivation in reducing the NMF scholarship is due to concern about housing freshmen…</p>
<p>momreads - I was talking about the kids graduating high school 2013 - the kids starting to apply now. Since people like TXArchitect were told it’s good for the HS 2013 kids, and the website showing the change is identified as the 2013-2014 package, my interpretation is that this current pool of applicants (graduating HS 2013) are the last class to be offered the full housing package for all four years.</p>
<p>Well the current pool of applicants graduating 2013 are going to get the 2013-2014 package since that is their freshman year.</p>
<p>momreads - I was talking about the kids graduating high school 2013 - the kids starting to apply now. Since people like TXArchitect were told it’s good for the HS 2013 kids, and the website showing the change is identified as the 2013-2014 package, my interpretation is that this current pool of applicants (graduating HS 2013) are the last class to be offered the full housing package for all four years.</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>If that were true, Bama wouldn’t have changed the website at this point. The change is so that those applying THIS app season know what the offer is. If your interpretation were correct, then Bama would list two different offers…one for those applying now…and one for those applying during the 2013 app season.</p>
<p>yes, people like Txarch were told that the offer was for four years, but the change seemed to have been decided a few days ago.</p>
<p>No, I don’t think this has to do with the new Pres…I doubt he’s even in his AL office yet, much less making any decisions.</p>
<p>I think it has to do with the rising number of NMF/NA students, the cost of the super suites, and the issue of having enough spaces for all frosh on campus. I would have preferred that Bama had just changed the amount given towards 4 years of housing…say $4k per year.</p>
<p>PinotNoir: No problem. If, indeed, it is true that Alabama will reduce the housing to just one year, that will be a big blow to a lot of students’ college plans. It also will change the way the school will be recruiting students, particularly the ones from OOS.</p>
<p>I think those who are affected by this change…especially those who’ve already visited or have scheduled visits…should contact the school and voice a concern.</p>
<p>I do think that Bama has underestimated how this will affect their NMF numbers. Maybe they don’t care that the NMF numbers will likely drop from 150+ per year to probably less than 75 (yes, I do think it will be that dramatic). If the issue is that they don’t mind if the NMF numbers drop, then fine. If they think that Bama will still get high NMF numbers, I think they’re wrong. </p>
<p>Again, I can understand not being able to continue giving 4 years of housing at about $9k per year, and I can understand not being able to continue assuring honors housing for all those years, but the scholarship could have been tweaked differently to lessen cost and occupancy issues.</p>
<p>As for the comfort of staying in the same dorm for all 4 years. A student still has to move out and move in every year, even if they end up choosing the same dorm each year. And, few, if any, publics guarantee housing for all 4 years.</p>
<p>Yes, I agree that the way to go would have been to give some kind of housing stipend.</p>
<p>I have just looked, but can not find, a recent CC thread that discussed SuperSuite housing at UA and OTHER SCHOOLS, and how they are used in a kind of Bait-and-Switch scenario to attract students…who then find them unavailable/impossible to get in. Can anyone find that thread?</p>
<p>I would imagine that, for the student , like my DD, intending to live on campus all four years, that the prospect of starting out in, say, Ridgecrest, only to be forced to transition to a double room elsewhere sophomore year, holds VERY LITTLE APPEAL.</p>
<p>I am certainly NOT going to make custom bookcases for the headboard of a different bed in a different dorm all four years!!! lol</p>
<p>How much does it cost on the average to live in an apartment outside the campus? I know the costs can vary widely depending on the type of apartment ( or house ) and how many people one shares the apartment/house with, but in general if 3 students decide to take up a 3 bedroom apartment in a safe area how much minimum should one expect to pay per month, including utilities?</p>
<p>My D lives in a house just off campus. Rent and utilites total $525 a month. It is a 4 bedroom house that she shares w 4 girls. One block from the strip.</p>
<p>One roommate moved out this year to a 2 bedroom apt. . She said she would be paying $225 w/ utilities. She said it wasn’t beautiful…but between classes and her internship she wasn’t at home much!</p>
<p>Ds Sophmore year she lived in the Woodlands, its about a mile or two from campus. Beautiful 4 bedroom suite furnished about $575 a month in 2010. Utilites included. They have since offered a shuttle to campus.</p>
<p>You’re right, mom2collegekids, I was thinking sideways. </p>
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<p>Yes - I agree. There’s a big difference between full ride and full tuition, and this moves them closer to full tuition, although it’s still better than straight full tuition.</p>