Question about housing at UA

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

<p>Hello all,
It has always been a dream of mine to attend the University of Alabama, and as of last week I found out that I will in fact be transferring to Tuscaloosa this fall. However, it took a while for me and my family to work everything out and decide where I would be attending school, so I missed the deadline for the housing application. I will be attending my Bama Bound session this coming Friday. What should I do about this matter? I really hope this does not mess up my chances of attending UA this fall. Any guidance at all is much appreciated. </p>

<p>Thank you and Roll Tide</p>

2

<p>You are a transfer student? Housing is very tight this year, especially for upperclassmen. You would be best suited to look at off-campus options. Try this website: [University</a> of Alabama | Off Campus Housing Search](<a href=“http://offcampushousing.ua.edu/]University”>http://offcampushousing.ua.edu/). </p>

<p>Congratulations and Roll Tide!</p>

3

<p>Congrats on your acceptance to UA!</p>

<p>The first thing to do is call UA Housing tomorrow and inquire.
Yes, housing was very tight and many upperclassman did not get to re-contract. However those who did not, would have had to find alternate off campus housing already. Perhaps if some freshmen who had already deposited have dropped out, there could be some recent vacancies. No guarantees…but who knows. Call and inquire.
Let us know how that it goes for you.</p>

<p>Roll Tide!!</p>

4

<p>Off-campus housing is cheaper. Call every rental company in town and inquire about vacancies. Rumsey, College Station Properties, Sealy, H.E. Edwards, Sherill Realty, Gordon Miller Properties, etc.</p>

5

<p>Yes, I agree that housing off campus can be less expensive but if the OP was looking for a traditional dorm instead of a “suite”, that option would also be less expensive, although off site may be cheaper still. However, the OP may want to live on campus for a year to experience UA as a “new” student would. This just depends on personal preference, housing options, and of course budget.</p>

6

<p>I don’t think Bama has housing for transfer students. However, since you say that you’re attending Bama Bound this week, that doesn’t sound like you’re a transfer student.</p>

<p>When did you graduate from high school? Did you go to another college first?</p>

7

<p>There are Bama Bound sessions for Transfer students also. I think the last one is tomorrow.</p>

8

<p>From the threads I’ve been reading, it sounds like there is no housing available even if the OP wanted to live on-campus. Honestly, the upperclass UA housing experience can be had more often at those off-campus student housing colonies like the Retreat than in the residenece halls on campus.</p>

9

<p>Feeno is right…at a few of the student apt complexes, the upper class experience is just as fun as it is on campus…probably more so. </p>

<p>My son knew many of his neighbors at The Retreat and socialized with them often.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.retreatalabama.com/[/url]”>http://www.retreatalabama.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I’m sure it’s similar to what kids experience at East Edge and what it will be like at The Lofts on McFarland.</p>

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<p>Absolutely. We must remember that the vast majority of students live off-campus.</p>

11

<p>My daughter has a housing scholarship. She has senior status. She picked the largest room in a unit at The Highlands as soon as housing selection opened up this past spring.</p>

<p>She has just been informed that a freshman has been added to her room, supposedly temporarily, but still the possibility it could be a year-long thing.</p>

<p>The two others who joined her room are freshman, and now the third freshman has been added.</p>

<p>I talked to Alicia Browne in Housing, and they will do nothing, not even switch her to one of the smaller rooms in her unit and allow two freshmen to share the larger room.</p>

<p>I’ve just made a call to the National Alumni Association, since they awarded her Crimson Scholarship, to see if they can help us in any way.</p>

<p>If she’d known in the spring there was a possibility of another person being added to this slightly larger room, she’d have picked one of the smaller rooms to be assured a room to herself.</p>

12

<p>Wow, BAMAMom2Be - this confirms how tight housing on-campus really is. That stinks that she is not able to have her own room, given her status. I am surprised that UA Housing will not give her the opportunity to move - I really am - and I’m sure that something positive will come out of this. Be patient. Things will work out.</p>

13

<p>They had an overflow problem last year, and my daughter ended up with a room in East Edge. </p>

<p>East Edge is now full, but I’m hoping that maybe the University can contract out a room for her at The Lofts or The Bluffs, and let her scholarship money apply. The Lofts has openings; haven’t contacted The Bluffs yet.</p>

<p>That way, the 3 freshman girls can have the Highlands unit, and nobody would have to go through the hassle of moving all their stuff mid-semester.</p>

<p>We’ll see. Hopefully something can be worked out.</p>

14

<p>Apparently the tight housing situation does not extend to male suites at The Highlands. She has a friend with an open room in his suite. I’d be totally fine with the University allowing her to move into that open room. I know they don’t allow boys and girls in the same bedroom; but what about the same suite? (I know, most likely not.)</p>

<p>The moms of those boys might appreciate having her there: she’d make those boys keep the place cleaner than they likely would otherwise. ;)</p>

15

<p>I don’t believe that UA allows co-ed suites, although in my opinion they should. Often times roommates of opposites sexes just get along better. I don’t see that it would be an issue as long as all roomies are in agreement.</p>

16

<p>Turns out this room at The Highlands is now apparently the smallest double room on campus, at least according to the dimensions posted on the floor plans on the housing website.</p>

<p>The smallest room advertised as a double is in Blount, at 11x13 (143 square feet), with 2 closets that are each 3 x 2-9, or 8.25 square feet each. (The smallest closet I could find was in Tutwiler, with 7.5 square feet for each person.)</p>

<p>The Highlands room is 14x10 (140 square feet) with a single closet of 2x5 (10 square feet). Can you imagine two girls in a room, each with only 5 square feet of closet space? It’s not gonna be pretty!</p>

<p>I’m sure the parents of all the girls who are being squeezed into single rooms with upperclassmen are not at all happy about the situation. I’m sure they’re upset with the lack of space, plus they’re likely concerned that an upset/angry upperclassman is going to take the situation out on their daughter and make her life miserable. If we can’t find a way out of this, I know my daughter will try to make the best of a rotten situation, but I don’t know if her roommate will do the same for her.</p>

<p>This close to school, I don’t imagine there will be many students trying to cancel their housing contract. So we may be stuck with this, unless I can find a legal loophole to use to get some better options. (Like UA fully funding a room for her at The Lofts or The Bluffs or something.) And if I find one, I’ll be sharing that loophole so anyone else stuck like this can try to get their child out of the situation.</p>

<p>I know some universities are known for doing this kind of thing, but just because they think they have the power and the legal right to do it, doesn’t make it the right thing to do for their students.</p>

<p>I’m waiting for a call back from Tuscaloosa’s Inspections and Planning Department to see if there is a local code specifying minimum size requirements for double dorm rooms for building built as recently as The Highlands was. I also have an attorney (my sister’s boss, a graduate of UA Law School) reading over the housing contract with a fine-tooth comb to see if there are any legal loopholes we can use to force the school to offer a better solution than cramming two students into a room advertised as a single.</p>

<p>If we end up not being able to get things changed, we will accept the final situation with as much grace as humanly possible, and be as nice as possible to the hopefully temporary roommate and her family. But in the meantime, I’m going to do everything I can to get a better solution for my daughter and her roommate.</p>

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<p>When D and I visited NYU, we saw tiny rooms with 3 or 4 girls stuffed into them that shared one bathroom with anther room with 3 or 4 girls in it. We chalked it up to NYC living. Wouldn’t expect to have such cramped quarters in Tuscaloosa, and while it doesn’t sounds as bad it is still certainly not the best scenario (although it would for sure qualify as a #firstworldproblem on twitter). That said, it doesn’t seem fair for most students on campus to have plenty of room and just a few have to squish together like this. I hope you get it resolved and that Housing stays true to the reputation they’ve earned of going above and beyond to make things work.</p>

18

<p>Housing now seems to be trying to work with us, a change from the initial attitude of “suck it up, buttercup.”</p>

<p>I wonder if some upperclassmen who were paying for their dorm room have decided they don’t want to pay and be stuck in a single room as a double. Housing will release people from their contracts without penalty, assuming people can still find off-campus housing. Maybe some will cancel, opening up some rooms where those who decided late in the game to attend UA can be doubled-up together at the very least, and hopefully get their own individual room.</p>

<p>I know problems could be much worse. But I still want what I signed a contract for, darn it! </p>

<p>If Housing thinks my daughter can live with only 5 square feet of closet space, I’m going to make the Housing Director herself come supervise move-in day and serve as referee as two girls go through all their possessions deciding what they can keep with them and what has to return home until a single room is available. :)</p>

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<p>BAMAMom2B, that’s why the girls have to be creative in using their space. Lofting beds, or at least using risers, using boxes as bedside tables, those vacuum bags…plus she doesn’t have to take winter clothes right now. By the time Christmas rolls around, it’s amazing how much the girls decide they can live without.
And it’s not a bad exercise in figuring out what you REALLY need.
Here’s something from Bed Bath and Beyond (if the link gets removed go to their website and click on Not Enough Space in Your Room? or Collegiate Insider): <a href=“http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=119771&RN=158BTSMode=true&[/url]”>http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=119771&RN=158BTSMode=true&&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Also, there will be students who cancel at the last minute, or just don’t show up.
It all seems to work out in the long run.</p>

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<p>Glad Housing seems to be trying to work with you, BamaMom. Kudos to your resourcefulness in trying to get some action or alternatives. You sound like someone who’d be good to have around in a pickle!</p>