Package Fees: Off-Campus Students
Beginning June 1, 2023, students that live off-campus will be assessed $2.50 for each package they pick up that was shipped to campus through Campus Mail Services. This includes packages picked up from the parcel lockers as well as ones retrieved from the Campus Mail Service Center. The per-package fee will be capped at $25 per billing period (Jan. 1-May 31 and June 1-Dec. 31).
Who does the fee apply to?
University students who live in off-campus housing who have packages delivered to campus.
The fee does not apply to any students living in on-campus residence halls, Greek housing, or off-campus apartments leased by the University, for example, East Edge and Union on Frank.
What does this fee apply to?
This fee applies to each package (parcel) picked up by a student that meets the off-campus designation above. This includes any type of package or parcel delivered UPS or FedEx or through a USPS package service. This fee does not apply to letter mail or ballots.
How is the fee assessed?
The fee will be added to your student account weekly, up to the $25 cap per billing period.
How can I check to see how many packages I have picked up or how much I have been charged?
An online portal is available to students to see details on packages they received on campus. Find this information through this direct link or by going to MyBama and looking under the Campus Services, then the Campus Mail Service section and for the link Off Campus Student Package Fee Billing.
How do I dispute a charge?
If you feel you were charged incorrectly, please submit a request through this link and we will research the charge. If the fee is in error, an adjustment will be made to your student account.
What if I don’t pick up my package on campus and the package is returned to the sender?
You will not be charged a fee. The $2.50 fee is only assessed once a package has been picked up by the recipient.
Why is the fee needed?
Providing first-class mail service to UA students requires an investment in personnel and equipment. As online shopping has increased dramatically, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic, so too, has the volume of mail processed on UA’s campus. In the academic year 2021-2022, more than 197,000 packages were received on campus, an increase of 14% from the previous academic year.
To keep up with this increasing demand, reduce lines at the Campus Mail Service Center and get packages to students faster, Campus Mail Service must invest in additional personnel and equipment.
While on-campus residents rely on Campus Mail Service for receiving mail, off-campus students can receive packages at their residences, mail centers such as the UPS Store or U.S. Post Office, or parcel lockers at commercial storefronts.
The $2.50 fee per package for off-campus undergraduates was implemented to help campus mail meet the increasing demand and keep the same level of service while providing convenience to off-campus students.
Other Options for Off-Campus Students:
Off-campus students have several options for receiving packages besides using Campus Mail Services
- Have packages delivered to your address in Tuscaloosa.
- Choose general delivery to have packages shipped to local U.S. Postal Service Post Office, where it will be held for 30 days for pick up.
- Rent a P.O. Box from the local post office.
- Several major retailers offer the option to ship online orders to stores for pickup.
I have more questions, who can I contact?
Please direct all inquiries about this fee to StudentMail@ua.edu.