The University of Alabama announced on Aug. 1 that an automatic $25 fee will be charged to off-campus undergraduate students who want to receive packages via Campus Mail Services.  

According to a UA Instagram statement, starting this fall undergraduate students who live off campus will be charged the fee to receive packages through the UA mail center or parcel lockers. The $25 fee would be applied in both the fall and spring semesters. 

For this service, the University defines off-campus students as undergraduate students enrolled at the main campus who do not live in UA-sponsored housing or on-campus Greek housing. 

The University did not send any email communications to students before announcing the change on social media, though the post mentioned an “opt-out” process. A student can opt-out of the package service until Wednesday, Aug. 10. However, students who receive packages from Aug. 4-10 are unable to opt-out of the service for the fall semester per the University.  

To opt-out, students need to login to their myBama account and select the “Student” tab. Then students can locate the “Campus Services” banner which will include a page link titled “Package Service Off Campus Students” at the very bottom. Students will need to opt out each semester to avoid the fee.  

Any student who opts out will not be able to receive packages through the campus mail center or the parcel lockers, which were free to UA students prior to this announcement. Students used a university-generated mail stop code (MSC) number to receive packages and mail through Campus Mail Services whether they lived on or off campus.   

The off-campus package service is not provided to graduate students. Therefore, per the University, graduate students will not be assessed the fee and do not need to opt out of the service.

Students expressed concern and disappointment with the University in the post’s comment section. Some students brought up the absence of an email announcement, and others called the new system a scam.  

The University said all campus mail fees will be billed after Aug. 10.