Informal Guide to Moving to Tuscaloosa

This page contains information for new graduate students moving to Tuscaloosa. New postdocs and faculty may find the information on housing useful.  There is also a lot of useful information available from the international student center (ISC), even if you aren’t an international student.

About Tuscaloosa

The City of Tuscaloosa is located in West Alabama on the Black Warrior River, 57 miles southwest of Birmingham. Tuscaloosa is the county seat of Tuscaloosa County, which also includes the city of Northport, just north of Tuscaloosa city, across the Black Warrior River. Tuscaloosa’s population is ~100,000 while that of the county is ~200,000.  Birmingham metropolitan area has a population of over 1.1 million and is the 49th largest in the United States.

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Getting to Tuscaloosa

The nearest international airport to Tuscaloosa is Birmingham International Airport, located ~60 miles from campus.  The best way to travel between Tuscaloosa and the airport is by personal vehicle, shuttles, or taxis. The international students website provides a list of transport providers:

http://international.ua.edu/isss/future-new-students/check-in-orientation/

Currently, the cheapest shuttle service is Groome: https://groometransportation.com/tuscaloosa/

The next cheapest service is Scuttle Shuttle: https://www.scuttleshuttle.com/

The University of Alabama offers a shuttle service to and from the Birmingham Airport for academic breaks (Fall Break, Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, and Spring Break). For more information, please check the Crimson Ride website.

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The University of Alabama

The Dept of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Alabama is located in Gallalee Hall. The physical address for the building is:

514 University Blvd,
Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487

The following link shows a map of  the University:

http://tinyurl.com/UAParkingMap

The physics dept. is at the green icon. The red icon is downtown Tuscaloosa. Nearby hotels and parking lots are marked on the map.

An interactive map of UA is available at:

https://www.ua.edu/map/

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UA Graduate School Resources

The UA graduate school has a number of resources for new students.

– Getting Started:  https://graduate.ua.edu/current-students/getting-started/

– Checklist for new graduate students: https://graduate.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/GROW_New_student_checklist.pdf

– Graduate Orientation and Welcome: https://graduate.ua.edu/current-students/grow/

– UA Graduate Student Association: https://gsa.ua.edu/

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Housing

All graduate students stay off-campus.  Students without a car tend to live:
– South of the Black Warrior River (Jack Warner Pkwy)
– West of McFarland Boulevard
– North of ~Hargrove Rd/15th Street
– East of Lurleen Wallace Rd/Greensboro Avenue

There are some apartment complexes which are further away and provide shuttle service to the University.  Please refer to the ‘Transportation’ section below for details on apartment shuttles.

You can search for apartments and houses through UA’s off-campus housing website:
https://search.offcampushousing.ua.edu/

For more information on housing, please visit:
http://is.ua.edu/life-in-tuscaloosa/housing-utilities/

Please contact current graduate students to get recommendations on places to stay.

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Transportation

The University provides shuttle services between many nearby apartment complexes and the main University bus terminal. Some other apartment complexes, which are further away, also provide shuttles to/from the University every half hour. For details see:

http://crimsonride.ua.edu/apartmentroutes/
https://search.offcampushousing.ua.edu/resource

Please check the hours of operation of the shuttle service. Some shuttles only run during working hours on weekdays (8 – 5 p.m. M-F).  Evening labs, which graduate students often teach, will run later than that.  Private (non-university-run) shuttles have been known to change their hours mid-semester, so some extra care in those cases may be warranted.

The University also provides an off-hours shuttle service called 348-Ride which operates within a 1 mile radius of the University. Please see:

http://crimsonride.ua.edu/348ride/

Local transportation

Buses

Within the city, public transportation is limited to 6 major bus routes, operated by the Tuscaloosa Transit Authority, which covers most of the city. This includes a free University shuttle from UA campus to downtown Tuscaloosa for UA students, faculty and staff. For more details, please visit:
http://www.tuscaloosatransit.com/

Taxis

Many taxi companies as well as car sharing services such as Uber and Lyft are available. A list of major taxi companies is available at:

http://international.ua.edu/isss/future-new-students/check-in-orientation/

Trains

The Amtrak Crescent route which connects New York to New Orleans stops at Tuscaloosa twice a day (once for each direction). The trains are frequently delayed and hence should not be used if time is of the essence.

https://www.amtrak.com/stations/tcl.html

Long distance buses

For travel between cities, Greyhound buses are available. Please visit:
http://locations.greyhound.com/bus-stations/us/alabama/tuscaloosa/bus-station-421080
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Budget and Utilities

All PhD students are supported either as a teaching assistant (TA) or as a research assistant (RA) throughout their tenure, as long as they are making good progress towards their degree and are in good academic standing. Your offer letter should have stated your 9 month salary. All first year graduate students are guaranteed summer support. Most 2nd year and higher students are supported either via TAs or RAs over the summer. Please note, not all students obtain summer support. However, the 9 month salary should be adequate to cover 12 months of living expenses. Please keep this in mind when deciding where to live.

When drawing up a budget, remember to check what utilities and services are included in the rent. Utilities that you may have to pay for (if they are not already included in your rent) are:
1. Electricity
2. Gas (for a gas stove, or gas water heater, heating unit)
3. Water/Trash
4. Washer/Dryer (either in apt or in building)
5. Internet/TV (some buildings either include them in the rent or you can buy a subsidized package from them).

In addition, please budget for:
6. Cell phone
7. Renter’s insurance
8. Car monthly payments, if applicable
9. Car insurance payments (normally every six months), if applicable

UA’s international students center provides more information on utilities. Please refer to the following webpages:

http://is.ua.edu/life-in-tuscaloosa/housing-utilities/
http://is.ua.edu/life-in-tuscaloosa/telephone-services/

Please also visit the following site for more information:

https://search.offcampushousing.ua.edu/resource

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Alabama State ID or Driver’s license

You are required to get an Alabama ID within a certain time frame of your  arrival in Tuscaloosa. This can either be an Alabama Driver’s license or a non-driver’s state ID. For more details, please visit the ISC website and

https://www.alea.gov/dps/driver-license/driver-license-information

https://www.alea.gov/dps/driver-license/document-requirements-and-fees

If you are an international student and currently do not have a driver’s license try to get one in your home country and then apply for an international driver’s license. Eventually you will need to get a driver’s license in Tuscaloosa. Without one your experience in the US will be quite restricted.

Please refer to the ISC website on information about obtaining a driver’s license:
http://international.ua.edu/isss/life-in-tuscaloosa/transportation-driving/

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Visa Information

Information on the visa process can be found at:

· Applying for a student visa – http://international.ua.edu/isss/future-new-students/applying-for-a-student-visa/

· Visa information for postdocs, faculty, and staff- http://international.ua.edu/isss/international-faculty-staff/

The following page has information on preparing for interviews and discusses possible field-related visa delays for administrative processing – http://international.ua.edu/isss/future-new-students/applying-for-a-student-visa/.

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Information for International Students

Further information can be found at:

· Pre-Arrival & Arrival Checklists – http://international.ua.edu/isss/future-new-students/check-in-orientation/

· General – http://is.ua.edu/life-in-tuscaloosa/

· Social Security Number – http://international.ua.edu/isss/ssn-itin-taxes/

· Finances – http://is.ua.edu/life-in-tuscaloosa/finances-banking/

· Driver’s License – http://international.ua.edu/isss/life-in-tuscaloosa/transportation-driving/

· Getting to Tuscaloosa – http://international.ua.edu/isss/future-new-students/check-in-orientation/

· Orientation and Check-in – http://international.ua.edu/isss/future-new-students/check-in-orientation/

· International & Multicultural Organizations – http://international.ua.edu/programs-activities/ and http://international.ua.edu/programs-activities/international-clubs-organizations/

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