@DeltaMom2019, I’m from the northeast and have several African-American FB friends (from all over the US) with children at UA. I would venture that their experiences vary as much as pretty much anybody’s, but all are upperclassmen or recent graduates now, and all seem to be doing very well from what I can tell.
A few of these families are pretty affluent, so I don’t think the out-of-state costs were an issue, and some others were academic scholarship recipients so their costs were relatively low, but I know it’s been a huge financial commitment for a few of the others, so keep that in mind, if cost is a concern.
My biggest recommendation to anybody considering Bama is to visit and see for yourself. And then compare the total costs to your other options. For most of us, cost is a bigger issue than we thought it would be when our kids were little, but if it’s affordable, and your DD feels it’s a fit after she visits, I think she will find UA a terrific place to go to school.
And if you want, feel free to PM me and I can try to put you in touch with a few of these parents. One is in Atlanta but originally from the upper Midwest, another is in Chicago, and I know a few in the DC area. I also know one in the South whose DD is an academic rock star who turned down a premier university in New England because of finances. She’s in grad school at UA now, I believe. 