@mom2collegekids My son only had a 34. He has Presidential al UA, and that is his first pick now. We looked at all three (UAB, UAH, and UA). He also is in Early College at UA and did Summer on Campus. We are pretty impressed with all UA has to offer our son for Engineering. UAH would have been the least expensive option, even without housing in the mix, and he did like the campus. He loved Tuscaloosa.
He would have considered UAH if a 34 still got housing. Without it, I think UA is the better choice, especially as he is going in with a lot oh AP and DE credit. He can use remaining money towards grad school. Any of the three would have been a decent choice. We thought it was obvious that all three schools are investing in facilities and programs for students.