DS was a NMF, originally from the NE, who attended Bama for the full scholarship. Turned down Emory, URichmond, etc, to attend, bc he didn’t want to have any student loans and when we visited, Bama rolled out the red carpet. His words were “It’s really nice to be wanted!” Graduated last year. He was not Greek and LOVED his time there. He participated in the Honors College orientation program (Outdoor Action) and many of those kids wound up being his best friends throughout college. Alabama’s communication and welcoming atmosphere throughout all 4 yrs was amazing - very well run in that regard.
However, advising was NONEXISTENT. Help with internships, for anyone other than engineering majors, also nonexistent. If your student is not proactive and somewhat assertive, that could be a concern.
I think the recent political news coming out of Alabama may deter some prospective OOS students.
DS has a twin who attended a small LAC in the midwest, so we had an interesting four years of comparison. What a difference having a close relationship with an advisor/mentor makes! DH and I did say to each other more than once that “you get what you pay for.” However, there were other frustrations with a small college too - Health center not well-staffed, frustrations with the dining hall, etc. But, DD was also very happy with her choice and wouldn’t have liked Bama at all. It all comes down to which frustrations you can tolerate. 