Parent Announcements

Follow us on our official Samford Parents Facebook page and Samford Parents Instagram account. You can also follow the Samford University Facebook and Samford U Instagram accounts.

Please remember: If you have questions about the university, policies and procedures, or an upcoming date or deadline, your best source for official information can be found on the Samford University website or by contacting Julie Boyd or Tanya Hindman. The university does not recommend relying on group texts, unofficial Facebook groups, or information passed from a student or friend. Processes and policies change from year to year, the university encourages parents to refer to the official Samford University website or social media accounts whenever possible.

Stay up to date on the latest Parents news and Samford news.

ANNOUNCEMENT: RES LIFE ZOOM CALLS FOR PARENTS

The office of Parent and Family Engagement has partnered with the office of Residential Life to provide informational Zoom calls for parents. Below, you will find a link to the most recent call, as well as links to sign up for future calls.

July 2 Res Life Zoom Call for Parents: Room Assignment Process

You can sign up for an August 6 Res Life Zoom Call below. Spots are limited, so sign up early. We will also record and share these calls.
August 6, 6-6:45 p.m. Move-In Process for Parents of New Students
August 6, 7-7:45 p.m. Move-In Process for Parents of Returning Students

Answers to some common questions:
1. If your student is assigned to a triple room and it stays a triple room after move-in, the $1,000 credit will be applied to his or her account on the first day of class. This is a week before the tuition due date.

2. Students who are assigned to off-campus, Samford-provided apartments are not required to have a meal plan. They do have the option to purchase one, though, and commuter dining plans are available.

3. If your student is assigned off-campus housing and does not have a car, please reach out to Res Life at reslife@samford.edu. They will do their best to get them on campus. Please hear Kyle’s response to this at minute 32 of the recording linked above.

If your questions were not answered, please email reslife@samford.edu. You can request a call back, or they can email the answer to you. Response time will be slow for the next few weeks, but they will get back to you. As Kyle mentioned, it’s best to contact them this one way, rather than emailing and calling multiple people.

To learn about other virtual and in-person events, please visit samford.edu/parents/events and click on the Upcoming Events tab.

Health Insurance Requirements for International Students and CHS Students

An Important Message regarding Health Insurance Requirements for International Students and Students in the College of Health Sciences

Samford University is pleased to partner with Academic Health Plans (AHP) to offer student health insurance through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. All undergraduate students enrolled for nine (9) or more credits and graduate students enrolled for six (6) or more credits are eligible to enroll in the health plan on a voluntary basis. All international students and College of Health Sciences students in the Schools of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Health Professions are required to either waive coverage by providing proof of comparable coverage or enroll in the student health insurance policy. Mandatory SHIP students who do not successfully opt out of the Samford/AHP policy before the waiver deadline will be automatically enrolled and billed $3,401.80 for annual coverage (8/21/24-8/20/25).

We do not want anyone to incur unnecessary insurance fees. Mandatory students should be receiving instructional emails from AHP. Tracy Hanrahan in the Office of Business Services can also assist if a student needs help with the waiver process (tghanrah@samford.edu; 205-726-4578). It is important to either waive or enroll in insurance coverage between July 1^st and September 16^th. Voluntary enrollment for non-international or CHS students is available during the same time frame.

Let us know if you have any questions about the process. We’re on your side to help any way that we can!

Learn More

Samford One Stop

An Important Message from Samford One Stop

Hello new Bulldogs and Bulldog families. Welcome to the Samford family! We understand this is an exciting but also overwhelming time in the life of your student and family. You will be overloaded with information in the coming days and months. As a result, we want to give you a head start by providing you with some important financial information regarding your student’s account and aid. It’s a good idea to save this document for future reference. While some pieces of information may change from year to year, most will remain the same.

The following information will help you navigate the sometimes-complicated aspects of student accounts, financial aid, and all other matters related to the business of being a Samford student.

Resource Guide

The Samford One Stop prepares the hearts and minds of Samford students to be fiscally responsible global citizens and is here to help you navigate all the related financial applications, options, systems, processes, etc. Our advisors will assist you with issues related to the distribution of your parking permit and Samford ID, student account, payments, including 529 payments, and payment plans, financial aid, Veteran’s benefits, other aid resources, refunds, tuition insurance, and more. We are located on the ground floor in Ingalls Hall, just below the Office of Admission.

Location: Ingalls Hall – Ground Floor
Hours: M-F 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Phone: 205-726-2905
Email: onestop@samford.edu
Samford Portal: connect.samford.edu
Web: samford.edu/go/onestop
Social Media: @SamfordOneStop

Interest-free Payment Plans

As an alternative to borrowing, Samford provides interest-free payment plan options for all eligible students enrolled in fall, spring and summer terms. If you do not enroll in a payment plan during the enrollment period, your fall term balance will be due in full on September 3. Enrollment for Fall 2024 Payment Plans opens July 15. Learn more about payment plans, student accounts, financial aid, and all other matters related to the business of being a Samford student in the One Stop Resource Guide.