What is checked for a person in the state of Alabama to become bonded? The job would be at an university working with money. Is it just a criminal background or is there a credit check?

They will do both, and possibly even more depending on the exact position you are seeking.

Almost any major employer will check your credit if you are going to be handling their money.

It also depends on the type of bond and who writes it. If the employer uses a particular insurance company to provide its employee bonds, you'll be subject to that insurer's scrutiny (within the limits of the state law)... could be an extensive check, depending on what AL allows. I'm not a lawyer, but have worked with AL law and found it to be pretty lacking in restrictions in a lot of ways, so you might want to be prepared to answer a lot of questions. If the university is state run, the state will probably issue its own bond, which increases the likelihood of an even more stringent background/credit check.