Texas student housing
Educational expenses, vis tuition fees, books, and personal needs, tends to create a serious hole in your financial situation. Add to this housing costs and you are looking at some more dents in your wallet. In such a scenario, it is essential to study all aspects of student housing. Staying on the campus of the college where you are studying has immense advantages as you cut down on commuting costs, learn the invaluable principles of sharing and bonding with roommates, and generally have a wonderful time participating in extra-curricular activities on the campus.
Staying off-campus is an option taken by many students who would like to stay independently outside the college premises and not be restricted by campus rules on housing.
This article aims to give a few guidelines on the avenues open to you regarding where to seek information on student housing in Texas, types of accommodation you can opt for and an example of what you can expect when you apply for student housing. There will be specific references to certain colleges and rates of boarding, but this article is not endorsing any particular college as the ideal place to pursue your education! It is up to the reader to make a final decision of where to study and stay.
Avenues For Information on Student Housing
You can look for information on student housing off-campus by consulting the Student Housing Office in your college. Here, you are likely to obtain information not only on a list of rental accommodations available in the area adjacent to the campus, but also vital guidelines on legal issues regarding your rights as a tenant.
If you have already selected a rental place off-campus and are keen to share boarding expenses, you can place an advertisement in the official college listing stating that you wish to have a roommate. Alternatively, you can put in the advertisement in the local newspaper.
Types of Student Accommodation
Generally, shared rental accommodation can approximately range from $400 to a little less than $600 for a shared bedroom, while for an individual bedroom rental fees can be from $500 upwards.
If you have a larger budget and can afford it, you can take an apartment or condominium on rent. The rents in such cases are approximately above $1000 per month, and vary depending on the number of bedrooms and baths available.
Another avenue for off-campus student housing is paying rent to a family for staying in their home. If you agree to share in some of the housework, you may be lucky to have your room charges lessened or waived altogether! The rent in such a case is generally above $500 and can go up to $900 per month, depending on whether you want a private bath facility or are willing to share it with the family members.
Whichever type of rental accommodation you choose, keep in mind that you need to pay extra for utilities, and may need extra for furniture and amenities like a telephone.
On-campus Student Housing
Lets have a look at Student Housing at the Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.
Please note that this University is merely being considered strictly as an example and should not be considered as the ideal or ultimate choice!
Once your application to study here has been accepted, you can make a request for student housing on the campus. In fact, you can apply even a year prior to enrollment. This gives you the opportunity to get a room of your choice - but make sure you are actually admitted to the college before completion of your housing application! In case you decide later that you do not wish to study at this University, you can cancel your application for student housing, but you must do so in writing and you are likely to forfeit any advance fees that you had made.
Important Note: A student with fewer than 30 credit hours at enrollment must live on the campus, with the aim of obtaining a high GPA through the campus experience. As a freshman, if you wish to be exempt from this rule you need to make a specific request to this effect.
Students staying on the campus here can select their residence from a number of theme floors and halls. For example, women students in the engineering and science fields have the option of staying in a hall specifically for the ladies the
WISE Learning Community-Knapp Hall. There are also Intensive Study Floors, where you can stay if you are the bookish and studious type. Computer lab facilities are available in some of the Halls.
Note: Smoking is not permitted within a students room. Also, pets are not allowed.
Room Rates: This ranges from $2,989 for a non-air-conditioned hall room to above $5,000 for an air-conditioned hall room in Murray Hall (for which sophomore and above students are given preference and occupancy is for an entire year).
Address: Texas Tech University
2500 Broadway, Lubbock,
TX 79409
Contact: (806) 742 - 2011
Off-Campus Housing Scholarship of the TSHA
The Texas Student Housing Authority (TSHA) was set up in 1995 by the Town of Westlake, with the purpose of buying and managing facilities to house students in areas adjacent to the college campus. It functions on a non-profit basis all profits are diverted into scholarships for students for housing facilities in the designated properties owned by the organization.
This organization offers a $2500 per year housing scholarship to students and is renewable for up to 4 years.
Criteria to avail of this scholarship:
You should be a current graduate of a Texas high school / community college or be an already-enrolled Texas college student.
You must pursue your college education at one of the following colleges: (a) University of Texas in Austin, (b) Texas State University in San Marcos, (c) A&M University in College Station, (d) The University of North Texas in Denton.
Academically, you must have a GPA of 3.0.
Contact Person: Hank Smyth, Executive Director TSHA
2650, J.T.Ottinger Road,
Westlake, Texas, 76262
Contact Number: (817) 490 5710.
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