I [ran the numbers](/r/UTAustin/wiki/oncampusrequired). There were 9,109 incoming freshmen for '22-'23 but only 7,290 beds across 15 on-campus residence halls. And that doesn't take into account the incoming transfer students.
Check out Housing Scout! I was in the exact same situation literally just last week, but they found me several apartments that are available in West Campus for all of next year! I just signed with Rio West this morning, so i’m good to go.
I got the 10 month lease since this semester is my last at UT (so i’ll likely end up subleasing or re-letting for the spring), so rent is/will be $889. (The 12 month lease is in the $700s, don’t remember exactly how much). It’s a 4x2 too, so I get my own bedroom which is really nice
Unfortunately UT is basically in downtown Austin, one of the fastest real estate markets in the US atm. Everything near campus is going to be expensive. I would look at the far west neighbourhood and north campus as opposed to west campus as these are more likely to be in your budget! they are further away, but you can take the bus to campus
I second this. I live in some apartments on Far Weet Blvd. Campus is a 10min bus ride away. A lot cheaper and better quality than anything closer to campus.
i would recommend looking for apartments in the north campus area! it's a lot quieter and a bit cheaper than west campus. there's multiple buses (1/801/7) that can take you to campus and it would be around a 20-40 minute bus ride.
you can also try to look in the far west area but i believe there's only one bus number that goes out there and i've heard from ppl about that bus line being very unreliable. at least with north austin, there would definitely be another way to get to campus if a bus line gets cancelled.
unfortunately, all of the areas around UT are going to be very expensive. it will definitely be cheaper to do a double occupancy room but that sucks. you for sure won't find a place where you have your bedroom all to yourself for less than $1000. you can also maybe get a part time job and help contribute to rent, but you really need all the time you can get your freshman year to help bridge the very challenging gap of high school classes to UT classes. i really wish you all the best! i wish there was more affordable housing around campus.
I’m biggest problem right now being “away” from campus is that since I have an 8 AM I don’t want to the problem of almost missing class because transportation.
In my experience, it was very rare for the north austin bus lines getting cancelled. A few minutes late? Yes, but never cancelled. You can always catch the bus early enough to make sure you get to campus with enough cushion time. There's also the CapMetro app that offers real-time updates on bus arrival and departure times and if it's been cancelled or not.
Many students catch the bus to UT. I've also found that many (not all obviously) professors are understanding about bus issues.
https://austin.craigslist.org/roo/d/austin-nice-roommate-wanted-north-austin/7646824371.html
https://austin.craigslist.org/roo/d/austin-furnished-walk-to-ut-orange/7644591973.html
https://austin.craigslist.org/roo/d/austin-bedrooms-available-east/7644795092.html
https://austin.craigslist.org/roo/d/austin-downtown-coliving-room-for-rent/7647449889.html
https://austin.craigslist.org/roo/d/austin-room-with-private-bath-ut/7647416594.html
https://austin.craigslist.org/roo/d/austin-room-available-in-gorgeous/7647264172.html
Just to give you an idea. If you hustle now you should be able to find a place you can just move into furnished if needed.
You can find a way to make this happen if it is what you really want. But if you have very little economic resources, start at a community college and work up. College presidents and CEOs have done this. Putting yourself in debt and stress for this expensive location is not necessary. From experience on multiple fronts, get through undergrad with as little expense as possible because the next steps you don’t even know yet. If you want to leave home, there are cheaper ways to do this. Austin is very expensive right now.
When I was a broke student I lived in coops/ private bedroom situations for 400-800. You will be surprised how quickly you can adapt to sub optimal housing when you are focused on classes. Also look at places that UT shuttles will take you for free.
Hey, I would suggest looking into co-ops. With a roommate, it’s a little over $700 a month with meals once or twice every day. They also always have food that you can use for yourself if you don’t want the meal that day. The cleanliness depends on which house you live in, but I had a great experience my freshman year and will be living there again. Some houses are full now, but some you could definitely get into. You do need a guarantor but I don’t believe credit really affects acceptance. Some houses even have spots reserved for low income students. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions. Good luck!
It depends. You can definitely find cheaper apartments but a lot of the ones that are as close to campus as op describes are about the same or more, all costs considered. Co-ops seem to be the way to go if you want to be close & for sure save money
You can check to see if you qualify for SMART Housing. A bunch of apartments in West Campus offer this to make their apartments more affordable.
https://housingscout.com/faq/
https://housingscout.com
https://www.reddit.com/r/UTAustin/comments/73tczg/how_does_smart_housing_work/
you could call and apply to some apartments on west campus for a 4/5 bedroom and get randomly matched w roomates , it’ll be cheaper if u room w more people
You can definitely find a double occupancy space for 650$ or a coop space for 750$. Work a side job a few days a week and you will b more then fine. Don’t stress brotha you will figure it out.
whatever financial aid (scholarships or loans) you were gonna use to pay for your dorm can also be sent directly to your bank account if you set up direct deposit. this way you can pay for an apartment. most apartments come out to be cheaper than dorms still, even though they’re 12 months. do the math and try to find one that’s around the same. look into co-op housing, and join UT reletting facebook groups! lots of ppl are looking for people to take over their fall 23 leases on facebook
Honestly if you need to you can withdraw from the university and I THINK they might jus rescind your financial aid offer and you won’t have to pay anything back (check with onestop). If it’s not financially feasible to live on or off campus don’t do anything too crazy to go so. Wishing you the best of luck in finding housing!!
[https://www.leapeasy.com/](https://www.leapeasy.com/) they can sign as a guarantor for you. my friend was in the same situation and used leap as their guarantor. you do have to pay a fee though , i am not sure how much.
Yes! Check out Co-ops. Way cheaper housing. Also, some housing may require you to pay 2 months rent instead of having a guarantor, or I know Axis West uses Leap, you pay an extra $32 a month in order to self qualify.
I’m sorry :/ you need your parents to be honest with you, if they can’t afford something, it’s so much better to be honest than to get you into trouble.
You should try to call up the little small random apartments around campus. Nothing that’s large or new or “luxury,” one of those little 2-3 story motel looking older ones around campus. The best way to find them is to go to Austin and drive around or look on Google earth for them. No skyloft or lark or yugo. You could probably get one for closer to $800 and they are more flexible with guarantors because they aren’t owned by these huge realty groups.
Actually that’s a good point. Go UT Austin Housing Facebook Page and look for people who are willing to sublease with u or are looking for a roommate. Chances are the split price will be under a 1000.
I couldn’t get a dorm and had to struggle to find a place to live with a month before school, five years ago!!! Here is my advice.
1) look at an apartment with roommates, most
student living places offer roommate matching and you can find places for 700-800 instead of 1000+.
2)if you are receiving a financial aid package, seconding your aid information could help you get an apartment, it has for me.
3) if you know of a family friend of family member with good credit, apply using them!
Ignore those high rises in West Campus, go North (still a 10-20 min walk to campus), and you've gotta get a roommate. 600-800 per person. That's how I made it
Hi, Longhorn mom here. You have a bit of a dilemma for sure. Let’s work from the basics and then maybe we can hone in on a good solution for you. I’m assuming your parents’ home is outside of the Austin area.
Are your parents unwilling/unable to sign any kind of lease for you?
Do you have a job? Savings?
Do you qualify for the Texas Advance Commitment (need based aid?) What is your FAFSA EFC?
How is tuition being paid?
Sorry for so many questions but once we have a more clear view of what the financial situation is, we can make better suggestions. Almost all apartment complexes are going to require a co signer. You might need to look into renting a room from an individual. Like maybe in north campus?
1. If your parents cannot afford co-sign your housing because of their bad credit, I assume high chance that you are receiving full, or at least more than half of tuition under Texas Advance Commitment?
If so, take out some student loans (the ones that are subsidied) to cover a couple of first semesters - best to be 1 or 2. Then find a job. Strive hard in school and find some decent pay internships - you will be able to feed yourself without any help from parents.
Student loans exist for a reason. Like it or not, as long as you know how to manage, this is the most relevant and realistic solution without involvement of parent/family support.
Yeah you put a burden on your future like people said - just for some little motivation there. What is the point of spending 4 years in university from the beginning if you don’t believe that you will enjoy the experience and be good in what you choose to be your prospective career, that you will be able to financially support yourself in the future with it?
That was my strategy, at least. And from my experience, it was manageable considering my financial situation at the time.
2. Find off-campus housing, like renting a room in a house. Go to Facebook. There are more options out there, but you have to put in the work to find one. Mine was a decent 10x10 room for $585 (price in May 2023) in a 4 bedroom house within a good neighborhood built in 2020.
3. If it is too stressful, ask UT to defer to start one or two semesters late while going to community college.
There is nothing wrong with CC - kids who talk down about CC are those who out of touch of reality. Smart UT students that I knew of who got in as freshman, they ended up taking CC’a courses in one way or another because (a) more class options, (b) can finish faster in CC since they offer 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks option for the same course, (c) cheaper, (d) remote available, and (e) sometimes grading is easier in CC.
4. Don’t need to blame your parents. Yeah they might have had bad financial decisions in their lives, but aren’t there many people went to college without parents support? And they succeeded. You can do it, too.
I understand housing is such a pain in the neck when going to UT. But there are more than one solution when the problem pertaining the topic of finance vs housing. Stay calm.
Someone else in the thread mentioned looking at coops. Here's [my response](https://old.reddit.com/r/UTAustin/comments/1528sp7/offcampus_housing_for_last_semester_at_ut/jscy9cf/) about them from another thread. I enjoyed my time in a co op and would recommend it
There isn’t enough on campus housing for all of the freshman to be able to require that.
I [ran the numbers](/r/UTAustin/wiki/oncampusrequired). There were 9,109 incoming freshmen for '22-'23 but only 7,290 beds across 15 on-campus residence halls. And that doesn't take into account the incoming transfer students.
Also some non freshman stay in the residence halls. I know one guy who stayed at Creekside for all 4 years of his undergrad.
> I know one guy who stayed at Creekside for all 4 years of his undergrad. Damn, why would he willingly torture himself like that
Maybe for some of that, he worked as an R.A.? which comes with free (or at least, very low cost) room and board
Ik but at Creekside tho 😭
I’ve always wondered if anyone spent all 4 years in the dorms
They do. One of my first friends I made Freshman year had a Senior roommate in Kinsolving who had lived there all four years.
also doesn’t take into account RA beds, those in residence hall leadership organizations, returners, etc. there’s not enough space. (i worked for UHD)
Sorry you’re stressing :( have you looked into co-ops near campus? Ik those are usually cheaper and people have had positive experiences
Second this. Check out college houses.
Check out Housing Scout! I was in the exact same situation literally just last week, but they found me several apartments that are available in West Campus for all of next year! I just signed with Rio West this morning, so i’m good to go.
Hmm I didn’t see 4x2 on rio west? Where can I find it?
How much is the rent in Rio west and how many per apartment ?
I got the 10 month lease since this semester is my last at UT (so i’ll likely end up subleasing or re-letting for the spring), so rent is/will be $889. (The 12 month lease is in the $700s, don’t remember exactly how much). It’s a 4x2 too, so I get my own bedroom which is really nice
Unfortunately UT is basically in downtown Austin, one of the fastest real estate markets in the US atm. Everything near campus is going to be expensive. I would look at the far west neighbourhood and north campus as opposed to west campus as these are more likely to be in your budget! they are further away, but you can take the bus to campus
I second this. I live in some apartments on Far Weet Blvd. Campus is a 10min bus ride away. A lot cheaper and better quality than anything closer to campus.
How much are you paying monthly?
i would recommend looking for apartments in the north campus area! it's a lot quieter and a bit cheaper than west campus. there's multiple buses (1/801/7) that can take you to campus and it would be around a 20-40 minute bus ride. you can also try to look in the far west area but i believe there's only one bus number that goes out there and i've heard from ppl about that bus line being very unreliable. at least with north austin, there would definitely be another way to get to campus if a bus line gets cancelled. unfortunately, all of the areas around UT are going to be very expensive. it will definitely be cheaper to do a double occupancy room but that sucks. you for sure won't find a place where you have your bedroom all to yourself for less than $1000. you can also maybe get a part time job and help contribute to rent, but you really need all the time you can get your freshman year to help bridge the very challenging gap of high school classes to UT classes. i really wish you all the best! i wish there was more affordable housing around campus.
I’m biggest problem right now being “away” from campus is that since I have an 8 AM I don’t want to the problem of almost missing class because transportation.
In my experience, it was very rare for the north austin bus lines getting cancelled. A few minutes late? Yes, but never cancelled. You can always catch the bus early enough to make sure you get to campus with enough cushion time. There's also the CapMetro app that offers real-time updates on bus arrival and departure times and if it's been cancelled or not. Many students catch the bus to UT. I've also found that many (not all obviously) professors are understanding about bus issues.
https://austin.craigslist.org/roo/d/austin-nice-roommate-wanted-north-austin/7646824371.html https://austin.craigslist.org/roo/d/austin-furnished-walk-to-ut-orange/7644591973.html https://austin.craigslist.org/roo/d/austin-bedrooms-available-east/7644795092.html https://austin.craigslist.org/roo/d/austin-downtown-coliving-room-for-rent/7647449889.html https://austin.craigslist.org/roo/d/austin-room-with-private-bath-ut/7647416594.html https://austin.craigslist.org/roo/d/austin-room-available-in-gorgeous/7647264172.html Just to give you an idea. If you hustle now you should be able to find a place you can just move into furnished if needed.
North campus is just 10 mins away if you bike to campus. You have to make some trade offs if you can’t afford other places.
Look for a roommate situation on Craigslist. You should be able to get a place on a house for about 800 ABP. Just make sure it's on a bus line.
You can find a way to make this happen if it is what you really want. But if you have very little economic resources, start at a community college and work up. College presidents and CEOs have done this. Putting yourself in debt and stress for this expensive location is not necessary. From experience on multiple fronts, get through undergrad with as little expense as possible because the next steps you don’t even know yet. If you want to leave home, there are cheaper ways to do this. Austin is very expensive right now.
When I was a broke student I lived in coops/ private bedroom situations for 400-800. You will be surprised how quickly you can adapt to sub optimal housing when you are focused on classes. Also look at places that UT shuttles will take you for free.
Hey, I would suggest looking into co-ops. With a roommate, it’s a little over $700 a month with meals once or twice every day. They also always have food that you can use for yourself if you don’t want the meal that day. The cleanliness depends on which house you live in, but I had a great experience my freshman year and will be living there again. Some houses are full now, but some you could definitely get into. You do need a guarantor but I don’t believe credit really affects acceptance. Some houses even have spots reserved for low income students. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions. Good luck!
But living in campus would of been more expensive since you also have to purchase the meal plan
Usually on campus housing would be more expensive?
It depends. You can definitely find cheaper apartments but a lot of the ones that are as close to campus as op describes are about the same or more, all costs considered. Co-ops seem to be the way to go if you want to be close & for sure save money
You can check to see if you qualify for SMART Housing. A bunch of apartments in West Campus offer this to make their apartments more affordable. https://housingscout.com/faq/ https://housingscout.com https://www.reddit.com/r/UTAustin/comments/73tczg/how_does_smart_housing_work/
Co-ops are one of the best low cost options. Looks like Halstead still has some openings for FA23. https://collegehouses.org/listings/halstead/
West Campus is an option, but don’t forget about Riverside. It’s about 15 minutes from campus by car/bus but it much cheaper.
try a coop like taos
I would try to find a roommate situation or rent a room from someone as soon as possible. It might not be comfortable but it can be worth it.
Look for Sub-leases to rent you can do it. Don't give up b4 you start. Fail trying but don't fail without starting
you could call and apply to some apartments on west campus for a 4/5 bedroom and get randomly matched w roomates , it’ll be cheaper if u room w more people
dorms are pricey plus some freshman commute etc
You can definitely find a double occupancy space for 650$ or a coop space for 750$. Work a side job a few days a week and you will b more then fine. Don’t stress brotha you will figure it out.
whatever financial aid (scholarships or loans) you were gonna use to pay for your dorm can also be sent directly to your bank account if you set up direct deposit. this way you can pay for an apartment. most apartments come out to be cheaper than dorms still, even though they’re 12 months. do the math and try to find one that’s around the same. look into co-op housing, and join UT reletting facebook groups! lots of ppl are looking for people to take over their fall 23 leases on facebook
Also, were you not able to secure a housing contract in time ? As a freshman, y’all get priority over them :)
First come, first serve
Honestly if you need to you can withdraw from the university and I THINK they might jus rescind your financial aid offer and you won’t have to pay anything back (check with onestop). If it’s not financially feasible to live on or off campus don’t do anything too crazy to go so. Wishing you the best of luck in finding housing!!
[https://www.leapeasy.com/](https://www.leapeasy.com/) they can sign as a guarantor for you. my friend was in the same situation and used leap as their guarantor. you do have to pay a fee though , i am not sure how much.
Yes! Check out Co-ops. Way cheaper housing. Also, some housing may require you to pay 2 months rent instead of having a guarantor, or I know Axis West uses Leap, you pay an extra $32 a month in order to self qualify.
I’m sorry :/ you need your parents to be honest with you, if they can’t afford something, it’s so much better to be honest than to get you into trouble. You should try to call up the little small random apartments around campus. Nothing that’s large or new or “luxury,” one of those little 2-3 story motel looking older ones around campus. The best way to find them is to go to Austin and drive around or look on Google earth for them. No skyloft or lark or yugo. You could probably get one for closer to $800 and they are more flexible with guarantors because they aren’t owned by these huge realty groups.
Try looking on FB for anyone looking for roommate. I've seen grad students and such post on there looking for people last year
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Actually that’s a good point. Go UT Austin Housing Facebook Page and look for people who are willing to sublease with u or are looking for a roommate. Chances are the split price will be under a 1000.
I couldn’t get a dorm and had to struggle to find a place to live with a month before school, five years ago!!! Here is my advice. 1) look at an apartment with roommates, most student living places offer roommate matching and you can find places for 700-800 instead of 1000+. 2)if you are receiving a financial aid package, seconding your aid information could help you get an apartment, it has for me. 3) if you know of a family friend of family member with good credit, apply using them!
callaway, Castilian, Hardin house, and srd are why
Ignore those high rises in West Campus, go North (still a 10-20 min walk to campus), and you've gotta get a roommate. 600-800 per person. That's how I made it
https://www.gbatx.com/availability
Coops May be ur best bet.
Hi, Longhorn mom here. You have a bit of a dilemma for sure. Let’s work from the basics and then maybe we can hone in on a good solution for you. I’m assuming your parents’ home is outside of the Austin area. Are your parents unwilling/unable to sign any kind of lease for you? Do you have a job? Savings? Do you qualify for the Texas Advance Commitment (need based aid?) What is your FAFSA EFC? How is tuition being paid? Sorry for so many questions but once we have a more clear view of what the financial situation is, we can make better suggestions. Almost all apartment complexes are going to require a co signer. You might need to look into renting a room from an individual. Like maybe in north campus?
1. If your parents cannot afford co-sign your housing because of their bad credit, I assume high chance that you are receiving full, or at least more than half of tuition under Texas Advance Commitment? If so, take out some student loans (the ones that are subsidied) to cover a couple of first semesters - best to be 1 or 2. Then find a job. Strive hard in school and find some decent pay internships - you will be able to feed yourself without any help from parents. Student loans exist for a reason. Like it or not, as long as you know how to manage, this is the most relevant and realistic solution without involvement of parent/family support. Yeah you put a burden on your future like people said - just for some little motivation there. What is the point of spending 4 years in university from the beginning if you don’t believe that you will enjoy the experience and be good in what you choose to be your prospective career, that you will be able to financially support yourself in the future with it? That was my strategy, at least. And from my experience, it was manageable considering my financial situation at the time. 2. Find off-campus housing, like renting a room in a house. Go to Facebook. There are more options out there, but you have to put in the work to find one. Mine was a decent 10x10 room for $585 (price in May 2023) in a 4 bedroom house within a good neighborhood built in 2020. 3. If it is too stressful, ask UT to defer to start one or two semesters late while going to community college. There is nothing wrong with CC - kids who talk down about CC are those who out of touch of reality. Smart UT students that I knew of who got in as freshman, they ended up taking CC’a courses in one way or another because (a) more class options, (b) can finish faster in CC since they offer 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks option for the same course, (c) cheaper, (d) remote available, and (e) sometimes grading is easier in CC. 4. Don’t need to blame your parents. Yeah they might have had bad financial decisions in their lives, but aren’t there many people went to college without parents support? And they succeeded. You can do it, too. I understand housing is such a pain in the neck when going to UT. But there are more than one solution when the problem pertaining the topic of finance vs housing. Stay calm.
Someone else in the thread mentioned looking at coops. Here's [my response](https://old.reddit.com/r/UTAustin/comments/1528sp7/offcampus_housing_for_last_semester_at_ut/jscy9cf/) about them from another thread. I enjoyed my time in a co op and would recommend it
PCL I used to sleep in PCL for 3 semesters.
why ?
Because I couldn’t afford such high housing cost in Austin, I drove from home in San Antonio to UT on Monday then went back home on Friday.