UNT tuition and rent costs in Denton.
For those who don’t know, Denton is home to 2 established universities and 1 community college: The University of North Texas, Texas Woman's University, and North Central Texas College. Denton is not just a college town. It's steadily growing into a hub for families to move as an alternative to other big cities in the North Texas area.
Graduating high school students and every college student have had to plan out their financial obligations prior to enrolling in a University and any higher education. Every university is different. Now, Texas is a cheap state to live in, but here at UNT, this is the reality of what student affordability is in Denton.
Tuition for in-state texas residents is relatively similar throughout all university institutions, but the cost for out-of-state students depends on the institution. Specifically at UNT, in-state tuition is $11,164, while out-of-state tuition is $21,244. Executive Director of Housing Life Gina Vanacore talks about the support that students may or may not have when seeking higher education in the audio below.
There have been various studies on how students are able to pay for college, and they have found that around 60% of students have to pay for college on their own. Paying for college isn’t only about paying for tuition because there are numerous financial responsibilities that students must burden. We asked some students how they were able to pay for tuition and thirty-eight percent claimed that they pay for rent on their own.
The biggest obligation is paying for rent. Fortunately not all students pay for rent themselves. There are a lot of students who are supported by their parents, and this allows them to not take on a job that ultimately takes away time from focusing on school. Unfortunately, many students don’t have that luxury.
According to UNT housing, around 40 percent of students attending the University is pell grant eligible. This is an indication for the school that a student, in some capacity, is in need of supporting themselves financially.
Now, this doesn’t guarantee that the entire 40 percent is supporting themselves. In order to get a more accurate understanding of how many students pay for their own rent, we surveyed a small percentage of students at UNT.
Based on a small survey conducted with UNT students, the numbers tell a pretty real story about what student life actually looks like. Out of 36 responses, 97.2% said they are full-time students, and 83.3% said they also have jobs. That basically means almost everyone isn’t just going to school; they are also working on top of it.
When it comes to paying for school, there is no single experience. About 38.9% of students said they pay for school themselves, while others rely on a mix of parents, financial aid, scholarships, or loans. Rent is just as split. Around 36.1% said they pay their own rent, and another 36.1% said their parents cover it. For students paying rent on their own, it takes up a big part of what they earn. Many said they spend anywhere from 25% to 75% of their income on rent, and some even said all of it, which doesn’t leave much room for anything else.
After interviewing various students like, we found that they all have different circumstances. Some are completely devoid of any financial assistance from family while others receive full support from family or the government. "I do pay for school, I'm also doing school full time. Working twenty, twenty-fives hours a week. I get no help from my family." -Chris Bolagnos. "I don't pay the majority of rent but I do pay a fraction of it now. I pay about twenty-five percent of it and my parents cove the rest." -Seth Wickman "I had the help of my parents the whole way." -Jordan Lindsay "The government pays for it." Jamysin Baker
When asked if there are enough resources for students at UNT who are struggling financially, the most common answer was simply no, with 21.2% choosing that response. There were some mixed answers, but overall, it leans toward students feeling like support is limited or hard to access.
The majority of students we spoke with and who responded to our survey made it clear that UNT doesn't offer enough financial assistance. Through our own research we found that UNT does have good resources. The university awards around $405–$450 million in financial aid, including over $60 million in scholarships annually. Seventy to Seventy-five percent of UNT students receive either financial aid or scholarships.
Not everyone receives scholarships and even some who do still have to work either part time or full time. Balancing work and school is a huge obstacle. A lot of students talked about being overwhelmed trying to keep up with everything. They mentioned feeling "burned out, stressed, and constantly tired". Some said they don’t have enough time to study, while others talked about anxiety and struggling to stay on top of assignments.
Even though this was a small survey, it’s clear that a lot of UNT students are doing their best to manage school, work, and finances all at once, and it’s not easy. It can be an overwhelming environment that challenges young adults to point of wanting to quit. In the moment it feels impossible and extremely tough. But the rewarding feeling of getting persevering through it all is rewarding.
Universities do as much as they can to complement student life. A university's job is to utilize education to further advance the future employees of society. Not all universities are required to provide financial assistance. Most universities are accredited, Title IV eligible, and their institutions receive federal grants and loans.
Texas Education Code 56.014 requires public universities to have a portion of tuition set aside in order to provide financial assistance. Many students don't know, but at UNT there are emergency funds for students who are in need of immediate funds that they don't have. Depending on a student's situation and how much money the department has, they can help supplement a student's needs. These funds are not grants, as they are expected to be paid back like a loan.
Data from the 2023 eviction project highlights a map of the “highest eviction properties.” Denton is categorized as having a concentrated geographic eviction zone, or a chronic eviction zone, in areas with concentrated poverty. This map identifies two types of eviction clusters. One is in the college town area, catering to students from UNT and TWU. The second is in areas of “high displacement risk” or where people are likely to be forced to move.
“large cluster to the southeast of UNT in the triangular area in between Carroll Avenue, Dallas Drive, and I-35, which accounted for 13.6% of all evistion fields”
“Most of the complexes in this area fall within the 213.01 census tract, which consists of 98% renter-occupied units, and 95% multi-unit structures, a median resident age of 23.1 years, and 50% of its residents earning an income below the poverty line (ACS 2021).”
student responses
Being a college student is a huge responsibility. Students should prepare themselves to navigate all financial responsibilities. At UNT around 38 to 40% students are paying for college on their own. The stress and magnitude of balancing school and work affect their academic and personal life.