Rapid population growth in St. George, caused by students and new residents moving to the city, is raising housing and tuition costs and creating financial struggles for students.
The cost of living in St. George has risen above the national average. The overall expenses in St. George are 7.7% higher compared to other U.S. regions. To cover all needs and live comfortably, a renter in St. George must earn around $59,124 yearly, not including taxes.
The salary of most students who work in Utah starts at approximately $30,000 yearly, which makes it difficult to afford the high cost of housing and food.
Housing
Increasing prices affect students at Utah Tech University, who cover both tuition and off campus or on campus housing. According to the housing office of Utah Tech, the prices of the rent go up due to several reasons.
Director of housing and resident life, Seth Gubler, said, “Every year, there are efforts made to conduct data to see how much does the cost of healthcare, services, transportation, food, retail, all those items [change].”
With the increase in the cost for all the needs students have, the price for rent becomes higher as well.
Gubler said, “We might see if we can get by without raising it [rent cost] this year.”
Student perspectives
Some students choose to live on campus because they pay once a semester instead of each month. Students living on campus do not have to pay separately for water, electricity or sewer.
“So, for example, our rent in some comparisons look a little bit higher, but then when you see what you get, they [students] realize that they are getting more for what they pay,” Gubler said.
Orionna Manchester, a freshman elementary education major from Price, lives in Campus View I and pays $2,225 for the semester.
“I think that Utah Tech prices are reasonable,” Manchester said.
Other students prefer to live off campus and rent an affordable apartment elsewhere in St. George.
Morgan Gatto, a junior psychology major from Ogden, said after having experience with both off campus and on campus housing, the rent off campus is better for her because of the price difference.
“My freshman year, I lived in CVI [Campus View I], and it was around $2,500 for both semesters,” Gatto said. “Now, I live in a very nice part of St. George with just one roommate, and I pay less than $1,000 [per month].”
Resources
Faculty at Utah Tech offer opportunities to make finances easier.
Mike Nelson, director of student belonging, said, “There are students [who] run into some of the affordability issues and things of that nature, and that is one of the things where we can connect them to resources on campus and also in the community.”
Nelson said one of the things that students can do for saving money is adequate and proper budgeting.
The university also has a Student Resource Center, which is an option for students who need help with food and necessities.
“We help alleviate some of the financial burden by providing access to free food,” Dru Bottoms, assistant dean of students and director of the Student Resource Center, said. “We don’t ask for any proof of income or anything like that.”
A student needs to order online and schedule a time to receive their order. Food and necessities can be ordered once a week with a maximum of 25 items per week.
The Student Resource Center gives food for students every Thursday at the Browning Learning Resource Center. Notifications about available food can be received through the my UT app.
