SMART housing at UT Austin
Most new West Campus high-rises have to rent some of their rooms at a capped price to students with need-based aid or a lower income. Students call them SMART rooms. Same building, same amenities, at a capped rent. Here's who qualifies, what they cost and where they are.
- Buildings with SMART rooms
- 57
- SMART rooms or units
- 1,930
- Cap, bedroom of your own
- $1,260/mo
- Income limit, 1 person
- $56,460
What it is
The City of Austin lets West Campus developers build taller (the University Neighborhood Overlay, or UNO) if they rent a share of their rooms at a capped price to income-eligible people. Leasing offices and students call these SMART housing, after the City's S.M.A.R.T. Housing program. You get the same floor plans and amenities as everyone else; only the rent is different.
Do you qualify?
Either one is enough:
- You get need-based financial aid from UT. Any amount of aid on the list UT gives the City (grants, need-based scholarships, some need-based loans) qualifies you. A screenshot of your aid summary is usually all the proof you need, and aid you expect for next year can count when you sign early.
- Your income is under the limit. Most buildings use 60% of the Austin median: $56,460 a year for one person. Some rooms are for 50%: $47,050. It's gross income from all sources; tuition-related aid is reported but not counted, and regular money from family counts and can be at most 30% of the total.
You don't need to be a citizen or show immigration status.
How to get a SMART room
- Pick buildings from the list below.
- Ask the leasing office for a SMART (also called affordable or income-restricted) room before you sign a regular lease, and ask what their current SMART rate is.
- Send them your UT aid summary, or two months of pay stubs, a W-2 or tax return, or an employer letter.
- Once they verify you, they write a SMART lease for you to sign.
Each building has a fixed number of SMART rooms, first come, first served, so ask early in leasing season (fall, for the next August).
What it costs (2026 caps)
These are the most a building may charge for a SMART room each month, effective June 1, 2026. They include mandatory fees; utilities can be billed on top. A building can charge less, so ask.
Most buildings (rent by the bedroom)
| Room tier | Bedroom of your own | Shared bedroom, per person |
|---|---|---|
| 60% of median income | $1,260 | $693 |
| 50% of median income | $941 | $518 |
A few buildings rent SMART units as a whole unit at the bedroom-of-your-own cap. In a by-the-bedroom building, only your bedroom has to qualify, so your roommates can pay market rate.
Older buildings (approved before 2014, rent by the unit)
One price for the whole unit, and everyone living in it has to qualify.
| Room tier | Studio or 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed | 5 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% | $1,097 | $1,255 | $1,411 | $1,568 | $1,694 |
| 65% | $1,426 | $1,631 | $1,834 | $2,038 | $2,201 |
| 80% | $1,745 | $1,993 | $2,243 | $2,492 | $2,691 |
Income limits
| Tier | 1 person | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% of median | $47,050 | $53,800 | $60,500 | $67,200 |
| 60% of median | $56,460 | $64,560 | $72,600 | $80,640 |
| 65% of median | $61,150 | $69,900 | $78,600 | $87,350 |
| 80% of median | $74,800 | $85,450 | $96,150 | $106,800 |
Good to know
- SMART leases are at least 12 months, and you re-qualify at every renewal.
- Everyone sharing a bedroom has to qualify.
- Parking and other optional extras are charged separately.
- If your income goes up, you can usually renew, but the rent can rise.
Buildings with SMART rooms
Every West Campus building the City lists with SMART rooms, by how many it has. Counts are rooms (or whole units at older buildings) across all years, not what's open now.
| Building | SMART rooms | Tiers |
|---|---|---|
| Union on 24th · under construction (per City records)701 W. 24th Street | 112 of 552 | 50%, 60% |
| Legacy on Rio2614 Rio Grande Street | 110 of 545 | 50%, 60% |
| Hilltop2408 San Gabriel Street | 102 of 505 | 50%, 60% |
| The Mark Austin812 W 23rd Street | 97 of 962 | 60% |
| The Standard715 W 23rd Street | 91 of 911 | 60% |
| Union on San Antonio · under construction (per City records)2011 San Antonio Street | 86 of 425 | 50%, 60% |
| Rambler Apartments2513 Seton Avenue | 81 of 805 | 60% |
| 21st St Co-op707 W 21st St | 80 of 80 | 50% |
| The Sinclair2710 Nueces | 74 of 368 | 50%, 60% |
| Skyloft Austin507 W 23rd Street | 68 of 677 | 60% |
| Rise at West Campus2206 Nueces St | 62 of 304 | 50%, 60% |
| Lamar Place · approved (per City records)2411 Longview Street | 60 of 298 | 50%, 60% |
| W 22nd Street Tower · approved (per City records)904-908 W 22nd Street | 58 of 289 | 50%, 60% |
| Moontower2204 San Antonio Street | 57 of 567 | 60% |
| Ion Austin2100 San Antonio Street | 50 of 504 | 60% |
| Yugo Austin Waterloo2400 Seton Ave and 613 W 24 1/2 Street | 48 of 241 | 50%, 60% |
| Signature 19091909 Rio Grande Street | 47 of 464 | 60% |
| Lark Austin2100 Nueces Street | 46 of 459 | 60% |
| Inspire on 22nd2200 Nueces Street | 44 of 439 | 60% |
| Icon at Austin2200 San Antonio | 44 of 216 | 50%, 60% |
| The Arconia · approved (per City records)501 W. 24th Street | 42 of 208 | 50%, 60% |
| Villas on 24th2313 Rio Grande Street | 40 of 199 | 50%, 60% |
| Axis West Campus2505 Longview Street | 34 of 167 | 50%, 80% |
| Avalon Pointe · under construction (per City records)2610 Hume Place | 30 of 142 | 50%, 60% |
| 21 Pearl911 W 21st Street | 28 of 136 | 50%, 80% |
| Crest at Pearl706 Martin Luther King Jr Bouelvard | 28 of 141 | 50%, 80% |
| Villas on Rio2111 Rio Grande St | 28 of 279 | 60% |
| Callaway House505 W 22nd Street | 22 of 219 | 80% |
| Texan 261009 W 26th Street | 21 of 206 | 60% |
| Twenty Two152215 Rio Grande Street | 16 of 155 | 80% |
| Torre2020 Nueces Street | 15 of 153 | 60% |
| AVIA @ 26th1010 W 26th Street | 14 of 65 | 50%, 60% |
| GrandMarc Austin510 W 26th Street | 14 of 138 | 80% |
| Regents West at 26th900 W 26th Street | 14 of 139 | 80% |
| Rio Heights · under construction (per City records)2813 Rio Grande Street | 14 of 14 | 60% |
| Yugo Austin Corner2504 San Gabriel Street | 14 of 64 | 50%, 60% |
| Pointe on Rio1901 Rio Grande Street | 12 of 122 | 80% |
| Noble 25002500 San Gabriel St | 12 of 118 | 60% |
| The Nine at Rio2100 Rio Grande Street | 11 of 109 | 60% |
| The Nine at West Campus2518 Leon Street | 10 of 98 | 60% |
| Villas on Nueces2207 Nueces Street | 10 of 99 | 60% |
| Regents West at 24th2401 San Gabriel Street | 9 of 93 | 80% |
| Villas at San Gabriel2414 San Gabriel Street | 9 of 92 | 60% |
| Avena Tower · approved (per City records)2515 San Gabriel Street | 8 of 80 | 60% |
| Ruth R. Schulze House915 W 22nd Street | 8 of 26 | 50% |
| West Campus Holdings · under construction (per City records)1008 W. 25th Half St | 8 of 75 | 60% |
| 24 Longview2401 Longview Street | 7 of 70 | 80% |
| Yugo Austin Rio620 W 24th Street | 7 of 67 | 60% |
| University Studios · approved (per City records)907 W 22 ½ Street | 6 of 58 | 60% |
| Yugo Austin Nueces2502 Nueces Street | 5 of 46 | 60% |
| Villas on 26th800 W 26th Street | 5 of 49 | 80% |
| Nueces Mosque and Student Housing · approved (per City records)1906 and 1908 Nueces Street | 4 of 36 | 60% |
| Avon at 22nd911 W 22nd Street | 2 of 19 | 60% |
| West Campus Elloras908 W 21st Street | 2 of 23 | 60% |
| Texas Alpha House2501 Nueces Street | 2 of 17 | 60% |
| 2609 San Pedro · approved (per City records)2609 San Pedro Street | 1 of 5 | 60% |
| San Pedro Flats2708 San Pedro Street | 1 of 10 | 80% |
Compare prices for any of them in all UT Austin apartments.
Common questions
What is SMART housing at UT Austin?
Rooms that West Campus apartment buildings must rent at a capped price to students with need-based financial aid or a lower income, under the City of Austin's University Neighborhood Overlay. Same units and amenities as everyone else.
Who qualifies for SMART housing?
Students receiving need-based financial aid from UT Austin (any amount), or whose household income is under the building's limit: $56,460 a year for one person at most buildings, or $47,050 for 50% rooms.
How much does a SMART room cost?
At most newer West Campus buildings, a SMART bedroom of your own is capped at $1,260 a month ($941 for 50% rooms), and a shared bedroom at $693 per person. Buildings can charge less; utilities can be extra.
How do I apply for SMART housing?
Ask the building's leasing office for a SMART room before signing, and give them your UT financial aid summary or proof of income. Rooms are limited and first come, first served.
Sources: City of Austin, UNO income and rent limits (effective June 1, 2026), and the City's Affordable Housing Inventory (checked October 27, 2026). Rules can change and each building runs its own SMART leasing, so confirm with the leasing office before you sign.