Possible housing options open for students

BY ASHTYN HANSARD / Multimedia Journalist

With the Tarleton State University student size growing each year, there’s a constant struggle in obtaining housing for Tarleton students. Although new residential buildings are being constructed, this process will still take a while. 

In the meantime, several students are left wondering where they will live for the upcoming school year. Stephenville offers several apartments for students to rent, but which is the best option? Some students were willing to share their opinion.

Payton Mosser is a Tarleton student and has been living at The Grove since August of 2022 in a three bedroom apartment. When asked about the benefits of living at The Grove, she said, 

“It’s got a decent room and closet size. The bathroom is also pretty large and the common area is open,” Mosser said. “Maintenance also answers pretty quickly when there’s a problem.”

Although there are some benefits to living at The Grove, Mosser noted some faults in the building. 

“For what we get for our money, the prices have gone up significantly when our apartments are outdated,” Mosser said. “I paid $545 a month and then $565 for a year. I chose not to resign this next year because I found out the rates are as high as $749 and at Mustang [Ranch] my roommate and I got a better deal for $595.”

Mosser also noted there are potential safety issues at the grove. 

“We have also had a lot of issues with your stove top because the burner plates don’t fit and it causes the fire alarms to go off when cooking,” Mosser said.

When asked if she would recommend these apartments to students looking for housing, Mosser answered with this.

“A year ago I would’ve recommended the grove but since prices have gone up significantly, I would not.”

Another student, Sophie Slaton, agreed to give her opinion on The Edge apartments. She has lived in a four bedroom, four bathroom apartment since Aug. of 2023. When asked what some pros of living at The Edge were, she listed several.

“Some pros to living here is that it’s walkable distance to campus, I’ve never had a problem with finding parking on property,” Slaton said. “The apartment building has good amenities like a gym and a pool. The apartment is fully furnished with a flat screen Roku TV in the living room, and the management is nice and helpful and makes you feel at home when you’re here.”

Slaton had many good things to say about her apartment at The Edge, but there were a few negative things she had to say.

“I would say a con would be that sometimes the hallways can be dirty and sometimes the pets here can be annoying, but overall it’s a great place to live,” Slaton said. 

“I would recommend this place to students. I feel like it’s been a good first apartment for me to have and I’ve enjoyed living here.”

Another student, Emilio Gray, volunteered to give his opinion on living in a duplex home with four other roommates since the beginning of the spring semester. When asked about the pros of living in a duplex, he said, 

“Sharing the rent with each other is nice. It cuts the price down to where it’s affordable for all of us,” Gray said. 

When asked about the cons of living in a duplex home, Gray said it all depends on the situation. 

“It mainly depends on location and who your landlord is, whether they’re cool or not,” Gray said. “For us, we deal with a lot of construction, but that’s just an individual problem. The construction is worth it for the quality of living in a duplex in my opinion. With the right people, living in a duplex is totally worth it. With the wrong people, though, I would advise against it.”

While there’s still many other possible housing opportunities for students, some of these apartments may be exactly what you’re looking for, or what you’re trying to avoid. For more information, reach out to The Edge Apartments or The Grove.