SMART Housing FAQs
SMART Housing was created by the city of Austin to aid students who receive need-based financial aid, pay for school through student loans, or work while going through school to pay for living expenses independently. Students who qualify for SMART Housing qualify for discounted monthly installments at certain apartment communities, including Moontower!
There are two ways to qualify for SMART Housing. The first is receiving need-based financial aid, which may automatically qualify you for smart housing. The second qualifier is if you meet the low-to-moderate income requirement for Austin, which means whoever is paying for the housing only makes 50-60% of the median Austin income. You will need proof from a W2, 1040, a letter from an employer, or three pay stubs. If you are unsure whether you qualify for SMART Housing, send a screenshot of your UT direct cash page or proof of income to a member of our team for help!
At Moontower, we offer individual housing contracts, including our SMART Housing option. This means the SMART Housing discount is applied to your specific room of the unit you’re responsible for.
SMART Housing rates are typically sent out in July by the city of Austin. Moontower has a limited number of units dedicated to SMART Housing, but these fill up rather quickly, so we recommend signing a housing contract earlier to help ensure you can save your place.
The SMART housing rates for 2024 are currently running between $700 and $1300, but these rates vary by unit and complex.
Since Moontower offers individual SMART Housing contracts, we can typically mix someone with SMART Housing and someone without SMART Housing in one unit, so you don’t have to worry about not living with your friend or roommate!