The cost of living for students at Texas Tech has increased over the years, according to College Navigator, a government website providing research and data.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith inflation, it costs way more to do the basic things that a college student would do, like go hang out with their friends, go get coffee, go get drinks,\u201d said Addison Medley, a junior social work major from Shallowater.<\/p>\n
Due to an increase in tuition, food, groceries and rent prices, students have found it difficult to adapt to the rising cost of living while maintaining their academic and personal responsibilities.<\/p>\n
Tech’s 4-year tuition rate and fees have increased from $17,388 in 2015 to $24,451 in 2025, with the rate of tuition increasing 40.62 percent over the past 10 years, according to College Tuition Compare, an online website offering detailed analysis of college costs.<\/p>\n
The university provides a high-quality education at an affordable cost, offering $230 million in scholarships in grants as of Fall 2024, according to the Tech\u2019s Undergraduate Admissions website.<\/p>\n
They provide various financial aid opportunities, from merit and competitive-based scholarships awarded for exceptional new and continuing students each year to need-based financial assistance to qualified families.<\/p>\n
Tech\u2019s University Student Housing provides resources for students struggling to pay rent. They offer 10 unique scholarships and funding of over $500,000 in scholarships each year, according to the University Student Housing website.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all wish that it (prices) would be lower at the end of the day. But hopefully, as basically the market kind of evens out and new properties stop being built, we’ll see that fluctuation and prices becoming lower,\u201d said Gracie Cooper, current leasing and marketing manager at The Avenue.<\/p>\n
The Avenue, an off-campus apartment complex in Lubbock, offers residents dealing with financial hardship the opportunity to opt into a program called Flex Pay.\u200b<\/p>\n
Flex Pay, a third-party service company, partnered with The Avenue to establish a program that allows residents to split their monthly rent installment into two more manageable payments \u2013 one half due at the beginning of the month and the other half due towards the end of the month.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet more people know where the scholarships are and make it so abundantly clear for students, the more resources that somebody has, the more likely that they’ll take the resources,\u201d Medley said when asked about any changes Tech could make to help students out financially.<\/p>\n
Tech offers a variety of resources to support students financially in pursuit of their degree.<\/p>\n
For support with basic needs, they offer the Raider Red\u2019s Food Pantry at Doak Hall 117, which provides supplemental non-perishable food and hygiene items. Additionally, the Financial Resolutions Office at West Hall 301, where students can apply for book or short loans.<\/p>\n
If students need employment support and financial guidance, they can visit the Red Raider Student Employment Center website to find suitable job opportunities and access Red to Black Peer Financial Coaching located at Drane Hall 215, where they can become informed about financial education and awareness.<\/p>\n
The most dire resource for students in financial distress is the Raider Relief Fund (RRF), which provides short-term, one-time emergency assistance through donations to currently enrolled Texas Tech students facing serious financial hardship, according to the Raider Relief Fund website.<\/p>\n
Students can apply for the RRF program through the Raider Relief Fund website. Their application will be reviewed by a committee, and the applicant will be contacted by a staff member for a meeting.<\/p>\n
If the applicant is not eligible for RRF or not awarded funds, steps will be taken to assist them through referrals to community resources, according to the Raider Relief website<\/a>.<\/p>\n