Did you know, 22% of the student body at the University of Utah come from out of state? This is a large percentage when compared to similar institutions, and for good reason! The U. offers many things that entice students from all across the world to attend school here including the mountains, advanced programs, snow sports and more. To make this experience even better, many out-of-state students choose to live on campus. In this blog, we will have a chat with a resident named Rey Jindal (she/her/hers), an out-of-state student from Atlanta, Georgia.

Rey is a first-year student majoring in biomedical engineering. There were many colleges that Rey applied to, but she ultimately chose the University of Utah. Though she would have to pay out-of-state tuition rates, Rey decided that the advanced engineering program and Salt Lake City’s beautiful outdoors were worth it when compared to Georgia’s in-state options. Once she chose the U., she decided that the best living situation would be on campus. She says, “I chose to live on campus instead of an apartment off campus because, as a first-year student, living on campus is a great opportunity to meet people of all majors. Also, there were many scholarships that I applied to in order to get money to help pay for housing.” 

There are many housing options that students can choose from depending on their class year and qualifications. These communities are located across campus and have a variety of focuses and emphases. For first-year students, there are options such as Kahlert Village, Sage Point, Lassonde Studios, Officer’s Circle and more. Rey was interested in multiple communities but mainly considered living at Kahlert Village and Lassonde Studios. She loved both communities because of the resources they offer. Eventually, Rey chose to live at Lassonde Studios in a double room.

One of the best things about living on campus as a student is the many resources available within close proximity to home. For Rey, one of the benefits of living right in the middle of campus is being nearby everything from classes to the TRAX (light-rail train) stops. Rey loves to explore campus, and if classes were mostly in-person this year, she would love to take a short walk to each building. She also loves to explore the city, and one of her favorite places to go is Trader Joe’s. While living at Lassonde Studios, it is only a five-minute walk to the nearest TRAX stop that can take you right to Trader Joe’s. This makes it fun and easy to do something fun without a car, and as a bonus, all Utah Transit Authority (UTA) services are free to students! For more information about how to use UTA services, read our transportation blog. 

Another thing that Rey loves about living on campus is the option to purchase a meal plan. For a busy biomedical engineering student, the ability to grab a hot meal in just a few minutes is very convenient. Some of the food even resembles home-cooked meals that she misses while living away from home! Similarly, when you’re an out-of-state student, you can’t simply take a quick drive home to use tools such as screwdrivers, sewing machines and more. This makes it very convenient to live at Lassonde Studios and borrow tools from the MakeSpace on the first floor. 

Lastly, there are a few things that make Utah feel like home. One of those is when Rey’s family comes to visit Park City, a neighboring city to Salt Lake City. When they visit, Rey loves to take them around the shops and cool buildings downtown. She also loves to ski with them through the many resorts in the valley. While living here, Rey can also work toward gaining residency, which will allow her to pay in-state tuition rates instead of out-of-state rates. Her plan to gain residency is to live and work on campus for at least 12 months. In the meantime, she will keep applying for scholarships and enjoying life on campus! 

Housing & Residential Education is here to support all students, both in-state and out-of-state. For more information about life on campus, visit our website: www.housing.utah.edu