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Off-Campus Housing Near UTRGV
About Off-Campus Housing Near The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, or UTRGV, enrolls about 32,441 Vaqueros across the Rio Grande Valley, with its main campus in Edinburg near the southern tip of Texas. The Valley is warm year-round, deeply Mexican-American in culture, and shaped by the river that gives the school its name. Edinburg centers on a walkable downtown and courthouse square, and the city leans into its identity with festivals, parades, and the long-running UFO Festival. The Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and World Birding Center sits on city parkland with more than 300 recorded bird species. Vaqueros athletics anchor school spirit. The Valley is spread out and car-oriented, with Edinburg flowing right into McAllen, so most students drive, though the blocks along University Drive stay walkable.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Housing Requirements
Freshman Live-On Requirement
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley requires certain first-year students to live on campus: specifically, recent high school graduates who do not live in the local Valley counties of Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, or Willacy. A meal plan is required for freshmen who do live in the Edinburg halls. Students from those counties are encouraged but not required to live on campus.
Off-Campus Eligibility
Because so many UTRGV students are local, many freshmen commute or rent from the start. The off-campus scene is a mix of student complexes near campus and ordinary Valley apartments and houses. Edinburg flows right into McAllen, so widening your search a few miles opens up a lot more options.
Lease Timing
When you rent, expect a standard Texas application with income or guarantor verification and a deposit. Heat is the year-round constant here, so air conditioning and how electric is billed matter a lot. Read leases for utility caps, and consider sharing, since splitting a unit with roommates stretches your money in a market with plenty of family-oriented housing.