Starting at a new school with new people and new faces can be overwhelming, but The Mark Austin is here to help the transition by providing SMART Housing. Through SMART Housing, we are here to help students who receive need-based financial aid, pay for school via student loans, or work while going through school to pay for living expenses independently.
SMART Housing FAQs
SMART Housing was created by Austin to help students who receive need-based financial aid, pay for school via 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 The Standard at Austin!
There are two ways to qualify for SMART Housing. The first is by receiving need-based financial aid, which may automatically qualify you for smart housing. The alternative way to qualify 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. Though 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 The Mark Austin, 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. The Standard at Austin 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 the 2025-2026 term is $1,181. We are currently sold out of SMART housing floorplans for the 2025-2026 term, but call our office to be placed on our SMART housing waitlist!
Since The Mark Austin 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!