Texas Southern University

known as Texas Southern University for Negroes. Given it's current name in 1951 the university was established to provide credible college educations for African-American students, but through the years has become one of the more ethnically diverse institutions in Texas.

Much like the quote from the movie Field of Dreams, "If you build it, they will come," the university has grown from one permanent building to 45 permanent buildings sitting on a 150-acre campus. Enrollment has also grown from 2,303 to over 9,500 students from over 50 countries around the world including Africa, Canada, the Caribbean, China, Europe, Mexico, and South Asia.

Home of the critically acclaimed Thurgood Marshall School of Law, (named the most diverse law school in the nation three consecutive years by U.S. News and World Report), the university features nine unique schools and colleges. Striving to exceed educational expectations students can choose from the Tavis Smiley School of Communications, Jesse H. Jones School of Business Graduate School, the College of Science and Technology, or the College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences just to name a few. Texas Southern University is also one of only two universities in the nation to use flight simulators to support its airway sciences program.

For twelve hours an in-state student could expect to pay about $2700 a semester in tuition in the 2008-2009 calendar school year not including residence halls and meal plan.

Texas Southern university has no requirements to stay on campus as a new student so many choose to commute from their own off campus apartments. They do offer some outstanding options for living spaces if you choose that the freedom of off campus living is not for you.

All on campus dorms and apartments require a first payment due before move-in as well as a security deposit. The all girl dormitory Lanier West offers its residents 2 people per dorm room option, local phones, and a 7 day a week cafeteria meal plan for $3,335 covering the entire 2008-2009 school year. For more apartments style living, Greystone Apartments offers furnished and unfurnished efficiencies and one, two and three bedroom apartments starting at $477 up to $564 monthly, utilities and meal plan not included. University Courtyard/Tierwester Oaks Apartments provides 2 and 4 bedroom apartments with all units fully furnished. Units also come with kitchens, living rooms, local phone, internet/cable access and paid utilities. Their prices range from $565 to $665 monthly not including the meal plan. For those willing to stay a little further from campus Nob Hill Apartments will suit your needs perfectly. Nob Hill is located directly on the bus line which carries students from the apartment complex and drops them off at the university. Amenities include paid utilities, basic cable, and internet access. There are 4 people to every 2 bedroom/2 bath apartment and the price is $321 a month without the meal plan.

For more information on the residence halls at Texas Southern University check out their page at:
http://www.tsu.edu/pages/2325.asp

Even with the upside to staying on campus such as being closer to school and meeting new friends many students still prefer the freedom and privacy of staying in their own apartment. The Houston area is full of hundreds of great apartment communities surrounding Texas Southern University offering students more than enough options to satisfy their specific needs.