If you are one of the many students here at UTM considering a move off campus, you may want to think again. Sure it's cramped and there's practically no privacy, but the dorms here at UTM are actually quite affordable compared to other alternatives.

According to Martin Realty Company, a two-bedroom apartment with two bathrooms and central heat and air goes for $495 per month. Several of the two bedroom apartments with only one bathroom on Church Street cost $300 per month.

That is still a hefty sum even with a roommate figured into it. Both of you pay $150 apiece, but consider this, there are no utilities included in the rent.

Martin Rentals, however, is a little more affordable and handles most of the rental property in Martin.

Right now they have two bedroom apartments and houses beginning at $275 per month extending up to $450 per month for some of the luxury apartments, and usually water service and garbage pickup is included in the rent. “Most of our rentals are really nice townhouses and duplexes,” said Kimberly Smith of Martin Rentals. “I would estimate that the average monthly rent on an apartment in Martin is $350-400.”

In addition to the rent, utilities also have to be considered. Water, if it is not already included, is very costly. The monthly service is only $15, but a deposit of $50 is needed and an installation fee of $275 applies to all new accounts.

Electricity is equally expensive. Monthly service is nearly 10 cents per kilowatt-hour and the electric company adds a $6 customer charge on top of that.

Then, if you have any money left over after that, local phone service, cable television, and an Internet connection could add up quickly. To get local phone service from Frontier in Martin, a $100 deposit is required if the customer has bad credit or no credit at all. An installation charge of $64.40 applies to all customers and basic service is $15.85 per month.

Charter Communications handles cable television and Internet service. A package including channels 2-74 costs $44 a month. If HBO is included in the package, the cost jumps to $58.90 per month.

A high speed Internet connection can be included with cable television for a cost of $34.95 per month. If there is no cable connection in the apartment, the Internet connection costs $49.95 per month.

UTM housing offers all the utilities as well as local phone service, cable television including HBO, and a high speed Internet connection for a reasonable price.

Dorm room prices are $940 per semester, except for Cooper Hall, which is $980. Assuming there are four months in a semester, the price per month would be around $235, and there are no deposits or installation fees lurking around the corner.

Some students, however, would rather pay more to live in an apartment.

UTM has affordable apartment complexes on campus. University Courts and Grove Apartments are also available to students.

The cost of a two bedroom apartment at University Courts is $400 per month plus the electric bill, but up to 4 people can live in the apartment bringing the individual cost down to $100 per month.

An electric bill split four ways can also be very reasonable. A two-bedroom apartment in Grove is a little cheaper at $395 per month plus electricity. Like the dorm rooms, UTM apartments come with water, cable television, Internet, and local phone service.