A Student’s Guide to Salt Lake Community College Costs and Saving Money
Starting school at Salt Lake Community College feels exciting until you sit down and look at what everything costs. Tuition. Books. Food. Rent. Somehow even pencils feel expensive these days. The good news is that SLCC is one of the most affordable higher education options in Utah. Once you understand how Salt Lake Community College costs are structured, it becomes much easier to build a plan that fits your budget and your life.
This guide walks through tuition numbers, real living expenses near the Taylorsville Redwood Campus, simple ways to save money, and one often overlooked strategy that helps students live comfortably without draining their bank accounts.
If you’re curious about the cost of living in the greater salt lake area, or if you’re planning on moving to Salt Lake to begin your college career at SLCC, we have helpful articles that provide you with helpful details to answer your questions. Ok, let’s get you through college with your finances and your sanity intact.
Understanding Salt Lake Community College Costs
SLCC breaks tuition into resident and nonresident categories, along with credit-based pricing. If you are a Utah resident taking 12 to 18 credit hours each semester, your combined tuition and student fees land at about $4,542.50 per academic year. That covers the fall and spring semesters together. It is one of the most manageable tuition totals in the state.
Students who take fewer than 12 credits or enroll in summer classes pay per credit hour instead. SLCC lists these details on its tuition and fee schedule, and the college updates them each year so students can plan ahead. Books, course supplies, transportation, housing, and personal expenses are not included in the sticker price. These vary based on your choices and lifestyle.
The college offers a broader cost of attendance estimate that includes housing, food, and transportation. While you do not pay SLCC directly for those expenses, the estimates help you understand what a realistic year may cost. Many students discover that their total budget can shift up or down based on living arrangements and transportation decisions.
Tuition is the only piece of the puzzle you cannot change. Everything else gives you room to customize your student budget.
Simple Ways to Save Money as an SLCC Student
Saving money at SLCC does not require extreme habits. Small adjustments make a noticeable difference.
Apply for financial aid and scholarships
SLCC offers grants, scholarships, tuition waivers, and several other programs that reduce costs. Many students qualify without realizing it. The HB 144 Waiver, for example, allows eligible students to receive in-state rates even when residency classification is complicated. The FAFSA opens doors to grants that do not need to be repaid.
Stick to the sweet spot of full-time enrollment
Full-time pricing covers 12 through 18 credits for the same flat rate. Students who take advantage of this range save money because each additional class lowers the effective cost per credit.
Keep textbook expenses under control
New textbooks add up fast. Used versions, rentals, e-books, and shared copies cost significantly less. Checking bookstores early helps you find better pricing before high-demand books disappear.
Track your personal spending
Small purchases quietly drain a budget. Coffee, convenience snacks, and quick lunches out add up by the end of a month. A simple budget sheet or app makes these patterns easier to see and easier to manage.
Evaluate transportation options
Driving is convenient, but parking, insurance, and gas create steady expenses. Some students carpool, build schedules that reduce the number of weekly trips, or use public transit to cut transportation costs.
Living Near SLCC: Apartments in Taylorsville
It's smart for students to find apartments near Salt Lake Community College. The Taylorsville neighborhood offers a wide mix of apartment styles and prices and is ultra convenient for students due to proximity.
Current rental averages show that a standard one-bedroom apartment in Taylorsville typically rents for about $1,150 per month. Many one-bedroom units fall in the $1,100 to $1,200 range depending on location and amenities. Two-bedroom apartments often land between $1,350 and $1,400 per month, and splitting that cost with a roommate brings it down to a much more comfortable amount.
Some properties offer lower pricing on select floor plans. There are communities in the area that have listed one-bedroom layouts starting near $950 during promotional periods. Studio apartments and older buildings sometimes fall below the thousand-dollar mark as well. Prices shift throughout the year, so checking listings regularly helps you catch new deals.
Living close to campus saves money in less obvious ways. A shorter commute lowers fuel costs. Walking to the grocery store or a local cafe saves even more. The overall convenience of being near SLCC leads to fewer last-minute drives across town and fewer surprise expenses.
Using Storage to Stay Organized and Lower Your Living Costs
Most students do not think of storage as a budgeting tool, but it can be surprisingly effective. Small apartments near SLCC fill up quickly. You may have class supplies, sports equipment, seasonal clothing, or items you only use during part of the year. Moving between apartments or heading home during breaks becomes more complicated when everything you own needs to fit into a single vehicle.This is where a small storage unit makes life much easier.
The STOR-N-LOCK location on South Redwood Road is just minutes from the SLCC campus. These Taylorsville storage units offer affordable 5x5 and 5x10 storage units that fit student needs perfectly. A 5x5 holds boxes, small furniture, and personal items. A 5x10 handles a bike, a compact sofa, or several larger bins.
Students can reduce the cost of storage by pitching in on a storage unit together. A storage unit might seem like just an additional cost, but when two roommates split the cost of a unit together, a 5x10 storage unit magically becomes less expensive than your Netflix account.
Even if you are coming from farther north, we also have North Salt Lake storage units and a new storage facility on Capitol Hill. STOR-N-LOCK is here to help new and current students at SLCC save money and succeed.
