(JOUR 310) Rising Prices: How Higher Costs Could Affect How Many UNLV Students Can Live In The

Rising rent prices and everyday living costs are forcing UNLV students in Las Vegas this semester to make difficult decisions about housing, work, and their ability to stay enrolled. As rents across the Las Vegas Valley continue to climb faster than wages, many students are taking on additional jobs, living with more roommates, or commuting long distances from more affordable areas. The issue affects students, campus housing officials, and local renters, who say affordability has worsened since the pandemic despite the city’s economic rebound. Students describe cutting back on food, delaying medical care, or skipping classes to work enough hours to cover rent and utilities. Data from housing reports and interviews suggest that limited student housing and a tourism-driven economy have intensified competition for affordable units near campus. This story is timely and local because Las Vegas’s rising cost of living directly impacts UNLV’s student population, raising questions about access to higher education and whether the city’s growth is leaving young residents behind.