Are college meal plans mandatory?

[LisaR]

I have been checking out a few colleges online. I have been surprised at the number of colleges that make the meal plan mandatory for anyone living on campus. Is this common or have I just happened upon a few that require it? I don't think I ever stepped foot in the dining hall when I went to college.

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

I think there are many colleges that require meal plans for students living in the dorms. I know mine did.

 

[disney1990]

They are mandatory where my daughter goes if you live in the dorm.

 

[DVCLiz]

I have been checking out a few colleges online. I have been surprised at the number of colleges that make the meal plan mandatory for anyone living on campus. Is this common or have I just happened upon a few that require it? I don't think I ever stepped foot in the dining hall when I went to college.

Yes, they have been at my daughter's school. Her freshman year she had more meals than money - they had a certain dollar amount in a currency that could be spent in the "snack bar" area rather than the main cafeteria. During her four years she has had fewer meals and more of the dollars that can be spent at other campus locations. She is also in senior housing this year and they have 4 bedroom apartments with a full kitchen, so I imagine I am wasting a lot of money on a meal plan and groceries.

But I don't care. I'm glad my daughter is learning to cook and making meals for her roommates and friends. It's worth the extra expense to me.

 

[Tess]

At our kids' school, you must have a meal plan if you are an underclassman. Then again, their school requires four years on campus, but campus includes apartments, frats/sororities, and upperclassmen singles. All of the dorms/frats/sororities have kitchen facilities shared by all. The meal plans are ridiculously overpriced, yet they are able to purchase block plans that provide more $$$$ for use with local restaurants and pizza places as well as the Quiznos, a la carte, and coffee house on campus.

 

[LisaR]

Ok, here is my stupid question of the day: WHY? Why is this required, especially when some students have a full kitchen? Are the schools making big bucks on the program or is there some other reason that I am missing?

 

[AshleyW]

I went to the University of Iowa, and it was mandatory there if you lived in a dorm. We could choose from 10, 14 or 20 meals/week. If your dorm had a kitchen, you could choose 5 meals/week. I chose 10, and used most of them, I think. I usually ate breakfast and dinner on campus, and went out with a friend or lunch or made some soup in my room. Our dining room had a REALLY good selection though, I haven't heard the same for some other schools in the area.

 

[DVCLiz]

Ok, here is my stupid question of the day: WHY? Why is this required, especially when some students have a full kitchen? Are the schools making big bucks on the program or is there some other reason that I am missing?

I don't really know the rationale but I will say that the fact that my daughter has access to a full kitchen in her apartment doesn't mean she is willing or able to cook every meal. She goes to the dining hall to meet other friends, as much for social time as food, and she has a much larger selection at the dining hall or at one of the other campus places.

And I'm sure money or at least keeping dining hall staff employed must factor in. I expect there are some federal nutrition guidelines in place, too. After all, a college campus fuill of students who only cooked for themselves would be 95% pizzas and Lean Cuisines, I'd bet.

 

[Jason@dvcstore]

I have been checking out a few colleges online. I have been surprised at the number of colleges that make the meal plan mandatory for anyone living on campus. Is this common or have I just happened upon a few that require it? I don't think I ever stepped foot in the dining hall when I went to college.

At the University of Iowa if you lived in the dorms (this was 1992) you had to have one of the meal plans. You did get to choose all three, only 1 or pick 2 but you did have to pick one.

I think well worth it as didn't want to spend a lot of time cooking or out eating when I was a freshman. I didn't mind it for one year.

Jason

 

[Angelhalo]

Ok, here is my stupid question of the day: WHY? Why is this required, especially when some students have a full kitchen? Are the schools making big bucks on the program or is there some other reason that I am missing?

We used our meal cards at the on campus grocery store. Our meal cards didn't have a certain number of meals on them, instead they had a certain amount of money, lie a prepaid debit card. Since we lived in a suite with a full kitchen we used our cards on campus at the grocery store instead of having to leave campus and spend "real" money.

 

[Angelhalo]

Oh we also had an on campus pizza delivery that accepted our meal cards as well!

I also used my meal money to meet friends for lunch in between classes.

 

[Tess]

Ok, here is my stupid question of the day: WHY? Why is this required, especially when some students have a full kitchen? Are the schools making big bucks on the program or is there some other reason that I am missing?

I think you have the right idea--big bucks. The meals in their main meal area amounts to $12 per meal. As someone said before, I rarely set foot inside a cafeteria while I was in college--no meal plans involved. Most schools outsource their food programs and I'm guessing that is a requirement of the contract--a meal plan is required.

When our son was looking at schools (in 2006), he looked at a school that charged a ridiculous amount of money, but it was unlimited eating at a large variety of venues. Each venue served a different type of food and they were free to eat until they couldn't eat any more. Then, they still had the commons area that offered subs, Starbucks, etc. and a high end restaurant for "dates". Those were out of pocket extras.

Kids get tired of the food regardless of the variety and amount offered. I know that I subsisted on shaved ham and soup while I was in school. It just seems like a money making proposition for colleges/universities in this day and age. It could be why we have the weight issues with kids these days too--the food is certainly filling, but not all that healthy.

 

[LisaR]

We used our meal cards at the on campus grocery store. Our meal cards didn't have a certain number of meals on them, instead they had a certain amount of money, lie a prepaid debit card. Since we lived in a suite with a full kitchen we used our cards on campus at the grocery store instead of having to leave campus and spend "real" money.

That is a great idea! We didn't have a campus grocery store. Every dorm had a kitchen so were all able to cook food and hang out together. I only lived in the dorm for a year and moved to off campus housing after that but I really don't think any of us ever went to the dining hall. I am going to have to ask some of the people I still keep in touch with.

 

[Angelhalo]

I surprised by all the folks who never ate on campus. I ate at least one meal in a college restaurant every day. Some days two meals. It was just a great way to socialize in between classes and not have to wash dishes by hand back in the suite.

We had a LOT of food choices so None of us ever got bored. We had a sub shop, a hot dog shop, an ice cream shop, a TCBY, a pizza delivery place, a homestyle cooking place, an italian restaurant, the food court, a create your own pasta restaurant, a Chik-Fil-A, a McAllister's Deli, a coffee shop, a donut shop, a few breakfast joints, and even a fine dining restaurant with shrimp and steaks!

 

[pipersmom]

My college also required meals. The full dorm kitchens are great for about a month, then they start to get naaaasty, lol..at my school anyway, and it was all women! The dining hall was also a social thing..and, being a private school, the food was veeery veeery good. I personally have never heard of a school where you didn't have to do dining plan if you lived on campus, but I guess there could be some.

 

[iggbees]

the college i went to required us to have a meal plan, although it was called "room and board". it was outrageously priced as well. unless you go to a university where most people live off campus, i think you might have a hard time finding a college that doesn't require students to both live on campus and have a meal plan. this is at least true for most liberal arts colleges.

 

[MM27]

my college required a meal plan if you were living on campus. They did however have several different plans available so that you could decide whether to have all meals available or just one or two. There was a girl that I went to school with that never ate in the dining halls and she would buy things like full size cakes at the end of the semester or when it was someones birthday to spend the money. It was really a waste. We didn't have to only use the plans at the dining halls though. There was a coffee bar and bagel and snack stands that took meal credits as well.

 

[ladycollector]

My school doesn't require it.

 

[LisaR]

I just looked up my school and they require the meal plan now. When I went (back in the age of the dinosaurs ) it wasn't required. We also didn't have places to eat on campus. I notice that most colleges now have a Starbucks, Subway, etc. We had a dining hall. Nothing else.

I guess I better save even more money for college.

 

[disykat]

We had a kitchenette on each floor or in each dorm, depending on the dorm. I can't even imagine the chaos if very many people were trying to cook their own meals. We used the kitchen more for things like making rice crispy treats!

When looking at websites recently I'm noticing more dorms that are like apartments and students are not required to have meal plans. They're usually reserved for upper classman though.