Meal plans are a waste of money for Elon University students who already have full kitchens and would rather not purchase one. But they’re a source of income for the university.
Through their sophomore year, students living on campus are required to spend between $3,129 and $3,971 on a meal plan.
For students living in residence halls, these requirements are logical. But it doesn’t make sense for students in apartments with full kitchens to spend thousands of dollars on a meal plan they won’t use. The least expensive meal plan — 200 block — isn’t even available to students on campus until their junior year.
Assistant Director for Auxiliary Services Carrie Ryan said these requirements allow the university to keep dining costs down.
“By requiring all students in these classes to have a meal plan, dining services can provide more food venues, more food item options and longer hours of service,” she said in an email, noting that the university wouldn’t be able to sustain its current level of dining service if meal plans were issued on a voluntary basis.
It’s wonderful that dining services provides all that it does — it’s undoubtedly appreciated by students in residence halls — but those who aren’t going to eat the food in the first place shouldn’t be picking up the slack to keep costs low. Requiring them to spend an exorbitant amount on food they’ll never eat is the university’s way of generating revenue from unconsumed meals.
Ryan said the meal plan requirements support Elon’s residential model, which includes housing freshmen and sophomores entirely on campus. She said residential environments include dining facilities and are designed to facilitate social interaction during meals.
But a number of sophomores live in apartments on campus with their own kitchens. It’s valid to strive for fostering community in a residential model, but a sophomore living in an apartment has likely already discovered a community and no longer needs those facilities to create one.
These students could spend $50 every week for a whole year and not spend as much as they would on the least expensive meal plan.
Ryan said some students may be exempt from the meal plan requirements if they have dietary restrictions or specific health needs, but she noted this doesn’t guarantee an exception will be made.
At the very least, students with medical restrictions should have the power to opt out of a meal plan that would cause them to have health problems. Under the current system, they can apply to do so but have no guarantee of success.
When it comes to purchasing meal plans, not everyone has the same needs. Ultimately, the university benefits more than the students who don’t think they need a meal plan. Those students should be able to forgo purchasing one.