<p>I'm just wondering what is the difference between boarding cost and room cost?</p>
<p>so for dormitory, are we expected to pay the sum of the two? Thanks! I hope this is the right place to ask!</p>
<p>ohh to add, im asking because from the financial info I got off the letter has the two costs add up to about 10k, while the [Housing</a> : Residence Halls](<a href=“Columbia Housing”>Columbia Housing)
this website shows that the costs are about 6k…</p>
<p>1st year you are expected to pay both as a meal plan is required, future years just room cost which is between 5-6k for a school year, and your choice of a meal plan or not (a lot of people will then take money and just use it to buy food/cook or buy food from restaurants nearby).</p>
<p>Thanks for such a quick response! So the fact that meal plan’s required for first year means that it covers only first year, and we can choose for the rest whether we will have meal plan or just eat somewhere else? or that the meal plan covers the whole 4 year period?</p>
<p>the first year meal plan is just for first years.</p>
<p>future years you can choose to purchase a new meal plan (maybe modified so it costs less) or choose to just pocket the money and buy elsewhere.</p>
<p>but every year you should count in a few thousand dollars per semester for food. whether that is to columbia for a meal plan or for yourself to buy.</p>