<p>Hey! So I start college in two - three weeks as an incoming freshman. I have $15,830 racked up in scholarships + loans for this year, and my schools yearly cost is $15,000. I'm trying to figure out which meal plan to choose. I kinda eat a lot sometimes. But sometimes I just need a snack in between meals (which I will bring with me to college). Here are the meal plans:</p>
<p>Bonus 10: 10 meals per week & $75 bonus dollars. ($1,688)
Bonus 12: 12 meals per week & $250 bonus dollars. ($2,008)
Bonus 14: 14 meals per week & $100 Bonus dollars. ($1,934)</p>
<p>I was thinking of getting either Bonus 14 or Bonus 10. Which one do you guys think I should get? Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>It depends. Are you the kind of kid who will hit the Caf each day for lunch and dinner? Will you instead go out on weekends? </p>
<p>Usually a college will let you upgrade your meal plan but not downgrade. If that is the case at your college it would make sense to start with the cheaper plan and see if you need to upgrade. Find out what the policy is.</p>
<p>Check your college policy. One of my kids was able to change his meal plan any time within the first two weeks of school…increase or decrease. Also, both of my kids got the smaller meal plan but they were able to purchase additional bonus points. See if that is an option.</p>
<p>I would figure out the per meal cost and see if you can get cheaper meal on/near campus. In the school I am most familiar with, most students picked the minimal meal plan as they will have a light lunch to save money. Now the school has changed to unlimited meal plan but without a significant increase in cost. It is going to change the eating habit on campus.</p>
<p>I’d like to go out on weekends. And thanks for all the answers!</p>
<p>Can you AFFORD to go out to eat every weekend for all of your meals?</p>
<p>My daughter who has a choice picked the cheapest meal plan, 12 per week. We figure that is 2 per day, with eating elsewhere one day. She also has 5 ‘guest’ swipes per semester, so figure her friends do too and they’ll swap those around. She also has $200 of credit at other places (fast food, coffee) around campus. We’ll see how it goes.</p>
<p>Other daughter had choice of all meals 7 days a week at the dining hall, or 5 days per week and $500 in dining bucks. She’s going with the second, thinking she’ll eat at her suite on weekends, swipe her card at the dining hall, or eat off campus on weekends. If she doesn’t like it, she can switch second semester.</p>