<p>DS is still discerning about Penn State. Looking ahead to sophomore through senior years, it seems that many students live off campus. From what I read on the PSU website, if you do not live in PSU housing then you cannot buy into a PSU meal plan. Am I reading this correctly? Are there any dining options for students that live off campus?</p>
<p>‘ If you are a registered student living off campus, you may purchase the on-campus meal plan using the Contract Card. Submit the card to the id+ office, 103 HUB-Robeson Center.’</p>
<p>That was from psu’s website. I doubt many students living off-campus buy the meal plan. My kids lived off campus and didn’t know anyone who did this. Picking up lunch on campus might be convenient, but going back for dinner is probably more of a hassle than heating something up in the microwave or picking something up downtown.</p>
<p>You can buy into the dining plans, if you wanted to, and do it at the lowest possible level. S1 did that the first year he lived off campus, but he never used up the points (and they then convert to LionCash, it’s sorta like foreign exchange though in that you don’t get a dollar-for-dollar rate) You can also just load up on LionCash and pay the a la carte prices for eating in the dining halls. </p>
<p>The biggest savings in off-campus living isn’t the rent, it’s the food, or at least that was how it worked for us.</p>