<p>For first semester with older D we went with the max meal plan. She didn’t eat at the caf as often as I thought she would. Breakfast was usually a cereal bar and piece of fruit. Both Ds settledon 10 meals/week (lunch and dinner for the week) and some meal points for the coffee bar/quick stop.</p>
<p>Students at Wisconsin (Madison) who live in Res Halls pay a la carte when using money put into their food service account. $1200 or so is typical for the year (per a parent on the UW CC site- Res Halls used to quote $1000), refunds of unused amounts given. Parents can put in money anytime- if the account runs out students pay full price (gotta pay attention to balance!). Anyone can eat anywhere, dorm residents get a discount (60% more/less-not sure if it is non dorm/dorm figure) as they subsidize the food service places (dining halls, snack bars, convenience food stores) with room payments. How much students pay for off campus/Unions food depends on student habits. There is a refrigerator in each dorm room, microwave ovens are allowed and food can be carried out.</p>
<p>Wow, quite a lot of opinions. I talked more to S and that helped too. Mostly asking him, where do upperclass kids eat most? The caf is a lot of freshmen due to the required meal plan. </p>
<p>First, the food is pretty good at his school. I don’t mind paying
Second, I cannot imagine how he would have enough time to cook and shop if he were to eat on his own. As it is, he tells me he often eats alone because he is working so much (“mom, physics/math majors are a lot of work!”) I’m amazed that so many kids go off meal plan on here. </p>
<p>Third, his campus is compact and he can get to the caf and dining places easily. </p>
<p>The big info I got was upper class often eat in the snack bar and it’s possible to eat there cheaper than the cost of the swipe for the caf. So I’m looking at more dining dollars and less paid meals. </p>
<p>$3000 per semester for unlimited meals all you can eat plus 10 guest meals. Students without a meal plan pay: Breakfast $9.00, Lunch or Brunch $11.05, Dinner $15.50.
DD says the food is very good. </p>
<p>My D will be a freshmen in a few weeks living in a dorm. The school just changed from various meal plan to an unlimited one but with optional additional meal dollar for eating on campus but not in the dinning hall. Initially, I was worried that the cost would be much higher than the previous rate with the basic meal plan (150/semester). It turns out to be only a 2.5% increase in the total R/B cost from last year and the difference was even smaller than the unlimited meal plan upgrade last year. I guess they estimated many students would still not utilize fully the unlimited meal plan when it is included unlike those who choose to pay for the upgrade previous.</p>
<p>$1500/semester for unlimited swipes in all-you-can-eat Dining hall PLUS 21 Meal exchanges to the other eateries on campus PLUS $100 dining dollars. I had to ask about this and reread it over and over. "You mean she can swipe in the morning for a banana and yogurt, then early afternoon for lunch, then before dinner power snack, then dinner PLUS three meals/day at the other places too? Not either/or…both! I guess I can see where those freshmen 15 come from! </p>
<p>Wow $1500/sem is a lot cheaper than Ss all access plan! I am also needing to calculate how many meals there are in a semester. Or at least how many lunches and dinners. I have no idea if 175 swipes is a lot or enough etc. </p>
<p>^ My D’s school is a little more expensive. It is $2012/semester for the unlimited meal plan plus $25 dinning dollars, 2 guest meals and 5 to go meals. Additional dinning dollars will give bonus guest meals and to go meals. I really don’t see the need to buy additional dinning dollars with an unlimited meal plan unless one has a very tight schedule. And yes, umlimited meal plan means one can swipe any time the dinning hall is open to grab something to eat.</p>
<p>My son is off the meal plan for the first time this fall, but if think it was over $10 a meal, and I KNOW he didn’t use all of his meals. I’m curious as to how much it’s going to cost to feed him in his off campus housing. </p>
<p>Son was required to purchase at least the minimum plan of $3160 per year when in the dorms, however food is deducted on a cost-per-item basis. He ate through his dining dollars by the middle of the year and we ended up having to supplement. He is a pretty healthy eater, and is an athlete, but it sounded like at least most of the males ran out of dining dollars. Many of his dinners ended up totaling $12-$15 but in looking at what he ate I didn’t feel he was being extravagant. I looked at the cost of items in the dining hall and he could have eaten in restaurants off-campus for much less. His school does allow students to purchase unused dining dollars from other students, and he was able to purchase additional dining dollars at often a 50% reduction. He is an on-campus apt. this year and is required to buy the $2450 meal plan option. He is planning to eat breakfasts and lunches in his apt. and using the dining dollars for dinners. </p>
<p>D has moved off campus for her final year, but we got her a commuter plan. Cost of the meals on the commuter plan? 7.24. Cost of the meals of the residential plan she had last year? $12.66. Almost couldn’t believe it.</p>
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<p>At Michigan, yes. It’s ridiculous. I’d forgo the meal plan if possible. </p>
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<p>Yes, it is sad. Many families struggle to pay $15k per year towards college…and then they discover all that will pay for is the room, board and books. </p>
<p>My kids’ school requires frosh to have the All Access All you can eat plan…eat as much as you want, swipe as often as you want, you can even take a bunch of food/drink back to your dorm if you want. </p>
<p>First Year All Access Meal Plan
$1,633 per semester
All meal plans come with 10 guest meals per semester. Please note meal plan charges do not include the required $325 Dining Dollars. Dining Dollars are billed separately on the student receivables account.</p>
<p>However…kids tire of Dining Hall food quite soon…even with all those “stations” of different offerings. The “Dining Dollars” get spent at the retail franchises that are on campus (Chick fil A, Starbucks, Panda Express, etc). But…The school is surrounded by restaurants so kids are soon venturing off-campus and soon few are eating on campus on weekends. </p>
<p>UW-Madison does not have a required meal plan. On campus housing in a UW-Madison dorm room is about $7800 (which includes a fee for dining hall operations). All food purchases are ala carte and are at a subsidized rate for students living in the residence halls. Average dining hall food costs per year is $1,280.</p>
<p><a href=“Catering FAQs & Policies – University Housing – UW–Madison”>Catering FAQs & Policies – University Housing – UW–Madison;
<p>What plans are available?
We are non-traditional in that residents are not required to purchase a set number of meals per week in advance. Instead, our dining marketplaces operate much more like restaurants with a la carte pricing for a wide selection of food. Among many options, students can choose from full meals, small breakfasts, quick snacks, and many treats throughout the day. UW-Madison students, faculty, and staff can pay for food using their Wiscard (the official UW-Madison photo ID). All customers, including the general public, can pay with a credit card or cash.</p>
<p>How much should I budget for food?
Most students spend an average of $1,280 per academic year with their Wiscard at our dining marketplaces. Lighter eaters or those who go home often will probably spend less money. Likewise, heavier eaters, those who frequently eat off campus, or frequent snackers will probably spend more money. It all depends on your preferences and what you choose. Dining and Culinary Services recommends an initial deposit of $300 to your Wiscard at the time you pay your first quarter Housing bill. If you plan to pay your first quarter bill with financial aid and do not submit payment before you move into your room, we recommend that you deposit at least $50 onto your Wiscard before moving to campus so you can purchase food right away.</p>
<p>How much does a typical full meal cost?</p>
<p>Here are some meal choices and what they cost a resident customer in the 2013 - 2014 academic year.</p>
<p>Breakfast<br>
Bacon, egg and cheese English muffin $1.45
Breakfast potatoes $.89
16 oz orange juice $.60</p>
<p>Lunch<br>
Wrap sandwich comes with side salad or chips $2.65
Apple $.45
8oz milk $.60</p>
<p>Dinner<br>
Chicken stirfry with rice $2.55
Small salad from the salad bar $1.25
16oz soda $.60</p>
<p>Late Night Snack<br>
Small dish of Babcock ice cream $1.45</p>
<p>DS was in the dorms last year and was required to have the all you can eat plan for $2176 per semester. It included $100 in dining dollars and $150 in buzz funds he could use for laundry or other stuff on campus. He is not a big eater and didn’t like the food much. This year he is in a on campus apartment and I’m figuring $75/80 a week(or about 1200 a semester) for food and laundry…even if I’m off I highly doubt he is going to be spending as much as the meal plan… The retail prices for meals are as follows:
Retail Prices:
Breakfast- $8.35
Lunch- $10.65
Dinner- $12.15
Late Night- $10.65</p>
<p>I have to believe that if he decides to eat outside of the apartment he can find a better deal.</p>
<p>One daughter has a choice of plans (but a plan is required) and she picked the lowest, 12 meals per week, at about $2000 I think. We figure that is 2 per day with one each weekend day. She also has extra dining dollars, but I know those will all go for coffee. She can sit in the cafeteria all day if she wants, but each time she goes in counts as a meal, and she can take a drink and fruit from the dining room.</p>
<p>Other daughter has two options, same cost for both, $2700/sem. First is all you can eat, 7 days per week, and I believe the dining center is open 7am to 9 pm. Second option is M-F all you can eat, but $500 in dining dollars to cover the weekends. She was mistakenly put on the second plan but decided to stick with it when she figured out how far her dorm was from the dining center. She has a full fridge and a mini kitchen in her suite, but I think she’ll just eat in the dining hall once each weekend day, and then ‘out’ most of the other weekend meals. Dining dollars can be used at the grocery store on campus or for many cafe places and a few other places like smoothies and pizza.</p>
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But it is only possible if you do not live in the dorm.</p>
<p>1 son was unlimited $1547 (now) was less ($1250) when he was there, with $100 flex per semester. There are 5 other plans with 19 per week to 8 with $375 flex dollars. Worked well for my defensive lineman son with one of the best cafe ever! 3 meals, sometimes more after practice, 7 days a week from August through Dec, home for T-day where I spent a fortune to feed the whole crew. It cost me so much more to feed them at home and then Jan. through May, 18+ weeks, 21 meals a week and then some, and he like his 2 other brothers can eat their weight!</p>
<p>Younger son at p’ton joined an “eating club” and thought he died and went to heaven. As an executive officer he resided at the club and had access to the cooking staff whenever he was hungry. He had to be on campus early each year for practice and the team would feed them at first but soon after his eating club chef took over and his food was impressive. Son enjoyed every meal he had there and continues to do so at Reunions every year!</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>Wow, I feel much better about my son’s plan which is $1700/semester! All freshmen living on campus are required to have this plan which comes in two versions: Unlimited 7 days a week at 2 buffet style cafs plus $275 flex dollars, and 20 meal exchanges/week (use one “swipe” for $5 credit at food court). Or Unlimited 2 days a week with $500 flex and same number of exchanges. His dorm is right next to one of the buffet cafs. They also have 2 food courts, Starbucks in the library, late night Subway location and several “grab and go” stores in classroom buildings.</p>
<p>…and I thought that $10,246 a year for a double room at Michigan and unlimited meals was a bargain!</p>
<p><a href=“Michigan Housing”>http://housing.umich.edu/billing/undergrad-rates-2014-2015</a></p>