<p>There are no clear bargains with the meal plans. With the way that kids are receiving dirt-cheap education through scholarships and low tuition, the university needs to make money somehow. I’d be willing to bet dollars-to-donuts that their highest margins, by far, are in textbook and meal plan sales.</p>
<p>FSU effectively has a monopoly on the dorm residents when it comes to food, so they can gouge on-campus students as much as they want. At least with textbooks you can utilize Half.com or other, cheap online sources to purchase your materials. With the way the meal plans are set up, the student has little mobility as far as pricing is concerned. Meal plans average out to just about the same for the most part. All-in-all, I suggest getting a plan with as many flex bucks as possible to help defray the costs somewhat.</p>
<p>Ok so the FSUCard serves 3 purposes? Free optional suntrust account…flex bucks carrier…and a smart chip to use for laundry, coke machines, etc.</p>
<p>I already have a suntrust debit card now in high school, could i still use the ATMs (deposit and withdrawl) on campus even though its not the FSUCard im using as a debit card?</p>
<p>and im still confused? some of you are saying 125 block, and 150, what is better???</p>
<p>Library card, holds your meal plan (if you do that), key to get into your residence hall building (if you live on campus), and other things as well.</p>
<p>And yes, you can use your suntrust debit card in the ATMs. Just make sure you only use it in a suntrust ATM. I made the mistake of using mine at a bank of America ATM. Bank of America charged me 2.50 and Suntrust charged me 2.00. Was the most expensive 20 bucks ever… lol</p>
<p>Go to the food service website to determine which plan is best for you. You can get unlimited (which is good if you are a snacker or the type to sit in the dining all and read), a certain number of meals per week, or a certain number of meals per semester.</p>
<p>If getting a certain number of meals persemester, be careful. Although the 150 is cheaper per meal, the 125 plus the 30 meal extension is actually cheaper yet and provides 155 meals instead of 150.</p>
<p>although this has nothing to do with the thread, does anyone know when we will find out our dorm assignments and roomates?? i applied last month for housing immediately when i found out about my acceptance.</p>
<p>Prices for next year are being determined. For 2008-2009 the cheapest was a either the 100 meal option per semester for $1099 per semester or the 7 meals a week for the same $1099. This included flexbuck of either $300 or $400. </p>
<p>For 2009-2010 they did not offer the 100 meal option and the the cheapest was I believe $1299 and I think it was the 7meals/week option with flexbucks or 125 meals per semester with flexbucks. . The new rates will be up early May.</p>
<p>OK here are current fees NOT new ones: these are the ones you can look in. My guess is they go up $100 a semester.</p>
<p>All Access: $1,855.00 semester or $3710.00 year FLexbucks $130
Weekly 14: $1,854.00 or — $3708.00 — $300
Weekly 10: $1,719.00 or — $3438.00 — $400
Weekly 7: $1,619.00 or — $3238.00 — $500
150 Block: $1,690.00 or — $3380.00 — $300
125 Block: $1,479.00 or — $2958.00 — $300</p>
<p>The website has lock-in price info, it has been extended to 4/30, but I am unclear if it is for returning students or anyone who signs up BUT it cannot be done online. You have to fill out the form, fax it and get them payment in time. CALL for more info.</p>
<p>“Lock in your 2009 - 2010 meal plan rates for next year! Like everything else, meal plan prices will rise. As a CURRENT student, you can lock in your current year’s rates for the 2010 - 2011 academic year. It’s our way of saying THANK YOU!”</p>
<p>I think when sales are down they start altering their requirements. </p>
<p>It is not FSU that sets the prices, it is the company that is contracted to provide the services Aramark. I do think the price of food, esp fruits and veggies and healthy food has gone up quite a bit, but I think the meal plans are VERY HIGH. And I think they need to offer a plan per semester that is $1000. They can cut down on the flexbucks maybe, and go back to the 100 meals a semester. The lowest plan is way too pricey.</p>
<p>The food is also very low quality. Definitely not worth the 8.50 per meal it ends up coming to. I would not even consider purchasing a meal plan next year, but since I will be employed by the school next year, I can get meals pretty cheap.</p>
<p>The new prices are out, and WOW. Just some advice; don’t buy the block plans, and here’s why:</p>
<p>125 block:</p>
<p>1600 dollars - you get 300 flex. This means 1300 dollars is going towards the 125 meals. 1300/125=$10.40 per meal. One, the food sucks, and isn’t worth close to that. TWO… unless they raise the prices of buying meals separately, you can buy meals with garnet bucks for the following prices:</p>
<p>Breakfast: 6.44
Lunch: 8.44
Dinner: 9.44</p>
<p>The 150 block comes to $9.86 per meal. Also a terrible deal.</p>
<p>Even the weekly plans are not a good deal. Looking at the 10 per week plan which is most typical, you pay 1800 dollars… get 400 in flex. This means 1400 is going towards meals. There are 16 weeks in the semester X 10 = 160 meals. AT BEST, your meal plan is costing you 8.75 per meal. I PROMISE you that you won’t use all 160 meals, nor will you come close. If you let 10 meals go to waste over the semester (very likely given the breaks and what not), it comes to 9.33 per meal (Bad deal). Many weeks you will use all of your meals, but many other weeks, you will have quite a few left over.</p>
<p>The best “deal” is the 14 meals per week, coming to about $7.36 per meal, but you better buy a lot of toilet paper.</p>
<p>I apologize for making another post, but it won’t let me edit my above post. Lunch separately with Garnet bucks was actually 7.44 (not 8.44). If you go to lunch the same amount of times as dinner, it would on average cost you 8.44 per meal using Garnet bucks.</p>
<p>Dnerd, I went without a meal plan last semester and while it is manageable of course, I really hated having to come back after a long day of classes/meetings/whatever and still having to cook. </p>
<p>So even though I’m in a east side dorm now and have to have a meal plan, I’m glad to get one.</p>
<p>Thanks for breaking that down Matt. My son had planned to purchase a meal plan, even though he’s in a dorm that doesn’t require it. He actually likes Suwannee and likes going to eat with his friends. </p>
<p>However, after reading your post, he plans to just get the Garnet bucks and buy meals with Garnet bucks – cheaper and more flexible. </p>
<p>It seems illogical that the meals cost more when they are part of a plan.</p>