any advice for choosing a meal plan for an on-campus student (girl)?
I haven’t done it yet, but I have read a number of times that it’s best to begin with a plan that offers fewer meals than you think your student will need. Buying “too much” meal plan is an expensive mistake I hear parents of freshmen lament. You can upgrade a meal plan well into October in the fall semester, but you can only downgrade (to a less expensive plan offering fewer meals) for about four weeks. You can always add dining dollars. They carry over from Fall to Spring, but the meal plan credits don’t carry over. (As I understand it, nothing carries over the summer.)
What are your daughter’s eating patterns right now? Is she a breakfast skipper? Or does she snack at lunchtime? My daughter (at a different uni) is more of a snacker, eating a regular meal only one time most days. She doesn’t want to spend time at the cafeteria or on-campus food outlets. She will grab a coffee and croissant or whatever. (Probably not very healthy… oh well.) My son is a bottomless pit, but I still think I would go with a plan that provided two meals a day plus Dining Dollars. Then I would watch it and upgrade if/when it seemed inadequate (or when he complained!).
We started with the default plan, I think 125 meals. And then a month or so in, I figured out how many meals he was averaging and upgraded to the 200 meal plan. My so is a big eater, almost always eats 3 meals a day but he still just barely finished that plan. I would definitely not got with the 240 meals and only the 200 if they are pretty big eaters.
Unless your Aggie is in the Corps (meals required in the dining hall), go with the absolute minimum number of meals. Trust me – @WTXMama nailed it!
can you change meal plans during the semester or do you have to wait until 2nd semester?
@applicantmom this is copied from the site https://dineoncampus.com/tamu/dining-plans-faq…
Students will have the option to change their meal plan at the beginning of the spring semester. If no changes are made, students will be enrolled into their fall meal plan selection.
Can I downgrade my meal plan?
Dining Plan downgrades are processed by the Meal Plan Office, and are permitted within the first four weeks of the fall and spring semesters. Please submit your Dining Plan change request to TAMUMealPlans@compass-usa.com or 979-845-0152. Dining Plan downgrade requests are due by 5:00 PM on September 20, 2019 for the fall semester and February 7, 2020 for the spring semester
Can I upgrade my meal plan?
Dining Plan upgrades are processed by the Meal Plan Office, and are permitted within the first nine weeks of the fall and spring semesters. Please submit your Dining Plan change request to TAMUMealPlans@compass-usa.com or 979-845-0152. Dining Plan upgrade requests are due by 5:00 PM on October 25, 2019 for the fall semester and March 13, 2020 for the spring semester.