<p>I'm looking for info/advice about meal plans. Many schools now use a "declining balance" plan, but from what I have seen on the website it doesn't look like that is the case at USC. The Cardinal Plan is cheapest at $2500 and is the one used in the COA, but does it only allow students to eat at 2 places? The Gold plan actually looks decent as it includes an extra $500 for $300 more. Am I missing something?</p>
<p>the cheapest meal plan gives you unlimited entry to the two dining halls. the middle plan gives you 500 or so dining dollars you can spend at the overpriced coffee shops and fast food places in the campus center. (so i doubt you actually save much money from the 500 for 300 $).</p>
<p>unless your rich, i would not recommend the most expensive one. it just has way to much dining dollars to spend, i had two friends, who at the end of the semester, had to liquidate their dining dollars to avoid losing it…so they buy cases of soda and boxes of gold fish etc…this semester they downgraded.</p>
<p>the cheapest plan is just fine. you can always just use cash at the fast food places if you decide to go occasionally. (or you can just be cheap all the time and stick with the dining halls)</p>
<p>Thanks Hotly, Is it considered “cool” to eat all your meals in the dining halls? Or is there a lot of peer pressure to go to the other places?</p>
<p>We opted for the plan that gave you $500 worth of dining dollars for $300, and it’s worked out just fine. Son used every single dining dollar and STILL tired of the main dining rooms. And it’s not just fast food - there are lots of healthy meals to be found outside of EVK and Parkside Dining. For my son, the variety was key.</p>
<p>But it’s important to note: if your kid uses up the dining dollars, do NOT buy more dining dollars - either tell them to finish up the semester in the dining rooms only, or add “discretionary dollars” to their USCard. The reason: dining dollars don’t “roll over” to the next semester; discretionary dollars last forever and if you graduate without using them all, you get them back! They can also be used in the bookstore and for other non-food purchases around campus.</p>
<p>memama, kids often do elect to eat at the other places. I wouldn’t call it peer pressure, though. It’s food boredom and accessibility (proximity to classes, etc).</p>
<p>Jazz,</p>
<p>Thanks. That is the first I have heard of the “discretionary dollars.” How do they work? Do you get more than you pay for or is it dollar for dollar? I saw a list of places where the USCard is accepted so I thought perhaps the dining dollars could be used for more than food. </p>
<p>Perhaps “pressure” was a poor word choice, what I was trying to say is we are a pretty low income (reduced price lunch) family; for us eating out is a real rarity, only USC’s generous financial aid makes this possible. If all his friends are shunning the dining hall is he gonna feel left out?</p>
<p>Perhaps we will go with the basic plan for first semester and see how it goes.</p>
<p>One other thought, if students get a job in campus food service do they get free meals with their shift? That happened to my nephew at a state school and he never used all of his meal plan because of it.</p>
<p>Discretionary dollars are just dollars that you can “add” or pre-load to the student’s USCard (which every student carries) with a credit card or using your USC bill, allowing them to swipe for things on campus rather than open their wallets - one dollar equals one dollar. Even some of the laundry machines (if not all, I’m not sure) “take” the USCard. Additionally, a student’s meal plan is “on” the USCard. They swipe themselves into the dining halls with it.</p>
<p>Dining dollars can only be used for food.</p>
<p>As for jobs in food service, I have no idea if food comes with.</p>
<p>As for being on a budget, I certainly understand this! The thing to ask yourselves is with a dining hall only plan, will your student still spend more than $300 additional at places like Jamba Juice, Coffee Bean and all the other places per semester. If the answer is no, then definitely get the least expensive meal plan.</p>
<p>I have a very thin kid who never eats enough, and I knew he had a penchant for Wahoo’s fish Taco’s. I figured between that, Jamba and other places, it was a good bet he’d spend $300 and I could keep some meat on him. So I got $500 in dining dollars for the price of $300. For us, it made sense, and yes, we were able to swing that.</p>
<p>I’m sure it’s completely possible to eat 99.99 percent of meals in the dining halls and just spend a teeny bit at the other places. </p>
<p>However… will friends sometimes/often all decide go elsewhere… ? I leave that to the students to answer. I suspect there will be PLENTY kids trying to keep their meals in the dining halls.</p>
<p>And yes, you can change your meal plan even after the semester begins (at least last year you could - double check)!</p>
<p>GREAT advice. thanks all. I’m subscribing to this one to show my daughter.</p>