<p>I am confused about how the meal plans work after reading this article in Birmingham News yesterday</p>
<p>Auburn $995/semester
Alabama $300/semester
I just looked and it says Alabama requires $300 in dining dollars but this is on top of meal plans</p>
<p>[Archibald:</a> Welcome back suckers – I mean students | al.com](<a href=“http://blog.al.com/archiblog/2010/08/archibald_welcome_back_suckers.html]Archibald:”>Archibald: Welcome back suckers -- I mean students - al.com)</p>
<p>Wow, pretty negative. I have no problem with a small mandatory dining fee. You need to assure oncampus dining is always readily available. I’m sure most oncampus dining couldn’t compete with off campus on taste, so I think they need some help there. Most of my kids always purchased dining even when seniors living off campus. At least I know they could always eat even if their bank account was light and none of them can cook.</p>
<p>I am totally for meal plans but just wondering the differences in Alabama and Auburn-</p>
<p>Here’s your guide to meal plans at UA: [Welcome</a> to CampusDish at The University of Alabama!](<a href=“http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSS/Alabama/MealPlans/MealPlansHome.htm]Welcome”>http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSS/Alabama/MealPlans/MealPlansHome.htm)</p>
<p>i think auburn goes more on a pay as you go system instead of a number of meals.</p>
<p>i may be wrong, but that is what i recall.</p>
<p>There really is no defending the dining dollars program. All retail locations on-campus accept credit and debit cards. The location advantage is more than enough to ensure their survival. The off-campus eateries should compete on equal footing.</p>
<p>I’m not against mandatory meal and on-campus residence plans so long as there are options for students who don’t want to or cannot take out loans to live in the palaces on the north side of campus.</p>
<p>One thing that many people forget is that unused Dining Dollars are refundable at the end of the year. Last year, I never used my dining dollars and got all $600 refunded. Still, I do feel that Dining Dollars and Bama Cash should be optional form those who feel that they can responsibly manage their own money. I’m sure that UA could work out a system that would allow credit cards to be used for laundry and copies/printing ie your credit card is billed each time your total charges reach $10 and any additional charges at the end of the year could be a separate transaction.</p>
<p>I can see the reasoning behind mandatory meal and housing plans for freshmen, but I do feel that if there has to be a required meal plan, it should be a small one ie the Bama 50. From a student’s prospective, there really is no point for Dining Dollars since Bama Cash does the same thing and more. I know of some schools that have a Bama Cash-type system that gives you 10% off and doesn’t charge sales tax on on-campus food purchases while it works like a debit card for other purchases.</p>
<p>I would really like to see UA get more food venues on and near campus provided that they are either corporate locations or small, possibly locally-owned non-chain restaurants (and also mandate “street” pricing). It’s like how some airports have every shop and restaurant operated by the same company versus those that get local businesses and/or national chains to operate the shops and restaurants.</p>
<p>It looks like Auburn requires meal plan participation for all 4 years - even for off-campus students.</p>
<p>Auburn University implemented its Required Participation Dining Plan in the fall of 2008. The program will be phased in to all Auburn University main campus undergraduates over the next four academic years. The required participation dining program enables its participating students to purchase meals, food, beverage products and dining services utilizing their personal student photo-ID card, the TigerCard, at all on-campus dining venues up to the dollar level of their required contributions. Students residing in on campus residence halls will be required to participate at a minimum level of $995 per semester. Students residing off-campus will be required to participate at a minimum level of $300 per semester.</p>
<p>I am fine with it being require-I just don’t understand why you can’t pick how much eachsemester- it would make more sense- but i guess they make money if you don’t use all of it----</p>
<p>My oldest son went to Virginia Tech and they got a 50% discount at the eateries in the student center. We always had him buy our food on his card when we visited. I was surprised when we asked at the Ferg if the students got discounts and they said “no”.</p>