<p>Taken directly from Yale's Dining Website:
* Mandatory for Freshmen. Available to All! If you are a resident undergraduate student and never specifically select a meal plan, this will be your meal plan by default.
* 21 meals per week = 3 meals per day X 7 days per week.
* Eat as much as you want in any of the residential dining rooms or in Commons
* $2,500 per semester</p>
<p>So, is that really $5,000 a year?</p>
<p>Well, if you assume each meal costs about $8, and say you’re at Yale for 35 weeks, that’s about $5,800 dollars. Seems reasonable to me, I guess.</p>
<p>LOL: I recall the year before I got there. There was a long strike and food service ceased. In response, Yale gave cash vouchers to everyone who had the food plan. The area restaurants loved it – and so did many students who were now flush with unforeseen spending money because they never spent the weekly amount. I heard of several “beater” cars that were bought, many extra-nice Spring Breaks, etc. Sure there were inconveniences but for a bit, it brought a bit of excitement to the student body.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about the $5000. You’ll drive yerself nuts if you want to count nickels and dimes.</p>
<p>Wait, quick question. The meal plan is included in the board charges, right? (Basically, isn’t board your meal plan?)</p>
<p>Board=meal plan=5k</p>
<p>Yes, entomom you are right. I got this reply from Student Financial Services:</p>
<p>“The meal plan is included in your financial aid award; it is the board charge.”</p>
<p>^ Nice! I was about to get worried. Thanks guys!</p>
<p>
I was one of them, thanks to dollar subs from Greek Village. But the ability to eat as much as you want in the dining hall makes the meal plan a pretty good deal, in my opinion.</p>