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​YAHNIAN: Is upperclassmen dining a scam?

The supposed “cost saving” in many plans is an illusion

Everyone has to eat, especially we perennially hungry University students. Increasingly, however, University students are enticed into purchasing dining plans that overcharge and restrict student flexibility. An analysis of the Semester 50 dining plan reveals that not only can these plans be cost-inefficient but they also contain ridiculous requirements that lead to higher revenues for the University at the expense of students.

While I am going to focus on the Semester 50 plan to illustrate my points, keep in mind this evaluation can apply to the Semester 100, too. With a cost of $860 for the semester, the Semester 50 contains essentially two components. First, a student receives 50 meal swipes that can be used at pre-determined meal exchange locations or at dining halls. Second, a student receives 350 plus dollars which can be used at any food-selling location on Grounds and certain off-Grounds locations like Dominos. I, along with many other students, purchased this plan in the hopes it would create value while saving some money. Some third grade math will illuminate the situation.

Calculating the cost of each meal swipe allows for a comparison between the cost of paying for a meal with a Semester 50 swipe versus using cash or credit. Thus, subtracting $350 from $860 and dividing by 50 yields $10.20 per swipe. First, let’s examine a student who uses one of her 50 swipes on a meal exchange. Chick-Fil-A’s meal exchange includes a delicious chicken sandwich, fries and a drink while Subway’s similarly includes one of five sandwiches, chips and a drink. Either of those delicious food bundles can be yours for the price of just one meal swipe! Or, for someone paying with a cash or credit, a total price of $6.45 for the Chick-Fil-A meal or $6.65 for Subway. Huh? That’s right, students with the Semester 50 almost always overpay for meal exchanges and, in this case, by almost $4. While some might think that no one would fall for this seemingly obvious price gouge, the truth is many students do, myself regrettably included. In addition, variety of choice is limited for dining plan students to the cheapest sandwiches while “requiring” chips and a drink. Thus, for a Semester 50 student who wanted only a sandwich, she would be paying $10.20 for meal when a $3.75 Subway sandwich could satisfy her preferences.

What about a student who uses a meal swipe at a dining hall? With breakfast at dining halls universally priced at $8.25 pre-tax, students who use one of their 50 swipes for breakfast similarly find themselves overpaying. With pre-tax lunch and dinner at $10 and $10.50 respectively, there actually is potential for students to save some money. However, this condition assumes all 50 swipes are used. In reality, many students who leave just two or three swipes on their card at the end of the semester find that any accrued financial savings have been erased.

While the meal swipe component of this dining plan certainly raises questions, I have yet to mention the crown jewel of the whole operation: plus dollars. Ah yes, the famed plus dollar. It’s the same as a real dollar except it must be spent on food, at certain locations, by the end of the school year, or else it is reclaimed. Students who purchase the Semester 50 plan for two semesters know they must spend these 700 plus dollars by the end of the year. For this reason, students change their normal spending preferences in order to use the $350 that has already been paid. In the absence of a pre-paid dining plan, I, and many others, probably wouldn’t have spent that $350 on those same food choices. I only used those plus dollars because the University had already lured me into paying. Semester 50 students are further harmed by the unused plus dollars students just don’t use. Multiplied over thousands of students, these leftover dollars roll back to the University and like that — poof — your money is gone.

Although I have been critical of the Semester 50, all the dining plans have potential to save money. It really just depends on one’s dining preferences. Maybe you cherish convenience or perhaps because you consume a lot of food, the dining plans are perfect for meeting your needs. For those considering the Semester 50, however, consider the caveats. If you truly think you will use all 50 swipes, at a dining hall, for lunch or dinner, and that your spending preferences are unaffected by the pre-paid nature of the dining plan or the knowledge that all plus dollars unspent will be reclaimed at the end of the year, then by all means purchase away. If not, weigh the costs and benefits. Do some research. For me, next time I’m asked to purchase a dining plan, I’ll let them know that I’m keeping the cash.

Ben Yahnian is a Viewpoint writer.

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