One of the main expenses in college is a meal plan, which most schools require for first-year students. It is a quick and easy card used to pay for food at all dining halls and assists in the transition to adulthood.
At Geneseo, we have the luxury of being served by Campus Auxiliary Services, but we have been seriously overcharged.
While the college has a need for cost control, selling yogurt at four dollars when the same brand can be purchased for a quarter of the price at Walmart is either business smart or just greedy. Since we are college students far from home with little to no income and a demanding class schedule, the college should consider reigning in CAS prices.
Additionally, maybe we wouldn’t mind spending $13 on a meal if it was filling and there were a variety of options available throughout the day. The fact that a meal for two with drinks from Lotus costs $27 calls to question if the concern is students’ meals or CAS’s profits.
While there is a meal plan guide to help budgeting, it assumes the student is spending about $20 a day. When burgers cost between $5.45 and $8.95, a bottle of water is around $2.65 depending on the brand, and fries are about $2, that’s one meal at about $13.
Some students, such as accounting major junior Katie Marris, are frustrated with how quickly they run through their meal plans.
“I bring my own water to class in order to cut down on the cost, but I’m still spending far more than what’s practical in the real world,” Marris said.
Students can’t be expected to eat one and a half times a day—everyone has different eating habits. Factoring in snacks, such as the dark chocolate pretzel chips costing $6.95 per bag, it is extremely easy to exceed the budget CAS suggests.
Not everyone can cook their own meals, make trips to Walmart or afford to use their cash outside of meal plan money. Students rely on their school having affordable, tasty food options at a variety, especially if a meal plan is mandatory for on-campus students.
In addition, there are extra charges for students like the $300 charge that covers CAS’s overhead costs for operation, according to the Geneseo website. First-year students also have to unreasonably pay for the food they receive during orientation.
There aren’t enough benefits for students to beat these outrageous prices. If we are expected to eat a $10 meal, it should keep us satisfied for a good portion of the day. We shouldn’t need trips to the vending machines for Pop-Tarts or fruit snacks after eating a meal.
No one is expecting seven course gourmet meals, but CAS and the college should put greater consideration into the food served on-campus and in price decision. Students should not be forced to spend their limited spare money and time searching for an affordable meal.