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Comparing Canadian universities’ meal plans

Many Canadian universities have mandatory meal plans for students living in first year residence. Some of them also include an…

By Aleksandra Sagan , in , on November 25, 2010 Tags: , , , , ,

Many Canadian universities have mandatory meal plans for students living in first year residence. Some of them also include an overhead charge and many of these provide discounts to students purchasing food through their plans, but they do not all follow the same structure.

Related: UBC students dinged by meal plan fine print

Same charges by dollar

McGill University in Montreal, Que., offers three meal plans, which are mandatory for students living in one of nine residences, according to food and dining services.

Each plan has three additional charges: a $100 capital improvement fund fee, $100 sustainability fund fee and $1,000 fixed facilities fee. Each plan has $1,200 total in overhead charges.

Students living in one of the six residences without full kitchen facilities at the University of Western Ontario in London must purchase one of three meal plans, according to residence at Western.

Each plan carries a $1,900 overhead charge.

When students are charged the same dollar overhead amount, there is no incentive to purchase a smaller plan and save on overhead costs.

Same charges by percentage

The University of Guelph in Ontario makes meal plans mandatory for students living in traditional, dormitory residences and offers five different options, according to hospitality services.

Each plan is charged $100 for dining hall improvements and a 25 per cent overhead charge. Depending on their plan, students pay from $769 to $1,200.

All students living in residence must purchase one of five meal plans offered at the University of Windsor in Ontario, according to food services.

All plans include a $63 equipment and budget fee and a 50 per cent overhead charge. Students on the lightest plan pay $329, while those on the highest pay about $974 per semester.

When students are charged the same percentage overhead amount, there is incentive to purchase the smallest plan and save on overhead costs.

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