Dear resident,

You have likely heard a fair amount of discussion on campus over the past few months regarding new meal plans in University Housing for next year's new incoming students. Most of our communication efforts about this have been focused on information to those future Badgers who are signing up for these plans.

We recognize that we could have communicated better with you as our current residents. While the new meal plans do not apply directly to you, you may have family or friends who will be coming to this campus in the future, and you care about the experience of future residents, just as we do. To clear up confusion and misinformation about the new meal plans, we have compiled answers to some common questions and helpful facts.

New residents for the 2018-19 Academic Year will be required to select a meal plan tier for food purchases for the year. That amount will be deposited into a Resident Food Account on their Wiscard, which is used exclusively for on-campus dining.

Learn more at https://www.housing.wisc.edu/dining/residents

Food purchases in University Housing are still a la carte, giving students flexibility on what they eat and when. New residents will select a meal plan tier with amounts of either $1,400, $2,100, or $3,100 based on how often they plan to dine on campus. Incentives are offered for students who commit to eating on campus more often.

All new residents in University Housing for the 2018-19 Academic Year will be required to select a meal plan tier for food purchases. Current residents who are returning next year are not required to enroll in the new plans.

The Resident Food Account can be used to purchase food, beverages, and grocery items in any University Housing or Wisconsin Union location on campus.

Deposits for food are evenly divided up into four installments as part of quarterly room & board bills. For a student on the Tier 1 plan, these food payments would equal $350 per quarterly bill. If more money is needed for food, it’s easy to add money at any time.

In response to student feedback, unspent funds can carry over in the Resident Food Account to future semesters, offering more flexibility than plans at most other universities.

UW-Madison continues to have the lowest room & board rates in the Big Ten. The meal plan gives students a dependable source of funds dedicated to food, which can be paid for using financial aid. Food costs are already factored into cost of attendance for financial aid packages. Discounted resident pricing in Housing dining markets and sales tax exemption for Wiscard food purchases also help students stretch their dollars further than off-campus dining options.

Our registered dietitian works directly with students to accommodate most dietary restrictions, including Halal and Kosher needs, and meal plan exemptions are allowed in the rare cases that we cannot safely accommodate a student.

The new meal plans are a reasonable change that gives our incoming new students and families a better way to plan expected food costs and compare to programs at other Big Ten and UW System schools, all of which have some kind of required non-refundable yearly meal plan. It also provides more a predictable model for University Housing to responsibly maintain an excellent a la carte program with low prices for residents.

University Housing is a self-funded, not-for-profit operation. A strong dining program lets us reinvest revenue into quality ingredients, locally sourced food, more inclusive menus, low prices, staff training, and welcoming facilities. We strive to provide an excellent experience for our residents, who give our food service quality an 82% satisfaction rating.

UW-Madison offers the lowest-priced room and board plan in the Big Ten and is the only school in the Big Ten to maintain a purely a la carte program.

(Amounts in chart are based on most popular meal plan and 2017-18 double occupancy rates.)

The estimated number of meals a student gets with each meal plan tier is based on $5/meal average at discounted resident prices. In many cases, residents can get a great meal for even less than $5:

• Made-to-Order Burrito and 16 oz Beverage: $4.41
• Sandwich, Chips, and 16 oz Beverage: $4.30
• Island Stew with Brown Rice, and 16 oz Beverage: $3.96
• Made-to-Order Stir Fry and 16 oz Beverage: $4.65
• California Roll Sushi (5 pieces): $4.89
• Cheeseburger, Fries, and 16 oz Beverage: $4.10
• Made-to-Order Pasta Dish and 16 oz Beverage: $3.69