Despite the addition of Dining Dollars to this year’s meal plans, students still tend to prefer the higher meal plans as opposed to the lower ones.

“Typically the five and 10 (meal plans) are the least subscribed to,” said Jody Horn, director of residence hall food service, in an e-mail.

Even though Dining Dollars are offered in different increments, depending on students’ choice of meal plan, the higher meal plans are still the usual choice for students, she said.

Horn indicated the presence of Chick-fil-A and Subway in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union has not had enough of an effect on students’ choice of meal plans to tell which plans will dominate in the future.

She said the vendors’ presence has not discouraged students from purchasing higher meal plans.

However, Horn said Dining Services has seen an increase in students’ purchasing the off-campus meal plan, which consists solely of dining dollars.

“Students elect how much they purchase in $25 increments,” she said. “We have sold more of these plans this year, which is great;” but also says, “(students) like using Dining Dollars for whatever options they choose.”

Horn said she believes students like the flexibility of Dining Dollars, but they also like having dining services’ meals incorporated in their plan as well.

“The plans need to be composed of part board and part Dining Dollars so we can operate all of the different choices the students want,” she said.

We really desire to have a funding base that Dining Services can allocate to the different areas so we can be sure we have enough Dollars to actually provide the service, Horn said.