Why is it that a private university with such high tuition doesn’t have a more effective way to dispose of excess meal plan money at the end of the year? A good question… Yet, there doesn’t seem to be an answer.
Instead of doing something productive with the meal plan that students have left after the year is over, their options are to buy 20-pound bags of candy or cases of drinks—such as Gatorade, water, or iced tea.
We all know that money could be better spent elsewhere while it is getting thrown away on unnecessary items.
Rather than selling things in bulk packaging at the end of the year, why not use the extra meal plan money from the students and donate it to charities in need? Why not use the money left for food and donate it to a homeless shelter or a soup kitchen?
“I would just feel happier knowing my money didn’t go to waste,” says sophomore nursing major Marissa Faretta, “It would be great to be able to give back to someone who needs it more than we do.”
But no; instead, Quinnipiac leaves students with two options: buy an excessive amount of things from the cafeteria or lose whatever is left of your meal plan money… And that is a poor execution. If Quinnipiac can charge upwards of $50,000 per student for tuition, it only seems reasonable that they allow students to donate their extra meal plan money to a charity or organization that could truly use it.
Or, maybe we should try our best to transfer leftover money to friends who used up their meal plan weeks ago. I’m not into science, but I’m pretty sure their bodies will require food consumption sometime between now and winter break.
So, what can be done? How can we stop this? Word of mouth… Spread the word to roommates and friends… Email the people in charge… And maybe Quinnipiac students can find a way to help make a difference.