The University at Albany charges a student for an unnecessary second meal plan in their spring semester after being told that their fall semester money would roll over.

The University at Albany has recently started a new meal plan called “Discount Dollars,” in which a student picks one out of five set amounts of money that will be provided on their ID card to purchase food at the brand-new campus center. However, there are some strings attached to these plans.

“As a student who pays for all of her own education, I feel as though I should not be forced to pay for food when I already pay for full tuition,” says Julia, a sophomore at UAlbany.

Discount Dollars’ purchase rate is much higher than its value. A student who purchased “MyFlex #2,” the second and recommended Discount Dollars option, paid $2,550 for a value of $1,121 on their ID card for the Fall 2017 semester.

By the middle of the semester, the student, who prefers to remain anonymous, had only spent about $300 of the money that was on their ID card.

The student asked workers of the ID card office if the money she doesn’t use would roll over to next semester, Spring 2018. While the worker assured the student that the money would indeed roll over, they did not inform the student that they would still have to purchase another meal plan for the Spring 2018 semester.

“I used $600 during the Fall 2017 semester and had $600 left over for the Spring 2018 semester. This was more than enough, but they forced me to spend another $1,900 for money that I won’t be able to use just because I live on campus,” says the anonymous student.

When the student contacted the ID card office asking them not to force the student to put themselves in more debt for something they will not use, the ID card office said: “The only option available to you would be to opt out of your Housing Contract with residential life. You can either request from residential life to live in one of the University Apartments or request to live off campus. By living on one of the Apartment complexes or Off Campus you will no longer be required to have a meal plan.”

“They would rather me move in with a stranger and away from my friends than just genuinely help me,” says the student.

This anonymous student isn’t the only one with such a dilemma.

“I chose a SUNY school as a cheaper option for my education, I shouldn’t be expected to pay for extra amenities that I will not use,” says Natalie, another sophomore at UAlbany.

The anonymous student, Julia, and Natalie are only three out of nearly 17,000 students that have voiced their concerns this unnecessary, additional debt that the school is forcing them to take because they live on campus. Continued complaints are being pursued and we will have to wait to see what action the school will take, if any.