Written by Susanne Forst, Temple Family Council Member
Once our son picked his residence hall for his freshman year at Temple, he next had to choose a meal plan. Because he is both gluten-free and allergic to nuts, my son met with a dietician who explained his food options. He learned that there were two areas, one in Johnson & Hardwick (J&H) and one in Morgan Hall, dedicated to preparing food for students with food allergies.
His residence hall choice definitely impacted his meal plan choice. The largest dining hall is located in J&H, which is convenient for students living in J&H, White Hall or 1940. However, our son decided to live in 1300, which is next to Morgan Dining Hall and Food Court.
Another consideration was his class schedule and his expected eating schedule. He expected to eat breakfast before his first class and to eat meals regularly during the week. However, on the weekend, he expected to eat out at restaurants in Philadelphia. He selected a Premium 15 meal plan, which includes Diamond dollars for meals at franchises on campus as well. He would often get an omelet in Morgan Hall before his first class, go to Morgan for lunch, and to J&H for dinner.
When our other son enrolled at Temple, we made a different meal plan decision. He was more apt to eat breakfast after his first class and was almost always hungry, so it was more likely that he would eat more than three times a day. We considered the Unlimited J&H plan, but he wanted the flexibility to eat at other dining halls and on his own schedule, so he decided on the Premium 25 meal plan.
This year both boys are living in an apartment off-campus. While my oldest son makes all his own meals, my youngest eats at least one meal a day in the dining hall on campus, so he has a Regular 5 meal plan now.
Temple provides many different plans to meet the differing needs of students. Thinking about your students eating habits, and what and when they eat should help you choose a plan. Meal plan choices can be reduced during the first two weeks of the semester and between semesters or increased at any time.
More information about meal plans can be found here: https://housing.temple.edu/housing-and-dining-costs/meal-plans
Reminder: Your student may downgrade their meal plan through September 9. After September 9, only upgrades can be made for the Fall Semester.
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