Great meal plans

My monthly grocery expenses in Anchorage turns out to be roughly $450 a month to eat three meals a day. This does not include occasional take-out, snacks, events where I buy any type of food or the cost of cooking. 

I was curious as to how much UAA charges students for meal plans during a semester. Initially, I saw the semester charge of $2,550 as a bit expensive. But when you break down the total cost per meal per week, you discover UAA’s meal plans are very cost efficient. 

For 16 weeks, anyone on the “Weekly Servings” meal plan will receive “18 All-You-Care-to-Eat Meals per Week and $320 Dining Dollars per Semester”. 

If you break down the total cost of each “all-you-care-to-eat” meal, it equals $8.85 per meal. This example does not include other options available under the same plan, but they all are explained on the UAA Meal Plans webpage. 

In the entirety of Alaska, from what I have experienced, it is rare to receive such a fair price on a meal, not to mention an already prepared, all-you-can-eat meal.

While meal plans at UAA are exceptional, students may only use the all-you-can-eat meal vouchers at Creekside Eatery.

The vouchers, unfortunately, can not be used at the various coffee shops or at one of the only dining areas on campus, Subway.

This restriction of these vouchers forces those who pay for so much food, to eat only at the UAA dining area, provided solely by Creekside Eatery, limiting students' variety of dish options.

While I myself have not been to the cafeteria or have eaten UAA’s cafeteria food, I have heard good things about both the pricing of meal plans and the variety and taste of the food from other students, just from Creekside Eatery’s provisions.

Comparing the $1,800 that I strictly spend on buying groceries, as well as the time to prepare my meals, clean and pay monthly electricity bills, $2,550 for a semester-long meal plan looks pretty appetizing.

It may be cheaper to outright buy groceries and prepare all your meals for the week, but the cost of effort, time and skill sometimes outweigh the price for some college students.

Some colleges even require freshman students to purchase a meal plan, so it is nice that UAA does not expect that kind of financial investment and gives a variety of options for the interested student, though some students in the residences are required to purchase a meal plan.

Another good note on UAA meal plans is the flexibility of foods you may choose from. UAA caters to many “dietary needs, including vegan and gluten-free options, allergy alternatives, and diabetic options.”

According to the U.S. News and World Report, “The cost of a meal plan for an academic year usually ranges between $3,000 and $5,500”. Comparatively, the cost of UAA’s most expensive meal plan, including a bonus meal plan, is still lower than the national average.  

All-in-all, UAA has great meal plan pricing for anyone who is interested in purchasing this accessible food option, especially when compared to the national average.

If you are a student who is good at setting goals, budgeting, resisting temptation, cooking and time management, meal plans may look a little expensive and out of budget. 

Either way you may feel, UAA provides students with the option of campus food accessibility or providing food for oneself each semester, with no pushing or pulling in either decision.