Following increases in the College's operating budget, the SmartChoice5 and BlockChoice45, the most popular meal plan options, will increase to $1,570 from $1,500 and include $45 more in DBA. The door price for a dinner at 1953 Commons will also rise from to $14.50 from $13.95, Dartmouth Dining Services director David Newlove said. The number of meal swipes allotted to each plan will not change.
Although the last few increases in DDS target income have been "substantial," Newlove said he does not expect the trend to continue.
"One of the really nice things about the new administration is, I think, there's a conscious effort in having less increases in the price for housing, dining and tuition," he said.
Student meal plan rates depend on rising expenses and the budgeted target income. The College's operating budget for the upcoming year is $981 million, with the total cost of tuition, room, board and mandatory fees increasing 3.8 percent to $60,201.
Each term, almost half of the student body purchases the SmartChoice5 or BlockChoice45 plan. The price of the SmartChoice20 and BlockChoice180 plan will rise by $65.
The more popular plans will generally see the greatest increases in price to "spread out" costs, Newlove said.
Students on financial aid receive compensation based on the price of the largest meal plan, regardless of which plan they purchase, financial aid director Virginia Hazen said.
Though students who purchase DBA-heavy plans often run a negative balance, financial aid students who opt for the SmartChoice20 plan rarely run over their allotted DBA, Hazen said.
Students on SmartChoice20 and SmartChoice14 will receive $25 more in DBA, SmartChoice10 will gain $15 and students on the off-campus plan will receive $35 more.
Newlove said he intends the additional DBA to meet student demands for increased flexibility. More DBA may also offset the "surprising" average of about $200 that students overcharge each term, he said.
"That's indicative that some students are choosing the wrong plans for their eating choices," he said.
Jackie Robbins, a Collis Cafe employee, estimated that four out of five students spend more DBA than allotted by the end of the term. Over the past year, prices on some items have risen between 3 and 5 percent, Robbins said. She added that although she believes theft to be uncommon, easily concealed items often see the greatest price jumps.
