Many students are in the process of choosing which college or university they will go to for their fall academic year, and for those staying in residence they’ll most likely have to pay for a meal plan - whether they want one or not.
Staying in residence can be costly and a meal plan adds thousands of dollars to the already expensive living arrangement.
It doesn’t help that many colleges and universities make their meal plans mandatory, but some students say if they have dietary restrictions, they shouldn’t be forced to pay for them.
“I have some disabilities that make it so that I’m just very sensitive to the foods that I eat,” said Mathusha, a third-year university student at York University who asked that we only use her first name.
Mathusha lives in residence at York University and along with paying to live there, she also has to pay $4,850 for a meal plan for the full academic year, despite not being able to eat any of the food.
“I’m not able to eat any of it and I haven’t used a dime so far,” said Mathusha.
Mathusha said she must bring special meals from home and with grocery prices at all time highs, she feels she should be allowed to get a refund for the meal plan she’s not using.
“It’s really disappointing and it’s just really frustrating. I also find it difficult and stressful,” said Mathusha.
The Canadian Federation of Students said students are already facing immense financial pressures without being forced into mandatory meal programs.
Adaeze Mbalaja, the chairperson with the Ontario division of the Canadian Federation of Students, said they do get complaints from students who have concerns about the quality and quantity of food they receive.
“At the end of the day, [post-secondary education] is very expensive and food plans play a role in that,” said Mbalaja. “Students pay quite a bit and have extremely high fees, and their residence fees and then meal plan fees can also be restrictive and inaccessible for many students.”
CTV News reached out to York University and a spokesperson said, “York University takes its responsibility to ensure our students have access to a variety of healthy food very seriously. As is the model for post-secondary residences, “dorm” style rooms on our campuses do not have a kitchen. It is therefore important that we ensure students living in those spaces have appropriate access to food.”
“That is why York’s meal plan is mandatory for students living in these spaces on campus. York also offers many types of accommodations and meal plan options so that students may choose the one that is right for them.”
“When students apply to residences, they are required to inform the university if they have any dietary needs or require accommodations. The university was made of aware of this students’ dietary needs in November 2024, after accepting and moving into a dorm-style room. The necessary corroborating documentation was received in January 2025. We have since offered her a full reimbursement on the meal plan for the winter term, and a prorated reimbursement on this past fall’s term. We have also offered the student a transfer to another different style residence building with cooking facilities and where the meal plan is not mandatory.”
Mathusha was offered a prorated refund of $2,895 if she wants to switch to a residence with cooking facilities where the meal plan is not mandatory - an option she is now considering.
In the fall, students at Humber College in Toronto tried to organize a protest over mandatory meal plans saying they should be optional.
If you’re planning to go to school this fall, you’ll want to research the plans carefully and warn the school in advance if you have dietary restrictions.
