U Of L Student President Supports Meal Plans

The University of Louisville Board of Trustees discussed the controversy over the school's mandatory meal plans Thursday.A bill has been filed with the General Assembly that would eliminate U of L's requirement that all students purchase a meal plan for $175 per semester. The policy was implemented last fall.Student Body President O.J. Oleka supports the meal plan. He told the Board of Trustees that students want the extra food services the plan fees pay for, and he thinks students would rather have a meal plan than pay extra tuition."The only option left is to bundle it into tuition, which would be significantly more for students," he says. "Resident students would essentially be paying twice for the meal plan."Some students who commute to class say it's not fair that they have to purchase meal plans they don't have time to use. The legislation, currently in the House, would restrict public universities' ability to impose athletic and dining fees on commuter students.