The Carolina Meal Plan, in its first year of existence, is operated by the Campus Dining Network, a national organization that offers alternative meal plans to combat the "limited menu choices, inflexible hours and rising cost" of traditional university meal plans, according to its Web site.
CDN operates similar programs in 18 university communities. Chapel Hill is one of the most recent to adopt the meal plan, and cardholders can use their plan at any of the 18 locations nationwide. The closest area that offers the CDN option is Raleigh, which hosts N.C. State University.
Jay Carothers, campus manager of the Carolina Meal Plan, said parents are more willing to add money to the card rather than giving their student a credit card because they know it is only being used for food. "Students can put anywhere from $50 to $1,100 on their meal plan," he said.
Carothers said students who live off campus are most likely to use the card but that it is open to all students, UNC staff and residents. "It offers flexibility," he said. "The balance transfers from each semester, and the plan offers better meal choices."
Carothers said about 60 students use the plan and that in the past week an additional 38 students joined. Students receive a $10 bonus for each person they refer to Carolina Meal Plan if the student signs up for a minimum of $150.
"We expect to see a large growth in the number of students who use the meal plan next semester," he said. "We got a late start this year. When we sent out mailings, students already had meal plans instead of signing up with us."
Carothers said the organization will send 26,000 mailings to parents before students sign up for spring meal plans.
"Students who have the plan will tell their friends, and as the network spreads, we'll pick up more students."
Michael Rose, general manager of Jersey Mike's Subs, said he is pleased with the Carolina Meal Plan. Since joining the group, he has seen an increase in the amount of money students have spent at his business with the meal plan.
