Residence Hall Association met with Director of Campus Dining Services Jon Lewis on Thursday to discuss possible changes to Ball State University's meal plan system.
RHA wanted to discuss the idea of changing the dining system from the current meal equivalency system to something that operates on declining balance.
A declining balance system would include a lump sum of money that students could spend without restrictions on amount per meal or amount per week.
But Lewis said the proposed idea is only possible if Ball State students wanted to see a significant increase to their dining rates. Any changes to dining would have to be approved by the Board of Trustees before they are implemented.
"Enhancing what we have is more realistic than changing it," Lewis said.
The increase in price would be because of the operational differences between the two systems, Lewis said.
Under the current system, Ball State dining services depends on students not spending their entire meal equivalency every day.
The remaining money is used to help keep the university's dining plans more affordable, he said.
If changed to a declining balance system, there is no "extra help" from the unspent money. It would cause room and board rates to increase to compensate for the lost money, Lewis said.
"It's better to have the option to expand the plans if needed than not altering it at all," Lewis said.
Freshman Nick Shoop said the current dining plan may be able to improve, but he doesn't want to pay more for it.
"I get by with it the way it is now," Shoop said, "but I wish we could do it without all of [the students] dishing out more money."
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