All students who live in residence at Carleton College are required to take the board plan associated with the building in which they reside unless they choose to select a meal plan with more meals. All freshmen must take the traditional 20 meal plus dining dollars plan their first year at Carleton. This is grounded in both principle — that a major feature of living at a residential college is table sharing — and economic practicality: because we equip and staff a full dining program, we need students to participate in the program to pay for this service.
Exemptions from the board plan are rare. They are made solely on documented health conditions that require special diets that cannot be accommodated by Carleton Dining Services. Meal plans will not be adjusted for any reason other than medical.
If you have not successfully achieved a dietetic accommodation with Dining Services, you may petition for a meal plan exemption. To do so, see the instructions on the Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) website.