'Grease on cardboard'

Freshman Jonathan Weeks bought the largest plan possible at 300 meal trades his first semester in College Station. In December, about 120 of those, or $615 worth, expired.

"That [money] just goes away -- they're taking it and I'm not getting anything for my money," Weeks said. "You look at your account and, 'Oh my God,' there's so many left over and that's so much money and you realize that Chartwells isn't going to give you anything back."

Students don't use their trades for a number of reasons, Weeks said. They get tired of eating in the same places, want to use meals during time-restricted periods and that students adjusting to college life will sometimes prioritize studying or socializing over food. He said students, especially freshmen, should have been informed better about how the meal plans could be used.

"The quality of the pizza and pasta isn't great -- the pizza tastes like grease on cardboard," Weeks said. "So, it's not like we're getting some top-notch food. I talk to my friends at Baylor and Texas Tech and UT and they tell me about the food they have on campus with options and good food and it's a stark contrast."