<p>Even if you are not thrilled with the dining hall food, in most cases, a UVa student is not required to pay for it beyond first year. At many other colleges, more students live in on-campus dorms after first year without kitchens, and are forced to keep paying for meal plans. Also, at UVa there are plenty of on grounds ala carte options available for people who are not on meal plans. There are also some commercial options for people who are on meal plans.</p>