The effect of pricing policies on students’ use of university canteens

University canteens play an important role in academic life; they not only allow students to benefit from subsidised food services and meals at lower prices than those commonly available at other local eateries but also affect other aspects, such as students’ health, social relationships and academic achievement. Using a quasi- experimental design and a difference-in-differences approach, this study aims to evaluate the impact of an income-based pricing policy on students’ frequency of using university canteens and their meal choices. Using data from an Italian university, this study shows that users who experienced a meal price increase significantly reduced their use of university canteens.