At the University of California, Santa Barbara, students currently face restrictions on giving away or 'swiping in' others at the dining hall. Instead, they are required to 'BARC' them in, incurring an additional $12 fee, separate from the meal plan fees already paid. While this policy may appear reasonable at first glance, it proves to be far from it.

The issue arises from the fact that unused meal swipes at UCSB do not carry over to later weeks. Consequently, students are left with swipes going to waste, unable to transfer them and instead being charged extra.

Students at the University of California, Santa Barbara should be permitted to share their meal swipes freely. Allowing this fosters community, supports students in need, and encourages social connections without financial burden.