Not only students but also employees of the university and Studierendenwerk as well as guests of the university eat in our Mensas.
As non-university employees, external guests pay the cost-covering and therefore highest price. In addition to the cost of goods, this price includes energy, cleaning, procurement and personnel costs - a good 70 percent of total costs.
University employees use the Mensas as a kind of company canteen. In return, the university pays a subsidy for its Mensa meals. The employee price is significantly lower than the price for external users, but is always higher than the price for students.
Students pay the lowest prices for Mensa meals. The state of Hesse prescribes social pricing for students at Hessian universities by law. The reduced prices are made possible by subsidies from the state as well as by a share of the students' "Sozialbeiträge" (their contributions for the Studierendenwerk's work). Therefore, the student prices apply exclusively to students who are enrolled at a German university.