If that's true at all it definitely needs an 'in the US' qualifier - it's surprising to me in the UK, and even more surprising we would be so different in that regard.
>Is the cooked-for-you food free?
It's broadly true in the US as far as I know for on-campus university housing. (Off-campus housing and fraternities/sororities are often different.)
Anything but free. Meal plan requirements vary.
Where I lived undergrad, we had a kitchen for a suite of rooms although I ate out a fair bit. (Many dorms did not have cooking facilities though.) Both places I went for grad school (which were actually both Ivy League) had no cooking facilities of any type.
Wow. That's surprisingly different to the UK - I've never heard of anywhere having no kitchen available. (Other options are of course available, but certainly not required.)
In fact I'd guess it's probably a requirement here - I don't think student halls are treated any differently to any private rented accommodation, it's probably a requirement that there be access to a (possibly shared) kitchen.
It's also quite (and increasingly) common that you're only in halls (or at least only guaranteed a place) in first year, thereafter in private rented accommodation of course you'd expect a kitchen; whereas I gather in the US the vast majority are campus universities, and provide on-campus accomodation throughout all years.
At least in my experience, there is a kitchen area per floor with stove and oven, though nothing more than microwave and hot plate
(and mini fridge) in the actual dorm rooms themselves.
Is the cooked-for-you food free?