its not just verizon MBP, most carriers besides T-mobile, require you to have a data plan if your using a smartphone (blackberry, palm, apple, HTC, Nokia, Motorola).
blackberry's I think are the worst phone's ever made, the software and OS is really good, but blackberry manufactures some really cheap phones. they crack, break and stop working way to easily. Palm has always built a solid phone, but most people won't use it cause it runs windows mobile.
Apple and AT&T are just money sucking execs.
MBP I don't know what your situation with your contract with Verizon is but unless you travel all around the country and do business, there is no need to be on verizon and on a blackberry.
if you want a smartphone and use it for college, get on T-mobile and use the HTC wing2. plus the data plan is only $20 bucks more a month and you can get 1000 minutes for $40 a month right now.
oh and I refuse to use a blackberry for work, I've been given 4 of them by my IT department and I'm using one of them as a coaster at home.