Meal Plans and Spending Accounts

Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 Meal Plans

A meal plan provides:

  • Convenience: Your 49er ID or 49er Card is used to purchase campus dining.
  • Variety and flexibility: Meal plans are designed to meet your dining needs; there are many places to eat on campus including popular, national brands.
  • Options for students with dietary needs and religious restrictions: Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-avoiding and healthy options are available in the dining halls and many of the retail locations. Menu items served in the dining halls at South Village and the Popp Martin Student Union will not contain peanuts or tree nuts as ingredients. However, individual packages of peanut butter and Nutella are available for students.

Overview of meal plans

All first-year residents* living on campus are enrolled in The Daily Plan. This plan maximizes the variety and value offered at the dining halls and campus retail dining.

Upperclass students assigned to residence halls without private kitchens may choose between The Daily Plan, the 160 Block Plan or the 100 Block Plan. Commuters may choose from any available meal plan, including Straight Declining Balance.

Fall semester plans are automatically renewed for the spring unless you change or cancel your meal plan.

Resident dining facilities will be closed during Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, Spring Break and University holidays. Declining Balance can be used retail dining locations on campus or at Domino’s on University City Boulevard during these breaks.

Download the Dine on Campus app or visit the Dine on Campus website for hours and menus.

*Meal plan options are based on student type as determined by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions (first-year or upperclass), not based on number of credit hours.

The Daily Plan: for all first-year resident students

The Daily Plan – $2,379 per semester, applicable sales tax included

  • Unlimited meals, $200 Declining Balance (DB) funds and 5 guest meals.
  • Meals may be used any day of the week at dining halls. Students may enjoy as many meals, snacks or beverages per day as they want, but must wait 15 minutes between using meals at different locations.
  • Includes five (5) guest meals that may be used at any time during the semester.
  • DB funds may be used throughout the semester and during breaks, at any campus dining venue, including concessions and convenience stores.
  • Meals and guest meals expire on Dec. 14, 2023, for fall, and May 9, 2024, for spring. Unspent DB rolls over until  August 7, 2024.

Plans available to upperclass students and commuters

Upperclass residents who are assigned to required housing – Holshouser, Hunt, Sanford, Scott and the suites in Belk, Hawthorn, Laurel, Levine, Lynch, Miltimore, Oak, Wallis, and Witherspoon – may choose The Daily Plan or one of the following block meal plans.

160/350 Block Plan

$2,037 per semester, applicable sales tax included

  • Offers 160 meals and $350 Declining Balance (DB) funds.
  • Meals may be used any day of the week at dining halls. Meals are counted down as they are used.
  • DB funds may be used throughout the semester and during breaks, at any campus dining venue, including concessions and convenience stores
  • Meals expire on Dec. 14, 2023, for fall, and May 9, 2024, for spring. Unused DB rolls over until Aug. 7, 2024.

100/350 Block Plan

$1,457 per semester, applicable sales tax included

  • Offers 100 meals and $350 Declining Balance (DB) funds.
  • Meals may be used any day of the week at dining halls. Meals are counted down as they are used.
  • DB funds may be used throughout the semester and during breaks, at any campus dining venue, including concessions and convenience stores.
  • Meals expire Dec. 14, 2023, for fall, and May 9, 2024. Unused DB rolls over until Aug. 7, 2024.

Straight Declining (DB) Plans

Commuters and upperclass residents assigned to non-required housing may purchase any meal plan, including any Straight Declining Balance Plan.

$875 or $1,200 per semester

  • Offers $875 or $1,200 in DB funds that may be used throughout the semester and during breaks, at any campus dining venue including sports concessions and campus convenience stores.
  • At the end of the semester, any unspent funds will carry over to the next semester until Aug. 7, 2024.​

Important dates

Fall semester

  • Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023, at noon: Last day for upperclassmen and commuter students to make changes or cancel their meal plan without incurring a $25 administrative fee.
  • Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023: Meal plans go live and are able to be used on campus.
  • Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, at noon: Deadline to change or cancel a meal plan.
  • Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023: Last day to use meals for fall 2023 meal plans.
  • Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024: Declining Balance funds for AY 23-24 expire.

Spring semester

  • Thursday, January 4, 2024, at noon: Last day for upperclassmen and commuter students to make changes or cancel their meal plan without incurring a $25 administrative fee.
  • Friday, January 5, 2024: Meal plans go live and are able to be used on campus.
  • Friday, January 26, 2024, at noon: Deadline to change or cancel a meal plan.
  • Thursday, May 9, 2024: Last day to use meals for spring 2024 meal plans.
  • Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024: Declining Balance funds for AY 23-24 expire.​

Dining with guests

The Daily Plan provides students with five (5) guest meals for the semester. Students may use these guest meals at any time during the semester, but may only use up to three (3) in one meal period. The 160 and 100 Block Plans, may use their meals to for friends and family but are limited to three (3) guests per meal period. This is so that students who buy meal plans are using them and will have meals available throughout the semester.

The program allows for exceptions. Dining supervisors/managers may waive the guest limit in circumstances such as when more than two family members or friends visit. Just ask!

Meal Periods

Students with The Daily Plan may only use one meal within a 15-minute period unless they are using a guest meal in addition to their meal. For example, if you’ve entered SoVi for dinner at 6:30 p.m., you will have to wait 15 minutes before you can enter dining halls. Weekend and holiday hours may affect meal periods.

BreakfastLunchMiddayDinner
7 a.m. to 10 a.m.10 a.m. to 2 p.m.2 p.m. to 5 p.m.5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Dining accounts

An Optional Dining Account (ODA) is a dining debit account that can be used at all campus dining locations, including convenience stores. ODA is available to all students and deposits can be made any time during the year. Unused balance rolls over from semester to semester, year to year, as long as the student is enrolled.


For any student, ODA can supplement a meal plan and may be used when declining balance (DB) funds have been spent. ODA is also a convenient choice for students who live in Wallis, Greek Village or on-campus apartments.

ODA Information