Meal Plans
In order to help you better understand your meal plan options for 2023-2024 and how to use them, please review the following frequently asked questions:
What is a meal plan?
Meal plans are the primary way that students pay for food and beverages while on campus. The majority of our meal plans are comprised of meal swipes and Flex dollars, all of which are loaded onto your Eagle ID card. Meal plans for commuters and upperclassmen are available that are comprised of Flex dollars only.
What are the meal plan options for first-year students for 2023-2024?
First-year residents pick from the following meal plan options:
- Anytime: Unlimited dining at The Commons, plus $200 in Flex.
- 3 Per Day: Three meal swipes per day, plus $150 in Flex.
- 2 Per Day: Two meal swipes per day, plus $150 in Flex.
For all three of the plans above, students can elect to purchase more Flex than the base amount included above when selecting their meal plan within the housing application.
What are the meal plan options for upperclassmen for 2023-2024?
Upperclass residents who reside in any of our residence halls pick from the following meal plan options:
- Anytime: Unlimited dining at The Commons, plus $200 in Flex.
- 3 Per Day: Three meal swipes per day, plus $150 in Flex.
- 2 Per Day: Two meal swipes per day, plus $150 in Flex.
- 1 Per Day: One swipe per day, plus $950 in Flex.
For all four of the plans above, students can elect to purchase more Flex than the base amount included above when selecting their meal plan within the housing application.
Are meal plans required?
For students who live on campus, all first-year students are required to purchase a meal plan, regardless of where they live.
For upper-class students who live on campus, the meal plan requirement is determined by where the student lives. Upper-class students who live in any of our residence halls are required to purchase one of the four meal plans listed above via the housing application. Upper-class students who live in the Village or any of our apartment options (Brown, Munson, Cornell, or 601 WF) are not required to purchase a meal plan.
What are the advantages of having a meal plan?
The biggest benefit to having a meal plan is convenience. Let EMU Dining Services do the grocery shopping, cooking, and dishes for you! Meal plans are budget-friendly and are loaded directly onto your Eagle ID card, so there is no need to worry about cash or additional cards when dining on campus. Dining on campus with a meal plan offers tons of variety and healthy options all across campus. Plus, Dining Services hosts special events throughout the semester that feature themed meals and fun activities for meal plan holders!
When do I pick my meal plan?
For students who are living on campus, you will have the opportunity to select a meal plan at the end of the housing application.
How am I billed for my meal plan?
If you purchased your meal plan within the housing application, the charge for your meal plan will be processed at the same time as your housing charges. Both are sent directly to your Student Account. We encourage you to sign up for your housing and meal plan as early as possible, ideally before June 15, as we will process the first run of charges the first week of July. Having your housing and meal plan charges included at this times gives you the most time for repayment and will help if you need to sign up for a payment plan in the Fall.
What is a meal swipe?
A meal swipe is equivalent to one entry into The Commons, or $9.00 at other dining locations on campus. The entire meal swipe is used per transaction – no change will be given and funds will not roll over.
What can I use a meal swipe on?
Meal swipes and meal transfers are designed for use at most campus dining locations. A meal swipe is equivalent to one entry into The Commons or $9.00 at all other eligible on-campus dining locations. Exceptions include Chick-Fil-A, Shake Smart, and some convenience store items at the Markets, Crossroads Marketplace, and the Lobby Shop, though these locations do accept Flex.
What are the 75 meal plan transfers associated with the Anytime Plan?
Meal transfers are meal swipes that can be used outside of The Commons. They have an $9.00 equivalency. The entire meal transfer is used per swipe – no change will be given and funds will not roll over. These transfers are not limited by day and do expire at the end of each semester.
What happens if I don’t use my daily allotted meal swipes?
Meal swipes reset every 24 hours. They must be used before midnight and do not roll over.
When do my daily meal plan swipes reset?
Meal swipes reset at midnight each night.
Are there any time restrictions on when I can use my swipes or transfers?
Meal swipes renew at the beginning of each day - unused meal swipes do not transfer over. However, EMU Dining Services does not have any time restrictions on when meal swipes or meal transfers can be used throughout the day.
What is Flex?
Flex is the name of dining dollars on campus. These funds work similarly to a debit card. Flex is loaded onto a student’s Eagle ID card and is accepted at all on-campus dining locations. Flex is designed to be used to purchase additional meals, snacks, convenience store items, or other merchandise at Markets on campus. Flex can also supplement meal swipes or cover “overages” on meal swipe purchases.
Unused flex dollars from Fall will transfer to the Winter semester. Unused flex will expire in April, at the end of Winter semester.
What happens to any Flex I have left at the end of the Fall semester?
All Flex will roll over from the Fall semester into the Winter semester.
How can I find out how much Flex I have left?
You can now check your own flex balance at any time – please click here to get started.
You may also ask a Cashier to perform and print a “Balance Inquiry” on your account to show you all of the available Flex on your account. Please note, the Flex amount printed on the bottom of every receipt may not include all of your Flex balances.
Balances can also be checked by contacting the Dining Services office at 734.487.0931 or by emailing [email protected] or the Housing office at 734.487.1300 or by emailing [email protected].
What happens if I run out of Flex and need more?
Flex can be purchased at any time online via the Dining Services website.
Can I change my meal plan?
Meal plans purchased through the housing application can be changed through the first two weeks of each semester by emailing Housing and Residence Life at [email protected]. Please refer to your contract for a specific date deadline.
What do I do if my meal plan stops working?
Contact Dining Services to troubleshoot any meal plan issues by emailing i[email protected].
You can get meal plan help at the main Housing & Residence Life office during regular business hours.
Other than meal plans and flex, what forms of payment do dining venues on campus accept?
Dining venues on campus accept credit and debit cards only. No cash is accepted at any dining venue on campus.
Where can I find information about where to eat on campus, menus, hours, and special dining events?
Events, menus, hours, and more for Dining Services are available on the Dining Services website.