4/16/2026
Dear Campus Community,
We are introducing updates to the campus meal plan program for the 2026–27 academic year, designed to provide more consistent access to meals, greater flexibility, and clearer value for students and families.
What’s Changing & Why It Matters
Beginning this fall, the university will move to a weekly meal plan structure with Flex Cash, replacing the current declining balance model. We have streamlined these updates to highlight how they benefit your dining experience:
- Weekly meal structure: Ensures consistent access to meals throughout the semester.
- Weekly Reset: Meals reset each week to ensure consistent access throughout the semester and prevent students from running out of funds early.
- Three Plan Tiers: Students can choose between 10, 14, or 21 meals per week to better align with personal usage.
- Flex Cash: Each plan includes Flex Cash for use across all campus dining locations.
- Daily Meal Exchange: A daily option allows students to use a meal swipe at select retail locations.
While plan structures are changing, overall meal plan costs remain similar to current pricing, with only modest adjustments.
Student Support & Accessibility
Dining and Event Services (DES) continues to support students with allergies and dietary needs, and existing accommodation processes remain in place. Furthermore, DES and Athletics are working together to support students with scheduling constraints, including scholar-athletes during their season.
What Students Need to Do
- Review the updated meal plan options and pricing on the Dining website.
- Select a plan during registration.
- Make changes, if needed, within the first 10 days of each semester.
A full overview of plan options, pricing, and frequently asked questions — including details on why the weekly structure was chosen to ensure dependable access — is available on the Dining website.
Sincerely,
Kimberly Kvaal, Ed.D. | Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Aaron Shook, CPCE | Director of Auxiliary and Business Services