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Our mission is to provide you with high quality and flexible dining services. Therefore, all of our meal plans offer a “free-flow” option. This means that you may use your meal plan at any dining facility regardless of which hall you may call home. This is great for residents who may prefer to eat a mid-day or evening meal close to classes or with friends living in other residences. We encourage you to visit each dining hall, specialty restaurant, and a la carte location to discover the options available to you.
Meal Plans
Undergraduate Hall Residents
Students living in University Residence Halls have the choice of three types of meal plans: Plans with Classic Meals and Café Credits, plans with Classic meals only, and an All Café Credits plan.
Classic meals are all-you-care-to-eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Café Credits are used in a la carte locations, where items are priced individually-you purchase only what you wish. Café Credits can also be used to purchase a Classic meal, or to treat a friend to a Classic Meal or a la carte items. Café Credits are purchased as part of a meal plan. You can add Extra Credits at any time to your i-card account.
Café Credits allow you to customize your meal plan just the way you want it. And if you don't use all of your Café Credits this week, it's not a problem. You can rollover a maximum of one week's worth of your plan's Café Credits into the following week, up to a maximum balance of double your weekly allotment. The Extra Credits you add to your i-card account never expire, as long as your i-card is active.
12 Classic/1,500 Café Credits per week
10 Classic/4,500 Café Credits per week
10 Classic/6,000 Café Credits per week
All Café Credits (11,500) per week
Plans with Classic Meals Only
14 Classic meals per week
20 Classic meals per week
6 Classic meals per week (Daniels and Sherman residents and off-campus students only)
Classic Meals
Classic meals (all you care to eat) may only be used once per meal period (breakfast 6:50–10:30 a.m., lunch 10:30 a.m.–4 p.m., and dinner 4–7:30 p.m.). Traditional dining rooms are located in the following residence hall areas: Gregory Drive, Peabody Drive, Allen, Busey-Evans, LAR, ISR, FAR, and PAR. Anyone can eat in any dining room regardless of where they live.
Café Credits
Café Credits may be used at a la carte locations and may also be used to purchase a Classic meal. If you use Café Credits or Extra Credits for an all-you-care-to-eat meal, breakfast uses 695 credits, lunch uses 895, and dinner uses 1195.
You may roll over a maximum of one week's worth of your plan's Café Credits into the following week, to a maximum balance of double your weekly allotment. Rollover of applicable credits will occur automatically.
A La Carte
Use Café Credits or Extra Credits to purchase a la carte items. One credit is valued at one cent.
Check out e-Chomps at Gregory Drive, Penn Station at PAR, Chomps at ISR, and Busey Beanery at Busey-Evans Hall.
Wireless hotspots for laptop computers are available at e-Chomps, Penn Station, Chomps, and Busey Beanery.
Extra Credits
Extra Credits provide added flexibility. They can be used to purchase food items at a la carte locations or to purchase Classic meals. Extra Credits can be purchased online with a credit card or with cash or check at any area office, with no minimum required. Extra Credits never expire as long as you have an active i-card. Extra Credits may be used at a la carte locations and may be used to purchase a Classic meal. Extra Credits may also be used in the Illini Union Ballroom.
Bringing in Friends
You can use your Café Credits or Extra Credits to bring in a friend to a Classic meal (except at Fat Don's, where you may only use Café Credits to bring in a friend). You can also use Café Credits or Extra Credits to purchase a la carte items for another person.
Using Extra Credits and Café Credits Together
For example, if you have 1000 Café Credits in your account on Saturday night and would like to purchase a Classic dinner, add 95 cents' worth of Extra Credits (or more) to your Dining Services account. The two kinds of credits, when totaled, will equal the 1095 credits you need. There is no minimum purchase of Extra Credits required per transaction.
Additional Info
- The calendar week for all meal plans begins and ends Sunday at 3 am.
- No refund is made for unused meals, absences, or lost passes.
- Two meals a day are served on Sundays, national holidays and holiday observances.
- University Housing regulations do not allow people to enter the dining room shirtless, with bare feet, or in stocking feet.
Other Meal Options
Faculty, staff, and students living off-campus may purchase meals by maintaining a balance of Extra Credits on their i-card.
Kosher Meal Option
LAR/Allen
Monday–Thursday, 5–6 p.m.
Dinner debit
Enjoy fresh, homemade Kosher specialties. Join us to try something a little different or just a taste of home.
Read more about about meal options during Passover.
Ramadan Options
University Housing offers some meal options for residents observing Ramadan.
Vegetarian Options
Read about vegetarian and vegan dining options.
Non-Transferable Rule
The meal pass is non-transferable and will be confiscated when used by others. Violations are subject to charges under the Code. Meal pass holders may be asked to show photo ID.
Meal Plan Changes
Meal plans may be changed before the contract begins, or you may wait until after you arrive on campus. During the fall semester, you may change your meal plan up to two times between August 20 and September 23, 2009. After September 23, you may not change your meal plan again until spring semester 2009. Visit the Housing Information Office to complete a meal plan change request, or submit the change online. You may roll over up to one week's worth of your old plan's Cafe Credits to your new plan.
Board-Only Plans for Residents of Graduate Halls
Residents of Daniels and Sherman halls do not have a mandatory board plan as part of their contract but can choose from one of the following meal plan options:
6 Classic
14 Classic
12 Classic/1,500 Cafe Credits
20 Classic
10 Classic/4,500 Cafe Credits
10 Classic/6,000 Cafe Credits
All Credits (11,500)
NOTE: This is an academic year contract that can only be cancelled before the dates listed in your contract. The 6 meals per week plans are not available to residents of the University undergraduate residence halls.
As an alternative, residents of the graduate halls can also elect to add Extra Credits to their i-cards to pay for meals. Extra Credits provide extra flexibility and can be used to purchase food items at a la carte locations or to purchase Classic meals held in residence hall dining rooms. Extra Credits can be purchased online or at any area office, with no minimum required. Extra Credits never expire as long as you have an active i-card.
Residence Hall Dining Areas
Dining in the residence halls offers the largest selection of menu items. Hours of service and the weekly menu are posted next to the dining room entrance and are available online.
Carry-Out Policy
Residents eating in the dining halls may take a choice of one piece of fruit or one cookie or one ice cream cone and a non-dairy beverage in a thermo mug (up to 22 oz.) from the dining hall. Everything else must be consumed before you leave the dining area. Carry out is not permitted in the specialty restaurants.
Specialty Restaurants
Students may use their meal plan to dine in any of the theme restaurants. These restaurants offer special menus and a unique dining experience.
A La Carte Locations
All a la carte items may be packed and carried out, but we welcome you to stay. All items in a la carte locations are priced in credits. You may use either Cafe Credits or Extra Credits to purchase items. “Sack-up” and be on your way or stay and enjoy the company. Browse our a la carte locations and hours.
Other Locations Using Credits
Illini Union Ballroom
Located on the second floor of the Illini Union.
Open Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Enjoy a taste of campus tradition! Join us on the second floor of the Illini Union for a lunch buffet in an elegant setting. View the Ballroom menu.
Responsible Use
Residents should take what they want and enjoy what they take, but they should not waste food. Dining Services does not receive any subsidy from the University or the federal or state government. It is funded entirely by resident payments. In order to keep the cost of meal plans and dining services down, please consider the following:
- Avoid wasting food; please take only what you can eat
- Care for your dining area and avoid breakage of dinnerware
- Ensure guests pay for their meals
- If you need to borrow something, please talk to the unit manager (There is a $10 charge for each unauthorized item removed from the dining room.)
Food Credit for Absences
If a student is absent from the residence halls for seven or more consecutive days because of illness, student teaching, or a University field trip, residents may request a dining service credit of $5.80 per day at the area/hall office. Residents should notify the office before leaving for teaching or a field trip or after return from an illness. There is no dining service during University vacation periods.
New Menu Items
Dining Services is always looking for new menu items. If you have a recipe that you think would appeal to students, please share it with us. Our Test Kitchen can expand a family recipe to serve any quantity.
Public Health Requirements
Illinois Public Health regulations do not permit food prepared outside the dining service area (including salad dressing) to be brought into or consumed in the dining room.
Replacement Cards
If a student loses his or her i-card, s/he must obtain a temporary replacement card until the student can obtain another i-card. Replacement cards are available from the area/hall offices. Students are expected to go to the ID Center to replace the lost or broken ID. Lost IDs that are found later should be discarded, as they cannot be reactivated. Students should return the replacement card to the area office and activate their new i-card within three business days.
Sick Tray
If a student is ill, a roommate or friend may obtain a sick tray for the ill student by presenting the student's i-card to the checker at his/her dining hall.