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Frequently Asked Questions...

About Residential Dining

What is included in the meal plans?

Beginning students can choose a traditional plan that includes 8-, 13-, or 21 meal swipes each week. The meal plans run Monday through Sunday each week of the semester. All meal plans reset Sunday night for the following week and unused meals will be forfeited.

  • The 21-Track/500 Meal Plan affords students the most value, as it has the lowest cost per meal. This plan provides 3 meals per day, 7 days a week in residential dining locations or participating retail locations on campus.* The plan also provides $500 Dining Dollars for the year to spend at Purdue Food Co. locations across campus. Dining Dollars can also be used to bring guests to the dining courts.
  • The 21-Track/250 Meal Plan provides 3 meals per day, 7 days a week in residential dining locations or participating retail locations on campus.* The plan also provides $250 Dining Dollars for the year to spend at Purdue Food Co. locations across campus. Dining Dollars can also be used to bring guests to the dining courts.
  • The 13-Track Meal Plan includes 13 meals per week in residential dining locations and participating retail locations on campus.* This plan is ideal for the student who eats two meals a day and offers $450 Dining Dollars per year to spend at Purdue Food Co. locations across  campus.
  • The 8-Track Meal Plan includes eight meals per week in residential dining locations and participating retail locations on campus.* This plan is designed for the student on a budget who chooses not to eat as many meals each week and offers $100 Dining Dollars per year to spend at Purdue Food Co. locations across campus.
  • The 5-Track URBA Meal Plan is ONLY AVAILABLE TO URBA RESIDENTS , may only be used in one of the 5 dining court locations and does not include Dining Dollars. 

Dining Dollars for all meal plans are distributed by semester, half in the fall and half in the spring. Unused Dining Dollars will carry over from fall to spring semester and will expire when the meal contract ends after finals week in May.

How does my meal plan work?

Eating on-campus is easy with any Purdue Dining & Culinary 21, 13, and 8Track Meal Plan. We have five all-you-care-to-eat dining courts, 4 On-the-Go locations, and 4 Quick Bite locations. In addition, there are over 25 retail locations operated by Purdue Food Co. plus Chick-Fil-A. Once you have a meal plan, your student I.D. works like a debit card. Swipe your card, and the meal swipe, retail meal deal, or dining dollars are automatically deducted from your account. There are three components to our meal plans: Meal Allowance, Meal Exchange, and Dining Dollars.

  • Meal Allowance = Meal swipe: This is the number of meal swipes that you can use each week based on the Track Plan 21,13, or 8) in any Purdue Dining & Culinary locations: 5 dining courts: Hillenbrand dining court, Earhart dining court, Windsor dining court, Wiley dining court, and Ford dining court, 4 On-the-Go locations: Earhart On-the-Go, Windsor On-the-Go, Ford On-the-Go, and Lawson On-the-Go, and 4 Quick Bite locations: 1 Bowl and Sushi Boss @ Meredith Hall, Pete's Za @ Tarkington Hall and The Burrow @ Cary Quad. The cashier will deduct one meal from your plan upon entering these locations. You can also take your Meal to Go from our five dining courts, just informing the cashier when you enter the dining court.
  • Meal Exchange = Retail Meal Deal: This feature allows you to exchange one meal swipe for a combo meal at Chick-Fil-A and select Purdue Food Co. retail locations. Retail meal deals may only be used once per meal period and are deducted from your total weekly meal swipes. For more information on locations and times, please see the "Where can I eat?" question below.
  • Dining Dollars: This feature is accepted at all five dining courts, Lawson On-the-Go, Chick-Fil-A, and Purdue Food Co. locations. Dining Dollars work like a debit card; each time you purchase, the total is subtracted from the balance in your account.
    • The 5-Track URBA Meal Plan is ONLY AVAILABLE TO URBA RESIDENTS. URBA residents who select the 5-Track Meal Plan may only use this plan in the 5 dining court locations.
Can I change my meal plan?

Sometimes circumstances change, and if you find that the meal plan you selected is not the best option for you, we can usually make accommodations. You can go online any time before the start of the semester and make changes to your meal plan. After the semester begins, you can only move up in meal plans.

If you are living in Hawkins Hall or Hilltop Apartments where a meal plan is optional, you should be aware that when selecting a meal plan you are contracting for the entire academic year. You are billed by semester, but the meal plan option is for the full year. Note: Students living at Hawkins Hall and Hilltop Apartments who have selected a meal plan are not eligible to change to a room-only option during the term of the housing contract.

For the 2023-24 Academic Year, you may reduce the number of meal swipes within meal plans by the following deadlines:

  • The spring change your meal plan window is Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024 at 9:00 am through Sunday, Jan. 7 at 11:59 pm EST.

Examples:

  • If you select an 8-Track meal plan to start the semester and want more meals, you can move up to the 13-Track meal plan or one of the 21-Track meal plans anytime during the semester. The difference in cost will be billed to your MyPurdue account. 
  • If you select the 13-Track meal plan to start the semester, you can move up to one of the 21-Track meal plans anytime during the semester. The difference in cost will be billed to your MyPurdue account.
  • If you start the housing contract with the 21-Track/250 meal plan and want more Dining Dollars, you can move up to the 21-Track/500 meal plan anytime during the semester. The difference in cost will be billed to your MyPurdue account.
  • If you start the housing contract with the 21-Track/500 meal plan, you are not eligible to change plans until semester break.
  • If you are changing plans at semester break and moving up or down into a new plan, any unspent Dining Dollars will roll over to the new plan.

The Fine Print

When choosing a meal plan please be aware that you are signing up for the full academic year. You can increase your meal plan at any time during the semester, but you cannot drop the meal plan while you are living in University Residences. Residents of Hawkins Hall and Hilltop Apartments are not required to purchase a meal plan. Students assigned to these residences who wish to change to a room-only option must do so prior to the start of the Fall contract. Current residents of non-apartment halls who transfer to Hilltop Apartments or Hawkins Hall can select a room-only option when they are initially assigned. Residents of Hawkins Hall or Hilltop Apartments may eat at any residential dining services location by purchasing a meal plan  here or by using a BoilerExpress account. 

Do I have to get a meal plan?

Students who choose to live in the undergraduate residence halls are required to purchase a meal plan as part of the housing contract. Students who live in Hawkins Hall or Hilltop Apartments may select a meal plan when they sign their housing contract but are not required to do so. ( Note: Students living at Hawkins Hall and Hilltop Apartments who have selected a meal plan are not eligible to change to a room-only option during the term of the housing contract). 

What locations accept a meal plan?

Meal swipes may be used in any of the residential dining locations, which include five dining courts, four On-the-GO! locations, four Quick Bite locations and  participating retail locations across campus.* Dining Dollars offer another level of flexibility to your meal plan. You can purchase extra meals in the dining courts or visit any Purdue Food Co. retail locations spread across the residential and academic campus. Unused meal swipes will expire each Sunday and the meal plans will reset for the following week. Unspent Dining Dollars roll over from first to second semester, but expire when your meal contract ends.

Where can I eat?

The meal portion of the board plan can be used in any residential dining location or participating retail locations* across campus. Dining Dollars can be used in the dining courts and in participating retail locations across campus.

Fall 23 Retail Meal Deal Locations

Venue Name Building Meal Exhange Monday - Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Cary Knight Spot Cary Quadrangle Dinner 5 - 8 p.m. 5 - 8 p.m.
Cosi Café Honors College Lunch & Dinner

11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. &
5 - 8 p.m.

11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.     
Chick Fil A Frieda Parker Hall Lunch & Dinner 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. &
5 - 8 p.m.
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.  
Freshens CoRec - Rec Well Dinner 5 - 8 p.m.
Harrison Grill Harrison Hall Dinner 5 - 8 p.m.     5 - 8 p.m.
Jersey Mikes Frieda Parker Hall Dinner 5 - 8 p.m.  
Panera Meredith South Lunch & Dinner 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. &
5 - 8 p.m.
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.  
Qdoba Meredith South Lunch & Dinner 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. &
5 - 8 p.m.
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 5 - 8 p.m.
Salad Works Chaney-Hale Hall  Lunch 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.    
Sol Toro PMU Dinner 5 - 8 p.m.
Chef Bill Kim PMU Dinner 5 - 8 p.m.      
BBQ District PMU Dinner 5 - 8 p.m.      
Fresh Fare PMU Breakfast 7:30 - 10 a.m. 7:30 - 10 a.m.    
Burger 101 PMU Dinner 5 - 8 p.m.
Pizza & Parm PMU Dinner 5 - 8 p.m.      
Zen PMU Dinner 5 - 8 p.m.     5 - 8 p.m.
Sushi Boss PMU Dinner 5 - 8 p.m.     5 - 8 p.m.
Aatish PMU Dinner 5 - 8 p.m.     5 - 8 p.m.

Retail Dining Membership
With over 25 retail dining locations on campus, a Retail Dining Membership is a great way to get the most out of a campus-wide dining. A membership offers the convenience of paying with your Purdue ID card and can be used at any Purdue Food Co. campus retail location  To become a member today, visit the  Purdue Food Co. website.

How does dine-in versus carry-out in the dining courts work?
  • DINING IN:
    • Enjoy all-you-care-to-eat while inside the dining court. 
    • Only one piece of handheld fruit is allowed to be carried out. You may not leave the dining court with any additional food. 
    • If you would like to eat in the dining court and then get carry-out, you must exit the dining court and re-enter to use another meal swipe to get a carry-out box. 
  • CARRYING OUT:
    • Students must notify the door checker that they are getting carry-out instead of dining in before they tap or swipe their PUID.
    • Carry-out containers and to-go cups will be provided by the dining court.
    • Carry-out container lids must be securely closed. No overloading of containers will be allowed.
    • In addition to your carry-out container, you may carry out:
      • 1 hot or cold beverage in a cup. (Please do not place other items inside beverage cup.)
      • 1 whole piece of fruit or hand-held dessert.
    • You may not dine in or sit in the dining court with carry-out containers.
    • Violators will be reported and will face disciplinary action.
How do I store my take-out food safely?

You want to avoid allowing your food to stay between 40°F and 140°F degrees which is commonly referred to as the Temperature Danger Zone. Keeping food out of the danger zone will ensure it’s safe to eat by limiting the growth of bacteria. This range - between 40 °F and 140 °F - is where bacteria is the happiest and most comfortable, and where it can grow rapidly.

Four hours is the maximum time that ready-to-eat foods can stay in the temperature danger zone. After the 4 hour limit, foods must be thrown away.

Ways to avoid the Danger Zone:

  • Get what you need and eat what you get.
  • Eat your take-out food within two hours if you are not keeping it in a warmer or a refrigerator.
  • Keep in mind that it is easier to keep cold food cold than to cool food off. Just because you put food into a refrigerator doesn’t mean it immediately out of the Danger Zone, especially in a hall room fridge. The time that your food takes to cool down counts towards the 2 hour limit.
  • Consider visiting an OTG! Location. We cooled it down for you giving you more flexibility.
  • Sites like the USDA   have additional information on food safety guidelines. The more you know the better!
Why do the dining courts use disposables?

As we work to rebuild our student staff, we will use disposables as business needs demand. We use disposables as sparingly as possible and purchase items with the least environmental impact available to us. Help us go green, and become part of our team! We offer flexible scheduling, advancement opportunities, free food and working for us is a great way to meet new people and find your tribe! For more information please visit our Careers webpage .

What is the meal swipe limit per day?

The daily limit is five swipes (meals) per day.
Retail meal deals are limited to one exchange per period and count towards the five swipes (meals) per day.

What if my card doesn't work?

Email mealplans@purdue.edu for help. If after hours, you will be contacted the next business day.

Will Purdue be able to meet my special dietary needs?

We offer a wide variety of items in our dining courts to accommodate special dietary needs. Please visit the Food Allergies information page or the Vegan, Vegetarian, and Halal information page for specific details about managing these diets.

Students are able to request a dietary accommodation if they do not feel they can successfully self-navigate in the dining courts. Students can begin this process by contacting the Disability Resource Center and disclosing their dietary needs and concerns.

Please contact our registered dietitian by emailing allergicboiler@purdue.edu if you have questions about dining on campus with a special diet.

What forms of payment do the dining courts accept and how much does a meal cost for a guest?

The dining courts accept Dining Dollars, BoilerExpress, Visa, MasterCard and American Express. For information on pricing for guests, please visit our Guest Meal Prices webpage .

Are there opportunities for employment?

We are always looking for students who would like to work in a fun, fast-paced environment. We offer flexible schedules and convenient locations. As an added bonus, you receive a free meal with each shift you work. You can contact any dining court directly or follow this link to fill out an application online .

Additional Questions

What is BoilerExpress?

A BoilerExpress debit account provides a way of making cash-free purchases at Purdue Dining & Culinary locations or select campus retail locations. It can also be used in vending machines, copy machines and for doing laundry. BoilerExpress account information is accessed through each student’s University ID card. To open a BoilerExpress account, visit purdue.edu/card There is no minimum balance to maintain and any balance remaining at the end of the year will roll to the next year as long as you remain a Purdue student. 

What prepaid meal plans are available to students who do not live in University Residences?

Commuter Meal Plan - 20-Meal Block Plan  
Commuter Meal Plan is available to students who have previously lived in University Residences and are NOT current residents of University Residences. For more information on the commuter meal plan visit our meal plans page here (anchor to commuter meal plans) 

Retail Dining Membership
With over 25 retail dining locations on campus, a Retail Dining Membership is a great way to get the most out of a campus-wide dining. A membership offers the convenience of paying with your Purdue ID card and can be used at any Purdue Food Co. campus retail location .  To become a member today, visit the  Purdue Food Co. website.

BoilerExpress
BoilerExpress
can be used to purchase meals in residential dining locations or participating retail operations. Students can deposit money into their accounts in convenient amounts and use it to buy meals and snacks when and where their schedules permit. To open an account visit  purdue.edu/card

*Please visit the following websites for details on participating retail locations across campus: