Frequently Asked Questions

The plans are designed so that the more meals you eat in the dining hall, the fewer Dining Dollars you’ll need to spend at retail locations. You’ll want to consider your current eating habits. For example, if you don’t typically eat a full breakfast and instead get something on the go, you might want a plan with fewer meals and more Dining Dollars.

You’ll also want to consider how many meals you might be eating off-campus (e.g., a Wednesday night study group or a Saturday dinner with friends). Another way to plan is to think about how many meals a day you might eat in the dining hall. There are 11 weeks in a quarter, so the Quarterly Block 200 will give you approximately 20 meals a week (about three meals per day), the Quarterly Block 145 about 14 meals per week (or two meals a day), and so on.

Since options are dependent on where you live, you will make your meal plan choice in the Housing Portal after you receive your housing assignment.

For students on a Quarterly Block Plan, this chart (PDF) will help you budget your meal and Dining Dollar balances.

Most students find that with some planning, they make the right meal plan choice upfront. However, if you run out of meals, a one-time supplemental block of 15 meals is available for purchase (email mealplan@szsderun.com). You can also use Dining Dollars to pay for meals or purchase Falcon Funds, which allows you to purchase food tax-free

Meal plan changes are accepted the last three weeks of the quarter for the following quarter. Complete the form available in the Housing Portal. When the quarter ends, counts are given to our food service provider for planning purposes; therefore, changes cannot be made outside of this period. Specific dates are listed on the Residential Calendar.

With your Falcon Card.

Meal plan balances are available from the cashier, via the Falcon Card Services website, or by downloading the GET Mobile app, which allows you to track your plan from your smartphone.

Yes! You can use any tender to take a friend, roommate, parent, or guest anywhere your meal plan is accepted. You will need to be present; your Falcon Card cannot be loaned to anyone else.

If your class, work schedule, or extra-curricular activity doesn’t allow you time to use your Quarterly Block, Block 50, or Block 25 plan in Gwinn Commons, you can use one of your meals to get three items (an entrée, a side dish or dessert, and a beverage) from a Simply to Go case at the Corner Place Market, Academic Perks, or Common Grounds.

If you have a special diet or food allergy, please note it in your Housing Application. Your request will be routed to the appropriate office. The executive chef and food service manager are also available to discuss options to meet your needs.

Get-well meals are provided to students who, due to illness or injury, are unable to eat in the dining hall for a limited period of time. If you are ill or injured and would like to have a friend pick-up a get-well meal for you, print and fill out the Get-well Meal request form (PDF)

No food service is provided in Gwinn or Falcon’s Landing (including Academic Perks) during Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Spring breaks. Other retail locations are open on a reduced schedule.

Meal plan guidelines, including rules governing Dining Dollar, Block 25, and Block 50 balances, can be found in the Student Handbook.

Send questions or comments to housing@szsderun.com or call 206-281-2188.