Dining

For students who live in the residence halls, a meal plan is included in the price of room and board. Optional upgraded plans are also available for an additional charge. These plans give students the opportunity to eat at any of the dining facilities on campus. Arrangements also can be made for box lunches and sick trays.

In addition to meal swipes that can be used at Hillcrest and Vandenberg Dining Halls, students also have declining points (meal dollars) to be used to purchase food or convenience store items at OUEats location on campus. Note that one declining balance point equals one meal dollar. Unused declining balance dollars roll over from fall to winter semesters, but expire at the end of the winter semester. 

Once a meal plan has been submitted to OUEats, it cannot be changed during that semester. Residence halls residents will have the opportunity in the fall to select a different meal plan for the winter semester during a designated meal plan change period. This meal plan change period is announced to residents via email in October, and students are expected to submit a completed change form during the designated time frame.

Residents of the student apartments, as well as faculty, staff and students who do not live in University Housing, may purchase a voluntary meal plan, if desired.

Residents may purchase a plan using the My Housing portal. The cost of the purchased plan will be added directly to their student account. 

Non-residents must purchase plans at the OUEats/Chartwells in the Oakland Center, or through the Dine on Campus website.

Please note that voluntary plans may not be changed once purchased. Voluntary block meal plans and voluntary declining balance meal plans are non-refundable once they have been submitted. Voluntary block meal + declining balance plans (Board Option 1 Plan, Board Option 2 Plan, Gold Plan, and Platinum Plan) may be refunded only at a prorated rate if the student's housing contract is cancelled, and the student is responsible for the daily cost of the meal plan up through the date of cancellation.

Available voluntary plans are listed below.

Declining Balance

With this plan, you can eat at any dining establishment on campus and the cost of each item is deducted from your remaining balance. Enrolled students benefit from this plan, as they are not required to pay sales tax on purchases made with declining dollars.

Declining Balance points can be added to your GrizzCard in increments as low as $10 through the Dine on Campus website. Bonus dollar options for larger Declining Balance purchases can be viewed here. 

Unused declining dollars roll over from fall to winter semester, but must be used by the last day of finals during the winter semester. Any declining dollars not used by the end of the winter semester will be forfeited.

Block Meal Plans

This plan allows you to eat an allotted number of meals at either of our "all-you-care-to-eat" dining halls, which are located in Vandenberg and Hillcrest Halls. This plan also provides transfer meal equivalency in participating locations in the Pioneer Food Court, and The Hive. You may use as many of your meal swipes as you like during any meal period, providing the opportunity to swipe in guests as desired. Block meals do not roll over from semester to semester, and your block meal plan will expire at the end of the semester in which it was purchased.

8 Meal Block Cost: $78.99
15 Meal Block Cost: $141.99
35 Meal Block Cost: $311.99
50 Meal Block Cost: $415.99
75 Meal Block Cost: $597.99

Voluntary Block Meal + Declining Balance Plans

Students, faculty and staff who wish to purchase a combination of block meals and declining balance points can do so using the Dine on Campus website. Using this purchase method, any block plan may be combined with any amount of Declining Balance points over $10.

For students that live on campus, full residential plans are also available for purchase using either the MyHousing portal, or the Dine on Campus website. Residential plan options are shown below.

	Board Plan Option 1	Board Plan Option 2	Gold Plan (Optional Upgrade)	Platinum Plan (Optional Upgrade)
Dining hall meals	170	230	258	308
Declining dollars	300	225	400	500
Guest meals	5	5	8	8
Cost to student	$1,920	$1,920	$2,170	$2,420

Students who become ill and who wish to avoid spreading illness to the campus community may utilize University Housing's Sick Meal Pick-Up process to make arrangements for a meal.

Students may complete the Sick Meal Pick-Up Request Form to designate another person to pick up a meal on their behalf. The designated pick-up person will need to select food from the items that are available in the dining hall that particular day. We ask that the ill student visit the campus dining website to note what is on the menu, and communicate any preferences to their designated pick-up person.

Please note that a separate form is needed for each requested meal. A copy of the form will be emailed to the ill student's oakland.edu email for sharing with the designated pick-up person, and as a record of the request. Please ensure that the meals are retrieved during the advertised hours of dining operation.