Meal Plans and Requirements
Overview and What You Should Know
A meal plan subscription is a requirement for all enrolled students enrolled. Read your agreement for details here.
Two types of meal plans: "ANY" and "Flex."
Devil Dollars and Dining Dollars come with Flex Plan only.
The ANY 21 Plan
Dickinson College recommends that first-year students choose the Any 21 Plan until learning more about campus life. This meal plan is a traditional swipe-for-a-meal plan that provides the greatest value for the price. This is the best plan for routine use in the Dining Hall, plan holders may exchange a meal swipe for a combo at most retail locations. The Any 21 may not be used to purchase sushi. See below for the ANY 15 + Sushi meal plan.
This plan offers 21 meals per week, matching the 21 meal periods of each week (Sunday-Saturday). However, the meals can be used at any point during the week for late-night snacks or second lunches in ways that work for you.
The number of meals will be reduced at academic breaks when weeks are shorter: Thanksgiving, Spring Break, the start of the spring semester, partial week of final exams in spring, and other shortened academic periods.
The ANY 15 Plan
This plan also allows for routine use in the Dining Hall, and most retail locations. The ANY 15 allots 4 sushi "swipes" per week. These 4 sushi swipes are not redeemable for any other type of meal.
This plan offers 15 meals per week, plus four sushi per week (Sunday-Saturday). The meals can be used at any point during the week for late-night snacks or second lunches in ways that work for you.
If you'd like sushi less frequently, consider the ANY21 plan and put additional funds on your declining balance for things like sushi and Devil's Den purchases.
The number of meals will be reduced at academic breaks when weeks are shorter: Thanksgiving, Spring Break, the start of the spring semester, partial week of final exams in spring, and other shortened academic periods.
The Flex "Points" Plans - Valid only on campus
Flex plans provide less meal value than The Any 21 plan but allow for more flexibility with three kinds of tenders or buckets of money to be used. You may use these tenders to enter the Dining Hall, purchase foods at retail locations, or place catering orders. In the Dining Hall, the flex price of breakfast, lunch, and dinner are 2, 3, and 5 points respectively for all-you-care-to-eat meals, for a total cost of 10 points per day. Flex points are meant for The Caf; Devil Dollars are meant for retail locations; and Dining Dollars are similar to Devil Dollars as a value-added tender, although you can use any of the buckets of money as you see fit.
Flex has three subcategories of meal plans. Flex I, Flex II, and Flex Apartment. We call all of these meal plans "Flex" or "Points".
The Flex I plan could buy every dinner in a semester and about 90 out of 102 available breakfasts.
Flex II and Apartment Flex work the same way with a different balance of tenders.
When any of these Flex points are used at alternative dining locations (Union Station, The Biblio, and The Juice Bar in the Underground) they are deducted at a 50% discount except for sushi and Devil's Den. For example, if an item costs $2.00, you will have 1.00 points deducted from your balance. These plans have unlimited use for the duration of the points. All meal plans end with the close of business on the last day of final exams.
The Flexboard I Plan
This plan has a total of 700 points per semester, $125 in Devil Dollars and $75 in Dining Dollars.
Balance your Flex points budget. Just like a bank account, you only receive so many points per semester until your balance is zero. The goal is to have Flex points until the very end of the semester.
EXAMPLE: assuming you use points for the Dining Hall only, you can buy all dinners and 35 out of 119 lunches; or all breakfasts, all lunches, and 27 out of 119 dinners.
The Flexboard II Plan
This plan has a total of 575 points per semester, $150 in Devil Dollars and $325 in Dining Dollars.
Balance your Flex points budget. Just like a bank account, you only receive so many points per semester until your balance is zero. The goal is to have Flex points until the very end of the semester.
EXAMPLE: assuming you use points for the Dining Hall only: this plan will buy 115 out of 119 dinners (no breakfasts or lunches); or all breakfasts and all lunches and 2 out of 119 dinners.
The Apartment Housing Flexboard Meal Plan
This plan is available only to students who live off-campus or in college-owned apartments. It has a lower point total, of 400 per semester, a higher Devil Dollar amount of ($200), and Dining Dollars ($500) amounts.
Meal Plan Comparison
All meal plan selections must be made by 4 p.m. the Friday before the start of the meal plan. No changes will be permitted after the start date.
Note: If you run out of points, you may purchase a block of 25 points for $75 at the ID office. Points, Devil Dollars, and Dining Dollars are nontransferable and nonrefundable.
All meal plans end on the last day of final exams.
All proceeds from Culinary Services are returned to Dickinson College and the Planning and Budget Committee for reallocation. Dining Services is wholly owned and self-operated by Dickinson College: we always keep in mind the best interests of the institution and students.
As a residential liberal arts college, students are required to live on campus and are required to participate in the campus meal plan. The housing and meal plan requirements are meant to achieve two goals: one goal is to create a closer, collaborative high-performance community outside of the classroom that provides students with coaching, teaching, leadership, and growth opportunities among and between the evolving year-groups on campus. The other goal is to ensure base-needs and life services are stable, available, and accessible to all students of all socio-economic backgrounds. Campus life services are about so much more than simple landlord or restaurant and grocery amenities.