How Your Meal Plan Works
- The Residential Meal Plan is a combination of a declining balance plan (Dining Dollars) and All-You-Care-To-Eat meal periods.
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- When you purchase your meal plan, Dining Dollars funds are loaded onto your LuteCard.
- Like a debit account, Dining Dollars in your meal plan account are deducted when you make food purchases. To make a purchase, swipe your LuteCard at a cash register, or order through the GET mobile app.
- Dining Dollars will roll over each semester and expire on the last day of classes in Spring.
- A la Carte Meal Periods: Monday-Saturday breakfast and lunch — during these periods, every food item has an individual price.
- All-You-Care-to-Eat (AYCTE) Meal Periods: Monday–Friday dinners and all day Sunday
- Unlimited AYCTE with Meal Plans A-D allow students to enter The Commons as many times as they like during AYCTE periods.
- Cash price is $20 per entry.
- Meal plans are non-transferable.
- When you purchase your meal plan, Dining Dollars funds are loaded onto your LuteCard.
Meal Plans A-D are a combination of declining balance Dining Dollars and All-You-Care-to-Eat (AYCTE) Meal Periods.
- Here are some perks with your meal plan:
- The AYCTE portion of the meal plans guarantees Lutes at least one hot meal Sunday – Friday.
- On Sunday you don’t ever have to spend Dining Dollars as brunch and dinner are both AYCTE meal periods.
- Our AYCTE meal periods are unlimited swipe-in access — you could come through at 5:00pm for a snack and come back at 6:30pm for dinner!
- Meal Plans A-C offer guest meals, which allow you to bring a friend into the Commons AYCTE meal period a limited number of times a semester.
- Facts to keep in mind about your meal plan:
- Dining Dollars are intended for use during breakfast & lunch Monday through Saturday. They may also be used in the retail outlets for coffee, snacks or groceries, all sales-tax exempt!
- When you sign up for housing, you are automatically enrolled in Meal Plan B; if you want a different meal plan you will need to use the Optional Meal Plan Contract to change your meal plan.
- Dining Dollars added to your student account in Fall and J-Term will rollover to the next semester and the balance will expire on the last day of classes in May.
- Guest Meals do not rollover to the next semester.
- View the charts below to see the difference in Dining Dollars for each plan.
- Average Dining Dollars are based on a 15 week semester for Fall & Spring and 27 days in J-Term
Quick Links
Meal Plan Questions?
Email: mealplan@plu.edu
Campus Restaurant Closures
Campus Restaurants will be run minimal hours or be shut down during Thanksgiving, Christmas, J-Term and Spring Breaks.
These specific dates are determined by the current PLU academic calendar.
2025-2026 Meal Plan Dates
Dining Dollars will populate to your account on the first day of each meal plan period.
Fall Semester: August 29, 2025 to December 12, 2025
J-Term: January 4, 2026 to January 30, 2026
Spring Semester: February 3, 2026 to May 22, 2026
MEAL PLAN A 2025–26
| Semester | Semester Cost | Dining Dollars in Your Account | AYCTE / Overhead | Average Dining Dollars per Day* | Guest Meals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FALL | $3448 | $1490 | $1958 | $14.06 | 5 |
| J-Term | $806 | $389 | $417 | $14.41 | 5 |
| SPRING | $3448 | $1490 | $1958 | $14.06 | 5 |
| Annual Total: | $7702 |
MEAL PLAN B 2025–26
When you have an active housing assignment (other than South Hall), you are automatically enrolled in this plan.| Semester | Semester Cost | Dining Dollars in Your Account | AYCTE / Overhead | Average Dining Dollars per Day* | Guest Meals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FALL | $3276 | $1300 | $1976 | $12.26 | 3 |
| J-Term | $758 | $346 | $412 | $12.81 | 3 |
| SPRING | $3276 | $1300 | $1976 | $12.26 | 3 |
| Annual Total: | $7,310 |
MEAL PLAN C 2025–26
| Semester | Semester Cost | Dining Dollars in Your Account | AYCTE / Overhead | Average Dining Dollars per Day* | Guest Meals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FALL | $3,148 | $1150 | $1998 | $10.85 | 1 |
| J-Term | $727 | $299 | $428 | $11.07 | 1 |
| SPRING | $3,148 | $1,150 | $1998 | $10.85 | 1 |
| Annual Total: | $7023 |
MEAL PLAN D 2025–26
| Semester | Semester Cost | Dining Dollars in Your Account | AYCTE / Overhead | Average Dining Dollars per Day* | Guest Meals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FALL | $3030 | $1000 | $2030 | $9.43 | 0 |
| J-Term | $605 | $210 | $395 | $7.78 | 0 |
| SPRING | $3030 | $1000 | $2030 | $9.43 | 0 |
| Annual Total: | $6665 |
MEAL PLAN E 2025–26
Available only to Harstad, South Hall and Off-Campus students.This meal plan will satisfy the meal plan requirements for students in Harstad with only Dining Dollars and no AYCTE meal periods.
| Semester | Semester Cost | Dining Dollars in Your Account |
|---|---|---|
| FALL | $700 | $700 |
| J-Term | $209 | $209 |
| SPRING | $700 | $700 |
| Annual Total: | $1609 |
About Dining Dollars
Dining Dollars are exempt from State Sales Tax and are accepted at all Campus Restaurants. They may be used for food purchases only. You may add tax exempt Dining Dollars through the GET app ($2.75 fee), fill out the form & purchase in OMM (no fee) or online (charge to student account).
Your Dining Dollar balance carries over from Fall to Spring and expires the last day of Spring term. Be sure to budget your Dining Dollars to make sure they last through the semester. Here is a helpful chart to help with week to week balance checking.
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