Aggieland has over 40 dining locations across all areas of campus! Whether living on campus or commuting, we have 10+ customizable meal plan options to fit each student’s schedule, appetite, and budget. First-Time Freshmen living on campus (regardless of college credit hours) and Corps of Cadets are required to have a meal plan for each semester of the academic year. If a plan is not selected by August 1st, students are auto-enrolled into the most popular meal plan for each group which contains about 8 to 12 meals in the Dining Halls per week. Meals and snacks outside the dining halls utilizing Retail Swipes & Dining Dollars are explained below. Students living off-campus (commuter students) are not required to have a meal plan, but can choose to purchase a smaller option to budget the entire semester. This includes Dining Dollar only plans. Meal Plan selections and changes are made in the Howdy Portal or at mealplans.tamu.edu.
There are 3 important terms to know: Meal Swipes, Dining Dollars, and Retail Swipes
- Meal Swipes are redeemed at three resident dining halls: Sbisa, The Commons, & Duncan. These are open daily for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Stations include areas dedicated to home-style entrees, pizza, and salads as well as made-to-order options like pasta, stir fry, deli, and more. Menus rotate daily and can be viewed on the dining.tamu.edu website. There is a 4 Meal Swipe limit per day and Meal Swipes expire at the end of each semester.
- Dining Dollars work like a debit card and is a $1 to $1 value that can be redeemed at all dining locations. These are designed for meals outside the dining halls, coffee, and snacks. More Dining Dollars can be added to your plan at any time for no extra fee. Dining Dollars from Block Meal Plans roll over with the purchase of a Spring Meal Plan. All Dining Dollars expire at the end of the Spring semester.
- New for Fall 2020, students will have the flexibility to convert 1 Meal Swipe per day to a Retail Swipe with a $7.50 equivalency value. This allows convenience, customization, and variety. For purchases over $7.50, the difference can be paid with Dining Dollars, cash, credit, or debit. All Meal Equivalency locations will be listed on the dining website by July 10. This will include Chick-Fil-A, Jason’s Deli, Panda Express, and more.
Once a Meal Plan is selected, students will have several weeks to determine if the selection is the right fit for each semester. The downgrade deadline is September 18 and the upgrade deadline is October 23. We suggest selecting a meal plan and trying it out for the first 2 weeks of the semester and adjusting as needed. All Meal Swipes & Dining Dollar balances are listed on receipts and at mealplans.tamu.edu.
Texas A&M University Dining hosts Facebook LIVE Q&As each Friday for parents & students at facebook.com/AggieDining. Contact our office at TAMUmealplans@compass-usa.com or 979-845-0152 if you need further information.
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