Meal Plan Policies

Terms and Conditions for Meal Plans 

Meal Plan selections may be made through the Meal Plans and 49er Card Office in the Auxiliary Services Building, or on the Housing & Residence Life website through the Housing Application.  

If using the Housing Application to select a Meal Plan, remember to: 

  1. Carefully read the terms and conditions of the Contract for Meal Plans.

  2. Complete the Meal Plan section of the Application.

Classification and Meal Plan eligibility is as defined by Housing and Residence Life

Contract Terms and Conditions for Meal Plans for Academic Year Fall 2021 – Spring 2022 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Meal plan policies and cancellation terms for 2021-22 are subject to change based on alterations in on-campus housing and dining arrangements due to COVID-19. Updated policies and terms will be communicated to students via email.

North Carolina tax law requires the meal swipe portion of the Meal Plan be subject to sales tax; the associated Declining Balance portion of the Meal Plan is subject to sales tax at the point of sale. 

The University offers a variety of Meal Plans to meet the diverse dining needs of students. 

All first-year students living on campus are required to purchase The Daily Plan each semester of occupancy, regardless of their housing assignment. The Daily Plan provides students with anytime access to our resident dining locations, $250 in declining balance dollars, and 5 guest swipes. Students who enroll with college credit are considered to be first-year or freshman applicants if they have not taken any college courses since graduating high school. A student’s class standing (freshman, sophomore, junior, etc.) will be determined based on the amount of transfer credit awarded.  

All upperclass students (sophomores, juniors, seniors) who are assigned “required” housing accommodations (those in the towers – Holshouser, Sanford and Scott Halls – and in the suites – Belk, Hawthorn, Holshouser, Hunt, Laurel, Levine, Lynch, Miltimore, Oak, Wallis and Witherspoon Halls) are required each semester to purchase one of the Meal Plans offered to them.  Upper-class students are able to choose from The Daily Plan, a 160 Block Plan with $350 Declining Balance, or a 100 Block Plan with $350 Declining Balance. For additional meal plan information, visit https://aux.uncc.edu/dining/meal-plans. 

During the student’s period of occupancy, UNC Charlotte will provide meals according to the plan selected. A student in “required” (as indicated in the previous paragraph) housing must select a Meal Plan during the housing selection process. The student will be charged each semester for a Meal Plan selection.  Non-use of a Meal Plan by a student in “required” housing does not nullify the requirement to purchase a plan each semester, nor does it nullify the charge for an unused plan.  If a plan is not selected or if an incorrect plan is requested, an eligible plan will be assigned. 

Plans offered by the University to on-campus residents in “required” housing consist of both meal swipes and declining balance dollars. The meal swipes within these traditional Meal Plans do NOT carry forward to future semesters.  The Declining Balance dollars within these traditional Meal Plans DO carry over from the fall semester to the spring semester.  Meal swipes are used at South Village, SoVi2Go, and Crown Commons dining facilities. Declining Balance can be used at all University retail dining locations, resident dining locations, and athletic concessions.   

Upper-class students assigned to “non-required” housing (those in the apartments in Belk, Elm, Levine, Martin, Miltimore, Pine, Wallis and Witherspoon Halls or Greek Village) may choose from any of the Meal Plans offered.  Their five options are: The Daily Plan, the 160 block plan, the 100 block plan, or one of the 1200 or 875 Declining Balance only plans. (Any unspent funds remaining from the all-declining-balance Meal Plans will carry forward from Fall to Spring and through the end of the second summer session for the academic year.) 

Meal Plans purchased in the fall semester will automatically be renewed for the spring semester for all students unless changed or canceled by the student. Only students currently enrolled at UNC Charlotte may purchase a Meal Plan.   

Resident dining facilities will be closed during Fall break, Thanksgiving break, Winter break and Spring break.  Declining Balance dollars can be used throughout campus at the University dining locations or at approved off-campus locations that are open during these breaks.  

International students should request information regarding their Meal Plan options through the Office of International Programs PRIOR to the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding meals plans for these students may also be directed to the Meal Plans & 49er Card Office at 49ercard@uncc.edu

Students with special dietary restrictions should initially contact the Meal Plans and 49er Card Office at 704-687-7337, where they will be referred to the Dining Services Registered Dietitian (RD).

Changes and Cancellations 

Students may request a change to their Meal Plan through the first two weeks of any semester, unless there is a change to the academic calendar. For the most up-to-date meal plan change information, including dates, please visit ​​https://aux.uncc.edu/dining/meal-plan-selection. University Dining has the right in its sole discretion to provide amended Meal Plan options in the event that the schedule for in-person instruction changes. 

Meal Plan changes or cancellations by students are prorated to the activation date of the Meal Plan for any given semester and are subject to a $25 Meal Plan Processing Charge, whether the student has used the Meal Plan or not. After the scheduled two-day room change period, no other Meal Plan changes or cancellations may be made for the current semester. This also applies to students who have moved from required housing to apartments or have moved off campus, unless the student has requested a cancellation due to withdrawal from the University. 

Meal Plan changes or cancellation requests are accepted Mondays beginning at 8:00 AM through Friday at 12:00 noon. All changes and cancellations will be updated each Monday morning for the previous week’s requests.  These cancellation terms do not apply to students who have been granted a withdrawal with extenuating circumstances from the Dean of Students Office and are handled on a case-by-case basis

Once a request for cancellation due to a withdrawal from the University has been reviewed and validated, the student will be financially responsible for the daily prorated dining charge for their Meal Plan.  The Meal Plan charge will be prorated through the week of the last use of the plan or through the effective date of withdrawal from the University, whichever date is later; and a prorated amount will be credited to the student’s account.  This cancellation will also incur a $150.00 withdrawal charge, which will be applied to the student’s account. There are no cancellations or refunds permitted for students who withdraw within the last four (4) weeks of classes, based on the last date of the semester. If a student is released from their dining contract due to withdrawal from the University but re-enrolls later for the initially withdrawn term the student will again become financially responsible for the originally contracted dining plan. 

All Meal Plan changes and cancellation requests can be submitted online, via Banner Self Service, or by completing the Meal Plan Selection form under the Student Account/Student Services link.  Any questions may be directed to the Meal Plans and 49er Card Office, located in room 175 Auxiliary Services Building or at (704) 687-7337. 

An Optional Dining Account (ODA) may be used to supplement a Meal Plan.  Funds for this account are not billable through Student Accounts, but can be deposited separately through the 49er Card online website (http://aux.uncc.edu/dining), at the Meal Plans and 49er Card Office (located in Room 175, Auxiliary Services Building), or the Dining Services Office/ID Office (located in Room 127, Student Union) using cash, check or credit/debit card. This account may be used for food purchased in University dining locations, South Village, SoVi2go, Crown Commons, concessions, and convenience store locations. The Optional Dining Account carries over indefinitely as long as the student is enrolled at the University. 

Disclosure Terms & Conditions for Optional Dining Account 

  1. The Optional Dining Account is a non-required account of pre-deposited funds accessed by the Cardholder for the sole and exclusive use for food purchases in all Dining Services locations and it is placed on the 49er ID Card. This account should not be confused with the 49er Account.

  2. Deposits to Optional Dining Accounts can be made in the ID Office located in the Student Union or the Meal Plans and 49er Card Office located in the Auxiliary Services Building.  Minimum deposit of $5.00 (no maximum limit) may be made by cash, check or credit card.

  3. Deposits may also be made at the 49er Card Online website, http://aux.uncc.edu/.

  4. If the Cardholder's deposit check is returned for non-payment, a $25.00 charge will be assessed on the Cardholder's account and the account will be automatically suspended. The account will not be reactivated until the NSF check is reconciled and all appropriate bank NSF fees have been reimbursed to the Meal Plans and 49er Card Office.

  5. There is no daily limit on the number of purchases that may be made and debited to the account provided funds are available.  The Cardholder understands and agrees the 49er ID Card is not a credit card, nor can it be used to obtain cash or cash advances from the account under any circumstances.

  6. Balances of account may be obtained at any Dining Services point-of-sale location or the 49er Card Online website.

  7. Account Inactivity - Optional Dining Accounts that are inactive for a period of six (6) months will be assessed a $1.00 per month inactivity charge for each inactive month thereafter.