Meal Plan 101
What is a Meal Plan?
A meal plan unlocks delicious meals, coffee, snacks, and more at Temple Culinary Services locations across main campus. Each meal plan includes meal swipes that are conveniently preloaded onto one’s OWLcard or mobile wallet.
● Weekly meal plans provide a weekly allowance of meal swipes, resetting each Sunday at 12:01 a.m.
● Block meal plans provide a bundle of meal swipes, which expire at the end of the semester
Meal Plan Options
Who is required to purchase a meal plan?
- New students (first-year and transfer) with housing contracts on main campus are required to purchase a weekly meal plan with a minimum of 10 meals per week. If no meal plan is chosen, the Weekly 12 will be assigned by default for both the fall and spring semesters.
- Returning and off-campus students are not required to purchase a meal plan but are encouraged to do so as a means of enriching their campus experience. Although we created the Weekly 5 and block meal plans with these groups in mind, any meal plan offered would be the perfect complement to the commuter experience.
Special Diets
Temple Culinary Services provides an array of food options to accommodate a variety of lifestyles, dietary needs, and restrictions – including vegan/vegetarian, gluten-free, halal, and kosher. Students seeking special dietary accommodations and/or nutritional advice are encouraged to reach out to our on-site dietitian at TempleUDietitian@aramark.com to schedule a consultation.
What meal plan options are available?
Visit the Dining Plans section of our website for pricing and additional information regarding each meal plan.
How do I choose a meal plan?
Personal eating habits, class schedule, and leisure activities should all be considered when choosing a meal plan. If you are accustomed to eating three full meals a day, or prefer to eat small meals throughout the day, our Unlimited plan may be for you. If you tend to skip breakfast, eating only two meals a day, a meal plan with less meal swipes will be a better choice.
How do I purchase a meal plan?
To purchase a meal plan, log into MyHousing through the TUportal. All meal plans must be paid for via tuition billing.
How do I cancel my meal plan?
Students may apply for a release from the Dining Services Agreement with supporting documentation stating the reason for their release request. Releases are only considered for medical and/or religious reasons. Requests are reviewed and decided by the University on a case-by-case basis. If a student’s request for release is denied, they will remain responsible for all fees associated with their meal plan, whether used or not.
- To apply for a release, log into MyHousing via the TUportal.
- For questions about meal plan cancellations, please contact University Housing and Residential Life during normal business hours, from Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The team can also be reached via phone at (215) 204-7184 (Option #2) or via email at housing@temple.edu.
Meal Swipes
What is a meal swipe?
Meal swipes are meals included in your meal plan, which can be used two ways:
- to enjoy all-you-care-to-eat dining at Esposito Dining Center in Johnson and Hardwick Halls
- as meal equivalency, a credit toward the purchase of à la carte food items at select retail locations (excluding coffee and convenience outlets)
How often can I use a meal swipe?
You can use a single meal swipe in our all-you-care-to-eat dining location and up to 2 meal swipes per transaction in retail settings (excluding coffee and convenience outlets) with a maximum meal swipe allowance of 4 meals per meal period – until the limit included in your meal plan is met.
Meal Period:
- Breakfast (Open-10:59a)
- Lunch (11:00am-3:59pm)
- Dinner (4:00pm-7:59pm)
- 4th Meal (8:00pm-Close)
Max Swipes per Meal Period: 4
Max Swipes per Transaction:
- 2 in Retail
- 1 in Residential
Possible Combinations per Meal Period:
- ⚀ + ⚀ + ⚀ + ⚀
- ⚀ + ⚀ + ⚁
- ⚁ + ⚁
Can I use a guest meal on myself if I run out of meal swipes during a meal period? Yes
When does my weekly meal swipe balance reset? How can I check my balance?
Your weekly meal swipe balance resets each Sunday at 12:01 a.m. You can verify your balance on the TUportal, TUmobile app, or Transact eAccounts app
Am I allowed to treat friends or family to a meal using my meal plan?
If your meal plan includes guest meals, you can use them to treat others to a meal exclusively at Esposito Dining Center in Johnson and Hardwick Halls. Otherwise, you’re welcome to treat friends and family to a meal using cash or credit at any of our campus dining locations.
Meal Equivalency
How much is a meal swipe worth when used as meal equivalency?
When used as meal equivalency, the value of a meal varies by meal period:
● During breakfast (from open until 10:59 a.m.): $7.60
● During lunch (11:00 a.m. to 3:59 p.m.), dinner (4:00 p.m. to 7:59 p.m.), and 4th meal (8:00 p.m.to close): $10.50
A second meal swipe, cash, or credit can be used to cover any remaining balance.
Guest Meals
What are guest meals?
Meal Plan Benefits
New This Fall
Temple Culinary Services is excited to announce the following enhancements for the fall semester:
- We’ve added guest meals to select meal plans allowing you to treat friends and family exclusively at Esposito Dining Center in Johnson and Hardwick Halls.
- We’ve added a new brand to our already-robust retail lineup, The Halal Shack at the Howard Gittis Student Center Food Court. The location will be open Monday through Sunday for lunch and dinner and will accept meal equivalency.
- We’ve refreshed the Chick-fil-A® at the Howard Gittis Student Center Food Court and expanded the menu to include mac and cheese as a side option.
- We’ve added to our lineup of Diamond General Express cashierless vending machines, adding two to the entrance of the Morgan Hall North residence hall.
Additional Benefits
- Quality food made fresh daily by our talented chefs and served by our friendly team
- Customizable menu options, so you can enjoy food the way you like it
- Convenient hours and locations across campus with a dining option always close by
- Meal equivalencies to use as often as you'd like to enjoy brands like The Halal Shack, Panera Bread®, Wing Stop®, Chick-fil-A®, Saladworks® and Panda Express®
- Healthy choices and plant-based foods
- Sustainable menu options and earth-friendly practices
- Special events with exciting themed menus
- Special dietary accommodations under the guidance of our on-site dietitian
- True Balance, our allergen friendly station at Esposito Dining Center
Managing Your Plan
There are two ways you can check your Meal Plan balance
- On the TUMobile app under Meal Plan Balance
- Ask any cashier to check your balance for you at a register
Key Dates
You have until the meal plan changes deadline each semester to modify your meal plan selection. To do so, visit MyHousing within the TUportal.
● September 9, 2024 (Fall)
● January 27, 2025 (Spring)
