Use this page to learn how to manage your dining plan, use meal blocks, FLEX and DineXtra and make changes to your dining plan.
Manage Your Dining Plan
Managing your dining plan is easy using our Dining Portal. Undergraduate and graduate students may submit their Dining Plan Agreement via the Dining Portal. Students under the age of 18 will be required to use the parent/guardian proxy feature on the Dining Portal. Please do not submit a PDF agreement as these are for review only.
To view your dining plan assignment and check your balance, visit: Student Information Online (SIO).
How to Use Your Dining Plan
Your dining plan, which includes meal blocks and FLEXible Spending Dollars (FLEX), is encoded on your Carnegie Mellon ID card, along with any additional DineXtra funds purchased. Visit any of our 35+ dining locations to use your meal blocks, FLEX or DineXtra funds. The cashier will simply swipe your card and you'll be on your way!
Additionally, FLEX and DineXtra can be used at our off-campus partner locations, campus vending machines or through our Grubhub mobile food ordering platform from participating on-campus dining locations.
What is a meal block?
“Meals” or “blocks” include an entrée, side and beverage during the breakfast, lunch, and late-night meal periods, and two sides at the dinner meal period. Use your FLEX or DineXtra funds to upgrade your meal, add a dessert or purchase a snack for later.
Traditional dining plan and community dining plan holders may use their allotted meal blocks throughout the semester. Meal blocks associated with each semester's dining plan expire on the last active date of the semester.
How do I purchase a meal?
Your dining plan is encoded on your student ID card and is accepted at all campus dining locations. Inform the cashier if you would like to use a meal block or the FLEX dollars associated with your dining plan to pay for your meal. The cashier will swipe your card and a meal block or purchase amount will be deducted from your dining account. You can also pay for your meal with DineXtra.
How many meal blocks can I use each day?
A total of four meal blocks may be used each day. There are four meal periods per day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night. You can use up to two meal blocks during each of these periods.
When do the meal periods begin and end?
- Breakfast: 3:30am-10:29:59am
- Lunch: 10:30am-4:29:59pm
- Dinner: 4:30pm-8:59:59pm
- Late Night: 9:00pm-3:29:59am
FLEXible Spending Dollars and DineXtra
Flexible dollars and DineXtra are extra cash that can be used at any point during the semester. Flexible dollars are built into your dining plan, whereas DineXtra is funds that can be purchased in addition to a dining plan or as DineXtra alone. DineXtra is available to students throughout the academic year or summer months and to faculty and staff year-round. Both can be used to upgrade your meals with special options like premium entrées or to purchase items à la carte at any of our dining locations or by ordering in advance for pick-up through Grubhub. Flexible dollars and DineXtra can be used at Entropy+, our campus convenience store, to purchase grocery items and other sundries, or at our campus vending machines. In addition to dining on campus, these funds can be used at some popular off-campus dining locations.
Unused flexible dollars do not roll over to the next semester. DineXtra balances do rollover from the fall to the spring semester and expire at the end of the spring semester. Faculty and staff DineXtra funds remain available for their entire tenure at the University. Learn more about how to add and use DineXtra funds
Dining Plan Changes
Don't worry if you are unsure about which plan is right for you. Eating habits can often change in college so we give you the flexibility to adjust them.
At the beginning of the fall semester, you have a window of time to change your dining plan to adjust the mix of meals and flexible dollars. If you are eating a greater number of meal blocks during a given week, then it would be better to switch to a plan that has more meals/blocks. If you prefer to eat more snack foods or à la carte items, then it would be best to switch to a dining plan with more flexible dollars.
The Dining Portal will be closed for the month of June, at which time no changes to your dining plan can be made. The portal will re-open in July and remain open through the designated change period ending at 5:00 p.m. on September 22, 2023. You are permitted to increase to another Traditional Dining Plan at any time during the semester.
A full refund or charge will be received if a meal plan is canceled or changed before August 28, 2022. Any meal plan change made between August 27, 2022 – September 22, 2023, will be refunded based on actual meal plan usage. The new meal plan will be billed for a prorated amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore our most frequently asked questions about your dining plan