Meal Plan Questions
Which plan should I choose?
How much do meal plans cost?
How much does a meal cost?
How much do A La Carte items cost?
Can I use one of my Classic meals to bring in a friend?
How do I add Extra Credits?
Will I be able to check my balance online?
Can I choose if I want to pay for a meal with credits instead of a Classic meal?
Where can I use Café Credits
for food to go?
What are Extra Credits?
Where can I use Extra Credits?
Are Classic meals, Café Credits and Extra Credits refundable?
Do Extra Credits expire?
Do I have to live in the residence halls to use Extra Credits?
I have some Café Credits I didn’t spend this week. Can I use them next week?
What if I run out of Café Credits before the end of the week?
Can I switch meal plans?
Do Café Credits carry over from fall to spring semester?
Can my parents add Extra Credits to my i-card account?
What if I don’t have enough Café Credits at the end of the week to buy a Classic meal?
Is there a minimum number of Extra Credits I must purchase at one time?
Can I use a Classic meal at an A La Carte location?
If I miss a Classic breakfast, can I buy two Classic lunches?
Can the 6 Classic plan be used at specialty restaurants?
Where can I eat a Classic meal?
Are students who live in graduate residence halls required to purchase a meal plan?
Other Questions
What do I do if my i-card is lost, stolen, or destroyed?
Are sick trays made available?
Which plan should I choose?
Café Credits Plans
If you’re looking for flexibility, like using A La Carte
locations, bringing in a friend, or dining outside traditional
hours, choose a plan with a combination of Classic meals and Café
Credits. You can use your Café Credits to pick up a quick bagel or
sandwich on the go, or choose to meet your friends later in the
evening for pizza and hot sandwiches. You can also use your Café
Credits to purchase additional Classic meals or bring guests to a
meal.
For the ultimate flexibility, choose the All Café Credits Plan. The All Café Credits Plan gives you the most flexibility in how and where you dine. The plan allows you to customize the number of Classic meals and A La Carte meals you wish each day. Still hungry? Add Extra Credits to your i-card account anytime.
And if you’re not hungry this week? No problem. If you choose a plan with Café Credits, you may rollover a maximum of one week’s worth of your plan’s Café Credits to the following week, to a maximum balance of double your weekly allotment. The Extra Credits you add to your i-card account never expire. * Note: If you change your meal plan, you can roll over up to one week's worth of your plan's current Café Credits to your new plan.
Classic Plans
If you eat most of your meals in a residence hall dining room
during traditional meal hours, choose a Classic Plan. Classic plans
allow you to eat up to three all-you-care-to-eat meals a day—one
breakfast, one lunch, and one dinner—up to the total of meals per
week you choose (14 or 20). If you think you’ll choose an A La
Carte meal once in a while or treat a friend, add Extra Credits to
your i-card account anytime.
A La Carte
Just want a muffin and juice? Want a late-night pizza? A La
Carte locations are for you. You can take your meal to go, or have
a seat and stay awhile. Items in these locations are priced
individually in Credits, so you pay only for the items you choose.
How much do meal plans cost?
Rates can be found
here.
How much does a meal cost?
If you use Café Credits or Extra Credits for an all-you-can-eat
meal, breakfast uses 475 credits, lunch uses 695, and dinner
uses 995. Please see the A La Carte menus for
example prices. One credit is valued at one cent.
How much do A La Carte items cost?
Please see the A La Carte menus for
example prices.
Can I use one of my Classic meals to bring in a friend?
Your Classic meals are for your use only. You can use your Café
Credits or Extra Credits to bring in a friend. Café Credits are
the credits that are part of your meal plan contract. Extra
Credits are purchased separately and accessed with your i-card.
How do I add Extra Credits?
You can add Extra Credits, accessed with your i-card,
online with a credit card and at residence hall front desks with cash
or check.
Will I be
able to check my balance online?
Yes. You can check your balance online at the
Student's Corner or via
the online Service Desk.
Can I choose if I want to pay for a meal with credits instead of
a Classic meal?
Yes. The default is for a Classic meal to be deducted from your
weekly allotment, but if you would rather use Café Credits or
Extra Credits for a meal, inform the checker as you enter the
dining hall.
Where can I use Café Credits for food to go?
Café Credits may be used at A La Carte locations and may also be
used to purchase a Classic meal.
What are
Extra Credits?
Extra Credits provide added
flexibility. They can be purchased at any time by students, faculty or
staff and can be used to purchase food items at A La Carte locations or to
purchase Classic meals held in residence hall dining rooms. Extra
Credits can be purchased through the web or at
any area office, with no minimum required. Extra Credits never expire
as long as a person has an active i-card.
Where can I use Extra Credits?
Extra Credits may be used at A La Carte locations and may be used to
purchase a Classic meal. Extra Credits may also be used in the
Illini Union Ballroom.
* Extra credits are not accepted at Fat Don's specialty restaurant;
only Classic meals and Café Credits can be used at Fat Don's.
Are
Classic meals, Café Credits and Extra Credits refundable?
No, and they are not transferable to another person.
Do Extra
Credits expire?
No, not as long as you have an active i-card.
Do I have to live in the residence halls to use Extra
Credits?
No. Anyone with an active i-card can purchase and use Extra Credits.
I have some Café Credits I didn’t spend this week. Can I use them next
week?
Yes. You may rollover a maximum of one week’s worth of your plan’s
Café Credits into the following week, to a maximum balance of
double your weekly allotment. Rollover of applicable credits will
occur automatically. * Note: If you change your meal
plan, you can roll over up to one week's worth of your plan's
current Café Credits to your new plan.
What if I run out of Café Credits before the end of the
week?
You can purchase Extra Credits at any time and use them to buy
both Classic meals and A La Carte items.
Can I
switch meal plans?
During the Fall semester, you may change to any meal plan until September 19,
2007. After September 19, your meal plan may not be changed again until the
Spring semester 2008. You may change until two weeks after the first day
of classes Spring semester (January 30, 2008).
Do Café Credits carry over from fall to spring semester?
If you have a balance of Café Credits left at the end of fall
semester, you may rollover your unused credits to the first week
of spring semester, in accordance with
rollover policy.
Can my parents add Extra Credits to my i-card account?
Yes. They will need to know your University ID Number (UIN) (the
number printed in blue on your i-card).
What if I don’t have enough Café Credits at the end of the week
to buy a Classic meal?
You can add Extra Credits online or in person. For example, if
you have 900 Café Credits in your account and would like to
purchase a Classic dinner, add 95 cents’ worth of Extra
Credits (or more) to your i-card. The two kinds of
credits, when totaled, will equal the 995 credits you need. There
is no minimum purchase of Extra Credits required per
transaction.
Is there a minimum number of Extra Credits I must purchase at one
time?
No.
Can I use a Classic meal at an A La Carte location?
Classic meals are only for all-you-care-to-eat locations. To
purchase food items at an A La Carte location, you will need
credits. You can use either Café Credits, which are purchased as
part of a meal plan, or Extra Credits, which you can add to your i-card
anytime.
If I miss a Classic breakfast, can I buy two Classic
lunches?
Classic meals may only be used once per meal period (breakfast
7:00am–10:30am; lunch 11:00am–1:30pm and dinner 4:45pm–6:30pm).
Can the 6 Classic plan be used at specialty restaurants?
The Classic 6 may be used at any specialty restaurant, including Fat Don’s.
Where can I eat a
Classic meal?
Traditional dining rooms are located in the following
residence hall areas: Gregory Drive, Peabody Drive, Allen, Busey-Evans,
LAR, ISR, FAR, and PAR (closed for renovations during the 2007-2008
school year). Anyone can eat in any dining room regardless
of where they live.
Are students who live in graduate residence halls required to
purchase a meal plan?
No, but they are able to purchase a meal plan if they wish. The
Classic 6 is the plan many students living in graduate residence
halls choose. They may also choose to purchase Extra Credits.
What do I do if my i-card is lost, stolen, or destroyed?
If your i-card is lost or stolen, you need to call
the ID Center at 217-244-0135 immediately to
avoid financial liability.
If your i-card is stolen, you need to call the Campus Police at 333-1216. You should then report to the Campus ID Center for a new i-card as soon as possible. The replacement fee is currently $20, subject to change.
If you cannot get to the ID Center before your next meal and you have a meal contract, you may go to the area office of any hall to get a replacement ticket.
More information is available at the i-card Center web site.
Are sick
trays made available?
Sick Trays may be requested only in the home hall of the
resident who is ill. Another resident with a valid meal pass must surrender the
ID of the ill individual with his/her own to the checker. The checker will cancel
the proper meal on both meal passes and direct the resident to the proper serving
counter where the ID and Sick Tray will be available for pick up following the
meal. A Sick Tray may be prepared by a supervisor, coordinator, kitchen helper, cook,
or student Dining Service worker.
Residents who are ill and who require a special diet prescribed by a McKinley physician must present the following four items to the checker to obtain a special Sick Tray:
Residents who are ill but who don't require a special diet prescribed by a physician will receive the standard Sick Tray. A Sick Tray will contain similar items for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and consists of the following:
These foods are recommended for individuals with upset stomach, cold, or influenza. They are high in water to prevent dehydration, high in carbohydrate to minimize tissue catabolism, and low in protein to reduce the formation of urea and thus spare the loss of fluid.