Meal plans are purchased each semester. In the spring semester, resident students will automatically be assigned the same meal plan they had in the fall but can change during the designated add/change period. University Apartment and commuter students are not auto-assigned the same meal plan, but must sign up for a meal plan every semester.

Learn more about budgeting your Discount Dollars for the semester.

The myUnlimited Meal Plan will allow for unlimted meal swipes during every scheduled meal period/7 days a week. The plan also includes Discount Dollars. The myUnlimited students can use Discount Dollars at the same retail locations and activate the deep discounts. 

The base cost covers utilities, maintenance, repairs, rent, and the labor needed to support the food service program. These costs have always been components of the total meal plan prices; we are just being more transparent about the costs and breaking it down so you can see how your Discount Dollars are calculated.

Once you pay the base cost, you get the remaining amount in Discount Dollars. With Discount Dollars, you get deep discounts which are activated at resident and retail dining locations (60% or 40% depending on the location) when you use your meal plan. 

MyFlex Meal Plan students can add more Discount Dollars (up to $500) without paying anymore base cost. Since myChoice is a minor meal plan for nonresident students only and at a lower base rate, additional Discount Dollars cannot be purchased.

Discount Dollars are part of your chosen plan and are set up as a declining balance account on your ID card. Discount Dollars are like Munch Money, but Munch Money does not activate the deep discounts at dining locations, and Munch Money does not come with a meal plan (Munch Money can be added separately, if desired).

You use your Discount Dollars at all retail and resident dining locations for meals and beverages.* Each time you use your ID card at a dining location, your meal plan’s Discount Dollars will get activated and the venue-specific discount (60% discount at all resident dining rooms [myFlex and myChoice only], a 40% discount at campus/Sodexo retail brands and local/national retail brands) will be automatically calculated and the balance will be debited for your purchase. Your Discount Dollars’ remaining balance will appear on the register display and your receipt. Remember also your meal plan is tax free, so you will also be saving an additional 8% on all discounted sale prices. Please note only Discount Dollars activate the 60% or 40% discounts, other campus funds will not (i.e., Munch Money, Podium, Campus Gold, F/S Dining Plan). 

Learn more about budgeting your Discount Dollars for the semester.

Discount Dollars come with your meal plan (myFlex and myChoice). By having Discount Dollars, you ‘unlock’ the deep discounts at all the dining locations (a 60% discount at all resident dining rooms [myFlex and myChoice plans only], a 40% discount at campus/Sodexo retail brands and at local/national retail brands). Up to $500 more Discount Dollars can be purchased each semester with a myFlex Meal Plan. No additional Discount Dollars can be purchased with a myChoice Meal Plan. Lastly, Discount Dollars cannot be purchased outside of purchasing a myFlex or myChoice Meal Plan. 

Munch Money is optional and does NOT come with your meal plan. You can add tax-free Munch Money to make purchases at 518 Market or in vending machines (i.e., locations that do not activate discounts with Discount Dollars). A Podium account can also be used for these purchases, but Podium does not provide tax-free spending. A meal plan is not required to purchase Munch Money. You can add as much Munch Money as you want per semester, but a minimum of $25 is necessary to start an account. Both Discount Dollars and Munch Money carry over from fall to spring semester but expire at the end of the spring semester.

The main reason to add a Munch Money account is to make tax-free food-related purchases at places that do not activate a discount, i.e., vending machines and 518 Market. A Podium account can also be used for these purchases, but Podium does not provide tax-free spending. 

We strongly suggest you add either Munch Money or Podium for vending or 518 Market purchases. You do not want to waste your Discount Dollars on purchases that do not activate a discount. You can also pay with credit at these locations.

You should never use your Discount Dollars for purchases that do not activate discounts, i.e., vending and prepacked goods. You need to go online (www.ualbanyid.com) and add either Munch Money or Podium dollars. Or, you can pay for these purchases with cash or a credit card.

When you use your ID card in the vending machines, the machines are programmed to look for Munch Money first, then Podium, and lastly Discount Dollars. When buying prepacked goods in retail (e.g., 518 Market), the cashiers are trained to ask you what tender you want to use so you can avoid using Discount Dollars on non-discounted items.

No, Discount Dollars only come with a purchased meal plan and more can be added (up to $500) on the myFlex plans. Munch Money is an optional tax-free account you can add to your ID card if you want to purchase items at 518 Market or in vending machines. Podium Dollars can also be used to purchase items in 518 Market and vending, but Podium is not tax free like Munch Money. 

Since deep discounts are offered with the meal plan, have menu prices been increased to make up the difference? No! The base cost covers the operating costs. All menu pricing is carefully reviewed on a yearly basis and compared to local, regional and national pricing. 

Rest assured, no pricings will be adjusted to counteract the discounts! That’s what makes the myMeal Plans so cost-effective and fun to have!

No limits! You can use Discount Dollars at any dining location during its hours of operation and you can purchase whatever menu item(s) you want!

Once you purchase a meal plan, you just need to order your food/beverage in retail or swipe into a dining room, the venue-specific discount will automatically be calculated and the purchase price will be debited from your balance on your ID card.

You can add up to $500 more in Discount Dollars per semester to your myFlex or myUnlimited plan. Additional Discount Dollars cannot be added to a myChoice plan.

No, the base cost is completely covered by the initial meal plan purchase price. When you purchase more Discount Dollars (up to $500 per semester), you will have the full amount of added Discount Dollars to spend.

No, there are no more fixed amount of resident dining meal swipes with the myFlex and myChoice plans. If you have one of these plans and want to eat at a resident dining room, it will be 60% off the door price (you pay $5.06 as opposed to $12.65 and no tax!). 

The myUnlimited plan will allow scheduled meal period access to the resident dining rooms.

All resident students, University apartment students, and commuter students can purchase the myUnlimited Meal Plan. 

UAlbany freshmen living in resident halls are required to have a myUnlimited Meal Plan. The myUnlimited Meal Plan #1 will be automatically assigned to resident freshmen, but can be changed to the #2 up until 10 business days after the start of the semester.

SUNY Poly Students can get more information online.

UAlbany non-freshmen resident, traditional housing residents, University apartment, and commuter students can purchase a myFlex Meal Plan.

UAlbany non-freshmen living in resident halls are required to purchase a myFlex but will automatically be assigned the myFlex Meal Plan #2. Resident non-freshmen can change this plan to any other myFlex Meal Plan option (#1 - #5) up until 10 business days after the start of the semester.

SUNY Poly Students can get more information online.

Only University apartment and commuter students can purchase a myChoice Meal Plan, and no additional Discount Dollars can be added to this meal plan. This is considered a minor meal plan. It is meant for students that do not live in resident halls and who have kitchens at home/apartment. It just gives them an opportunity to explore campus dining. University apartment and commuter students can change their myChoice Meal Plan up until 10 business days after the start of the semester.  

SUNY Poly Students can get more information online.

The myChoice plan is considered a minor, exploratory plan. It is less expensive than the myFlex Meal Plan, but additional Discount Dollars can’t be added and only one myChoice Meal Plan can be purchased per semester. If you plan to eat on campus 2-3 times a week, a myFlex Meal Plan may be a better choice.

I am a non-freshmen resident student trying to choose the right meal plan. Please tell me what are the main differences between the myUnlimited Plan and the myFlex plan? 

The myUnlimited Meal Plan will allow scheduled meal period access to the dining rooms and a small amount of Discount Dollars (more can be added). If you plan to eat more frequently at resident dining rooms, this plan would be the right one for you. If you plan to eat mostly at retail locations, then a myFlex Meal Plan would be more suitable.

1) Logging onto MyUAlbany 

2) Clicking on 'Campus Life' tab 

3) Clicking on 'Add/Change My Meal Plan'

To purchase a meal plan after the first two weeks of the semester please use the CBORD Mobile ID App or email the ID Card office at idcard@albany.edu

Yes, you can change a meal plan up until 10 business days after the start of the semester. Please note that all resident hall students are required to be on a meal plan. Freshmen living in a resident hall are required to have a myUnlimited Meal Plan. The myUnlimited Meal Plan #1 will be automatically assigned to resident freshmen, but can be changed to the #2 up until 10 business days after the start of the semester. Non-freshmen living in resident halls are required to purchase one of the 5 myFlex plans, but will automatically be assigned the myFlex Meal Plan #2. Resident non-freshmen can change this plan to any other myFlex Meal Plan option (#1-#5) 

SUNY Poly Students can get more information online.

Please refer to the UAlbany Dining change/refund policy.

Discount Dollars carry over from fall semester to spring semester but expire at the end of spring semester.

No, you get to keep all your Discount Dollars until the end of the spring semester, then they will expire if unused.