Meal Plans & Dining Options

How to Select Your Dining Option

All students except first-year students should sign up for a University dining option in myHOME. Those who do not select a dining option will be assigned Option 5 or 6 (Dining Dollars only).

Sophomores, juniors and seniors can select a dining option in myHOME until midnight on Thursday, Jan. 16. Please allow up to two days for changes to be processed.

Meal Plan & Dining Options

Please note: Meal swipes can only be used by the individual student who purchased the plan.

Option 1: Anytime Access

• Anytime access to all-you-care-to-eat in Bostwick Social House
• $75 in Dining Dollars
• Two Meal Trades per week*
• Two guest passes per semester
• Cost: $3,235 per semester

Required for all first-year students, available to all other students

*See Meal Trades section below for more details.

Option 2

• Ten swipes per week* for all-you-care-to-eat dining in Bostwick Social House
• $100 in Dining Dollars
• Two guest passes per semester
• Cost: $2,625 per semester

*Ten meal swipes are added each Sunday morning and unused meals roll over to the next week

Option 3

• Five swipes per week* for all-you-care-to-eat dining in Bostwick Social House
• $300 in Dining Dollars
• Two guest passes per semester
• Cost: $1,577 per semester

*Five meal swipes are added each Sunday morning and unused meals roll over to the next week

Option 4

• Three swipes* per week all-you-care-to-eat dining in Bostwick Social House
• $500 in Dining Dollars
• Two guest passes per semester
• Cost: $1,278 per semester

*Three meal swipes are added each Sunday morning and unused meals roll over to the next week

Option 5: Dining Dollars Only

• Only seniors may select this option. Sophomores and juniors may select option 6, or another option.
• $700 Dining Dollars*

Option 6: Dining Dollars Only

• Sophomores and juniors are automatically registered for option 6. They can elect to change to another dining option, with the exception of option 5.
• $775 Dining Dollars*

*Dining Dollars can be used at any on-campus dining location

Meal Trades

New for 2024-25

Available in the Bison and Commons Café, Meal Trades allow students with the Anytime Access Meal Plan to trade one Dining Hall meal swipe for a retail meal combo twice weekly during specified hours. Meal combos include an entrée, side dish, dessert and fountain beverage. Meal combos are predetermined but rotate regularly. Daily Meal Trade options can be found online, in ordering kiosks or at the counter.

• Two Meal Trades may be used per week in the Bison or Commons Café. A week is defined as Sunday–Saturday.
• Hours of availability are 8 a.m.-10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. to close.
• Meal Trades do not roll over and are not redeemable for cash.

Dining Dollars, Campus Dollars and Plus Dollars

In addition to meal swipes and trades, you have several options for purchasing meals (and other needs) on campus and off.

Plus Dollars are an add-on purchase to dining plan purchases, and can only be selected when you choose your meal plan.

Campus Dollars and Dining Dollars may be purchased or refilled at any time.

See where you can spend Dining, Campus and Plus Dollars

Plus Dollars Selection

Optional — Does not fulfill meal-plan requirement

After selecting a dining option, Plus Dollars can be added as an enhancement to any dining option. Plus Dollars are only available to sophomores, juniors and seniors who are making a dining option selection. Plus Dollars will carry over from the fall to spring semester but will expire at the end of the academic year.

Purchasing Additional Dining Dollars & Campus Dollars

Additional Dining Dollars and Campus Dollars can be purchased anytime online.

*Cash and credit cards also are accepted at all on-campus dining locations

**See where Campus and Plus Dollars are accepted off campus

B-Swipes

The B-Swipes program allows students in need of food assistance to request additional meal swipes for entry into Bostwick Social House. Students with demonstrated need may receive up to three meals per week during the fall and spring semesters.

In order to qualify to receive swipes, a student must meet the following criteria:

• The student has demonstrated financial need (the student's financial aid award plus their expected family contribution equal less than the comprehensive cost of Bucknell)

  and

• The student's total financial aid eligibility is less than the comprehensive cost of Bucknell

Beginning in spring 2023, unused guest passes, Dining Dollars and Plus Dollars that would otherwise expire at the end of the semester or academic year will automatically be transferred to B-Swipes. Other swipes are not transferable.

Learn more and request swipes (login required)

Policies

• The annual cost of dining and meal options is based on the annual University board charge for students in residence and is subject to change.
• Every student living on campus is required to purchase a meal plan or University dining option each semester. Students living off campus may select any option but are not required to purchase one.
• First-year students are automatically registered for and required to purchase Option 1 (Anytime Access).
• Seniors will be automatically registered for Option 5 ($700 Dining Dollars) but can switch to any other dining option. Sophomores and juniors will be automatically registered for Option 6 ($775 Dining Dollars) but can switch to any option that includes swipes. Campus Dollars do not fulfill the meal plan requirement.
• Each week, meals are reset on Sunday morning before breakfast for the ten, five and three meals per week plans. Unused meals will "roll over" to the next week, but swipes will expire at the end of the semester if unused (Dining and Campus Dollars will carry over). Students who run out of meal swipes can purchase meals using Dining Dollars, Campus Dollars, Plus Dollars, or debit or credit cards at the door rate.
• Guest passes expire at the end of the semester for which they are issued. When unused guest passes expire, the full value is applied to the B-Swipes program to support students in need of food assistance.
• For the Class of 2026 and beyond, Dining Dollars will carry over from the fall semester to the spring semester but will expire at the end of the spring semester. For other classes, Dining Dollars will carry over from semester to semester and year to year, but become invalid upon graduation or separation from the University. When unused Dining Dollars expire, the full value is applied to the B-Swipes program to support students in need of food assistance.
• Dining Dollars are not refundable or transferable.
• Plus Dollars can be used at on-campus dining venues and off-campus merchants who participate in the Campus Dollars program. Plus Dollars are not refundable or transferable. Unused Plus Dollars will carry over to the spring semester but expire at the end of the academic year. When unused Dining Dollars expire, the full value is applied to the B-Swipes program to support students in need of food assistance. Plus Dollars can only be purchased during meal plan selection. Plus Dollars are only available to sophomores, juniors and seniors.
• Campus Dollars can also be used in any dining venue on campus.
• Campus Dollars carry over between semesters and years. They are not transferable but are refunded upon graduation or if a student separates from the University.