Meal Plan FAQ

General

What is the difference between a UCI Housing Meal Plan and an Anteater Meal Plan?

  • UCI Housing Meal Plans are mandatory for residents living in Middle Earth and Mesa Commons as part of their overall UCI Housing contract. 

  • Anteater Meal Plans are voluntary meal plans that can be purchased by anyone not currently on a UCI Housing Meal Plan, including faculty and staff.

How do I use my Meal Plan?

  • All Meal Plans (Meals & FlexDine) are loaded to your UCI ID, making it even easier to dine on campus. This includes physical IDs, virtual IDs and digital meal passes for students, faculty, and staff.

What happens if I lose my ID card?

  • Your UCI ID is required for all transactions and entries into the dining halls. If you have lost your physical ID, please use your digital ID. If you do not have access to the digital ID, please contact CardServices@uci.edu.

Can I eat at The Anteatery or Brandywine without Meal Plan?

  • Yes, UCI affiliates may the *door rates which are as follows: 
    • Breakfast: $15.50
    • Lunch: $16.50
    • Dinner: $16.50
  • We accept credit, debit, or FlexDine. Door sales are dine-in only.  *Door rates are subject to change without prior notice. 

Housing Meal Plans

How much does a UCI Housing Meal Plan cost?

  • UCI Housing Meal Plans are included as part of the housing contract and there are three options to choose from. 

Note: Any cancellation or non-payment of your housing contract will result in suspension of your meal plan until your account status is updated. If your housing contract is canceled and you still desire to eat in the dining halls, you are able to purchase an Anteater meal plan at UCI Dining Meal Plans or pay the door rate for the corresponding meal period.

 

Can I change my UCI Housing Meal Plan?

  • Students may ‘upgrade’ their meal plan (change from a lower-cost to a higher-cost plan) during the week of October 4-14, 2024, and upgrades will become effective no later than October 15, 2024. (Please Note: Changing from a 135 Meal or 5-Weekday meal plan to the 7-Day meal plan will reduce your quarterly FlexDine Dollars allowance from $75 to $50).There is a second opportunity to change meal plans (to a larger or smaller plan) during the Meal Plan Change window toward the end of Fall Quarter (November 18, 2024 to December 13, 2024). Meal plan changes will become effective January 5, 2025 and remain in place through Spring Quarter.

Note: No additional meal plan changes can be made during the Winter and Spring Quarters. Prior to the change window you will receive an email from UCI Housing with directions on how to make changes. Meal plan changes can only be made online from the UCI Housing homepage during the meal plan change window.

 

Do UCI Housing Meal Plans roll over between quarters? 

  • Meals are only available on a quarterly basis and do not roll over to the following quarter. However, unused guest meals and FlexDine do roll over to the next quarter but expire on June 14, 2024.

Can I swipe in a guest with my Housing Meal Plan?

  • Yes, students on UCI Housing Meal Plans have 10 Guest Meals included with their meal plan each quarter. Meal plan holders must dine and stay with their guests.

Do my meal swipes reset?

  • Yes, meal swipes for 7-Day and 5-Day meal plans will reset each Sunday. Meal swipes for the 135-meal plan will reset at the end of the quarter.  
  • 7 -Day Meal Plan Holders will start with 42 swipes and 5- Day Meal Plan Holders will start with 30 swipes.

I have a 135 Meal Plan, why do I only see 125 meals?

  • Guest meals are included in the meal swipe total for 135 meal plans. Meaning, meal plan holders will have 125 meal swipes just for themselves and 10 meal swipes to use for a guest or themselves. 

 

Anteater Meal Plans

Do Anteater Meal Plans carry over between quarters?

  • All Anteater plans (excluding the 7-Day All Access) carry over between quarters and expire on June 14, 2024. The meals on the 7-Day All Access plans expire at the end of each quarter and do not rollover to the following quarter.

Can I swipe in a guest with my Anteater Meal Plan?

  • Anteater Meal Plans do not include guest meals, so students would either need to use an additional meal swipe or their FlexDine to pay the door rate for their guest. Meal plan holders must dine and stay with their guests.

Note: Additional meal swipes are not allowed with the Anteater 7-Day Meal Plan as this is an all-access plan intended for the purchaser only. These meal plan holders can use their FlexDine to pay the door rate for their guest.

Can I request a refund on my meal plan if I change my mind?

  • Meal plans are non-refundable and non-transferable. Only UCI Housing meal plans may be changed, and only during the dates listed above.

 

FlexDine

How do I check my FlexDine balance?

  • Meal Plan holders can check their account balances anytime on their UCI StudentLink. If you do not have a StudentLink account, you will need to create an account to be able to gain access to the site.

Can I add more FlexDine?

  • Yes, additional FlexDine can be purchased anytime online or by visiting the UCI Dining office located at G318 Student Center (3rd floor).

Where can I use FlexDine on campus?

  • FlexDine can be used at the Anteatery and Brandywine Commons as well as most of our cafés, food courts and convenience stores across campus. FlexDine dollars are valid through June 13, 2025. 

Note: FlexDine is not accepted at UClub or Café Espresso at Health Sciences.

 

Dietary Accommodations

What accommodations are available for those with food allergies and other special dietary needs?

  • The Executive Chefs at both the Anteatery and Brandywine are always available and willing to assist students with dietary restrictions. We also have a True Balance station (Compass) at Brandywine Commons serving options that are made without the top nine allergens.

  • Please email dining@uci.edu for more information and to schedule a meeting to discuss your individual needs.