Yes. For both First-Years and Sophomores a shared dining experience is an important way to make connections and build community. For Juniors and Seniors, dining plans offer a convenient and flexible approach to meeting dining needs. Residents living in on-campus apartments will find a dining plan offering useful means by which to pay for Residential Learning Communities (RLC) catered events or to purchase snacks on-campus.
Room and board charges are billed jointly through the University Bursar's Office and appear on the Bursar Account student bill along with tuition. With all the dining meal plans you have the flexibility of dining when and how often you like as well as have the ability to purchase groceries on campus. The dining plan is a quarterly allocation of purchasing points. There is no predetermined number of meals per week, so you won’t lose out if you leave campus for a few days. First-years and Sophomores can only select from the Preferred or Basic Plan. Juniors and Seniors can select from three plans, either the Preferred, Basic, or Junior/Senior Plan. Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors living in an apartment style accommodation have a fourth option to select - the Apartment Plan.
Each year, the dining plans include the respective number of points. Each point is equal to a dollar. For example, during the 2023-24 year:
- Preferred - 2334 points per quarter
- Basic -1995 points per quarter
- Junior/Senior - 1370 points per quarter
- Apartment Plan - 298 points per quarter
Visit our Cost and Rates Page to see the current total cost for room and board.
Incoming students who are new to campus housing choose a dining plan as part the RLC - Housing application. Returning students choose a dining plan as part of the Room Selection process.
You can request a change in your dining plan through your housing portal. Once the quarter starts, you cannot change your dining plan.
Fall Quarter
opens Saturday, July 1 - due Sunday, August 6
Winter Quarter
opens Monday, October 2 - due Tuesday, October 31
Spring Quarter
opens Monday, January 8 - due Saturday, February 4
The dining meal plans are not intended to guarantee of any specific number of meals. All of the resident dining plans are declining balance plans that you use to pay for whatever items you choose to purchase at the various dining venues on-campus.
A declining balance plan works like a debit card. At the onset of each quarter you begin with a preset number of dining points. Each time you purchase a food item, your dining meal plan balance will decrease by the amount of your purchase.
Don’t worry about needing to track or gauge your daily or weekly purchases. Dining Services makes it easy for you to track your balance. At each point-of-sale register you will find a "Pace-Yourself" chart showing approximately what your balance should be for each week of the quarter. You can check your balance at any register, at the Value Transfer Stations in Benson (ACCESS Card Office) or the Learning Commons or on the Access Card Website. By doing so, you can be certain your spending is on pace and that you do not run out of points.
Resident Dining Points are not real money. Rather Resident Dining Points are a method of assigning values for the different dining plan options
There are no cash refunds for unspent points.
At the end of the Fall quarter, if you remain in residency, up to 100 points will transfer to your beginning balance for the Winter quarter. The same will occur from Winter to Spring quarter. At the end of the Spring quarter, however, any unspent points will not carry over and will be forfeited.
You can always add Dining Plus Points, at any time and in any amount.
Purchases of $50 of more can be charged to your student account. These are a great value: You save 9.38% (sales tax isn’t charged) and Dining Plus points are good for as long as you are enrolled at Santa Clara University.
If you start the fall as a Sophomore and have completed enough courses by spring to become a Junior, you cannot change to the Junior/Senior Plan.
Only students beginining their third or fourth collegiate year at the start of their contract period may choose the Junior/Senior plan.
Talk to a Bon Appetit manager if you have medical or dietary restrictions. Everything possible will be done to meet your special dietary needs.
We have many options! Every venue operated by Bon Appetit offers vegetarian options. Vegetarian meals are available every day. Diners can create vegan meals any time via the build-your-own program in "Farmers' Pantry" which provides a variety of seasonal and local prepared vegetables and grains for use in salads, pasta or sautéed dishes.
Santa Clara University also has a commitment to providing fresh, organic, and local ingredients whenever possible to create healthy food while following sustainable practices and fostering ecological awareness.
For a complete daily menu list, venue operating hours, and other detailed information about SCU's on-campus food service,visit the Dining Services Website.