Explore Meal Plans

Here for you!

On behalf of a very enthusiastic Yale Hospitality team, welcome to Yale! Our entire team is here to ensure your experiences at Yale are memorable – and delicious!

At Yale, the (14) dining halls are at the heart of the residential college experience. They are the place where you meet with your friends and community to share meals, fostering a true sense of community, belonging, and home-away-from-home feeling. Yale Meal Plans also offer access to retail dining options, including The Schwarzman Center (featuring The Commons, Ivy, Elm, and BowWow), as well as other locations across campus.

For those with unique dietary needs, we have resources to help you eat safely and with peace of mind. Ask for what you need – we’ve got you covered!

To help guide you, please find the 2025-2026 academic year meal plan information below!

Full Plan

Get the most out of your Yale Experience with the Full meal plan, which includes Unlimited Meals at all (14) residential dining halls, plus guest passes. Come in for a full meal or just a quick snack, as many times during meal periods as you want. Additional points also enable dining in retails locations such as The Commons. It’s worry-free, flexible, and perfect for students with varied schedules.

Dining points may be used in our retail locations. The Full Plan is designed for students who want maximum convenience and residential dining access.

This plan is required for all first-year students and is available to all undergraduate students.

Plan Information

Eligible Students: Undergraduate students of any year, living on or off campus; this plan is required for first-years.

Meals Per Week: Unlimited swipes at all (14) residential dining halls.

Points: Three hundred ($300) total points per semester to be used in our retail locations: The Bow Wow, Commons, Elm, Ivy, Steep Café, Café Med, West Campus and Slifka. All points expire at the end of the academic year.

Guest Swipes: Five (5) per semester for use at (14) residential dining halls only.

Cost: The 2025-2026 Full meal plan cost is $4,550 USD per semester.

Dietary Accommodations: View helpful information and Contact us

Religious Accommodations: Contact us

Requirements: All students living in residential colleges or on Old Campus are required to purchase the Full or Flex meal plan. First-year students must purchase the Full Meal Plan.

Restrictions:

- If you choose to order a Smart Meal, only one (1) meal swipe will be permitted for that meal period. 

- If you choose to dine at Slifka Center, only one (1) meal swipe will be permitted for that meal period. Multiple swipes cannot be used in both Slifka and any of the (14) residential dining halls during the same meal period.

- Conversely, if you dine in a residential dining hall during a meal period, you will no longer be eligible to order a Smart Meal or use a swipe at Slifka for that same period.

Flex Plan

This plan offers the flexibility upper-level students need to fit their schedules. You’ll have opportunities to eat in all (14) residential dining halls as well as use your points to grab a bite across campus at our retail locations. This plan is designed for students who may eat less frequently in residential dining halls, or who may need more points to dine in retail locations like The Commons, Bow Wow and Steep Cafe due to class schedules or locations.

Are you an undergraduate student living off campus? No worries! This plan is available to you too.

Plan Information

Eligible Students: Sophomore through senior year undergraduate students, living on or off campus

Meals Per Week: Fourteen (14) weekly meal swipes at all (14) residential dining halls.

Dining Points: Six hundred ($600) total points per semester to be used at residential dining halls, The Bow Wow, Commons, Elm, Ivy, Steep Café, Café Med, West Campus and Slifka.

Guest Swipes: Ten (10) per semester for use at (14) residential dining halls only.

Cost: The 2025-2026 Flex meal plan cost is $4,550 USD per semester.

Dietary Accommodations: View helpful information and Contact us

Religious Accommodations: Contact us

Requirements: All students living in residential colleges or on Old Campus are required to purchase the Full or Flex Meal Plan. First-year students must purchase the Full Meal Plan. Undergraduates living off campus may also purchase the Flex meal plan.

Restrictions:

- You may choose to use a meal swipe to order a Smart Meal. 

- You may choose to use a meal swipe to dine at Slifka Center.

Connect (Off-Campus) Plan

If you have chosen to live off-campus, you remain part of the Yale community! You will be automatically enrolled in the Connect meal plan. The Connect Meal Plan offers a combination of meal swipes for residential dining halls and dining points for retail locations.

Plan Information

Eligible Students: Undergraduate students, living off campus only.

Meals Per Week: Five (5) weekly meal swipes at all (14) residential dining halls.

Dining Points: Three-hundred and seventy-five ($375) total points per semester to be used at residential dining halls, The Bow Wow, Commons, Elm, Ivy, Steep Café, Café Med, West Campus and Slifka. All points expire at the end of the academic year.

Cost: The 2025-2026 Connect meal plan cost is $1,850 USD per semester.

Dietary Accommodations: View helpful information and Contact us

Religious Accommodations: Contact us

Restrictions:

- You may choose to use a meal swipe to order a Smart Meal. 

- If you wish to use your meal swipe at Slifka please Contact us

Important Information

Enrollment: To make it more convenient to participate, students living off campus will be automatically enrolled in the 2025-2026 Connect Meal Plan with the charge appearing on your term bill.

Adjustments: You may easily make any changes by contacting us at yale.hospitality@yale.edu. Please do so by July 30, 2025 to make sure your adjustments are reflected on your term bill before it’s due. If you wish to upgrade to a Full Meal Plan or Flex Plan, please include ‘Off Campus Upgrade’ in the subject line and include your SID in the body of your email. Should you wish to opt out, simply put ‘Off Campus Opt Out’ as the subject of the email. If you plan to participate in the Connect meal plan, you don’t need to do anything.

Grad Plan

This plan gives graduate and professional students a bank of points to use throughout the semester across campus at our retail locations.

Plan Information

Eligible Students: Graduate and professional students only.

Points: Four hundred ($400) total points per semester to be used at The Bow Wow, Commons, Elm, Ivy, Steep Café, Café Med, West Campus and Slifka.

Cost: The 2025-2026 Grad Meal Plan cost is $385 USD per semester

Not the best fit? Explore Eli Bucks, convenient and cashless access to dining all over campus.

Graduate and professional students may sign up any time, email yale.hospitality@yale.edu to get started.

Service Standards

Yale Hospitality provides flexible food options throughout the (14) residential colleges and designated retail dining locations. Opportunities and important information for Meal Plan holders are as follows: 

  • Dine In at your choice of the (14) residential college dining halls (Full, Flex, Connect Meal Plans)
    • Full Meal Plan:  Only one (1) meal per meal period can be redeemed by students at Slifka. Multiple swipes cannot be used in both Slifka and any of the (14) residential dining halls during the same meal period. Conversely, if you dine in a residential dining hall during a meal period, you will no longer be eligible to use a swipe at Slifka for that same meal period.
  • Pre-Order your choice of Smart Meals for lunch and/or dinner
    • Full Meal Plan: Only one (1) Smart Meals per meal period can be redeemed by students. Multiple swipes cannot be used for both a Smart Meal and a dine-in option during the same meal period. Conversely, if you dine in a residential dining hall or Slifka during a meal period, you will no longer be eligible to order a Smart Meal during that same meal period. 
  • Dietary Accommodations: These are managed through Yale Hospitality’s Registered Dietician. View helpful information and contact us
  • Religious Accommodations at Slifka: Contact us

The Fine Print

  • Meal Plan credits are not transferable to others — they can only be used by the meal plan holder
  • Meal Plan swipes indicate one (1) swipe per meal period (Flex, Connect Meal Plans)
    • Unused swipes do not transfer to future weeks nor do they have refundable value.
  • All points expire at the end of the academic year.
  • Specific “dining points pricing” will be available for lunch at Commons. 
  • Meal plans are only valid during the specified academic year term and cannot be redeemed. View the When & Where page for more information.
  • Guest swipes are complimentary meals provided by Yale Hospitality for students to use for family and friends.
  • Refunds of meal plan payments are not permitted unless a student is leaving the University early in a semester or under other very extenuating circumstances.
  • This policy is governed by the University. View Yale College Undergraduate Regulations for more information.
  • Additional meal plan questions? Please contact us atyale.hospitality@yale.edu"> yale.hospitality@yale.edu