Explore Meal Plans

Students will have the opportunity to update their spring 2025 semester meal plan January 7 - January 17, 2025 via the Yale Hub.

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.

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!

At Yale, dining halls are at the heart of the residential college experience. They are the place where you meet with your friends and community. This fosters a true sense of community, belonging, and home-away-from-home feeling.

To help guide you, please find the 2024-2025 academic year meal plan information below!

Please note: anywhere “residential dining” meals are mentioned, you can opt to visit Slifka Center Dining and use a meal swipe there instead.

Full (21)

We want you to get the most out of your Yale experience – especially as a first-year! For this reason, this plan is required for all first-year students. This plan provides you with the setting to engage with your residential college community.

If you’re looking for a change of scenery, you can enjoy meals at any of our 14 residential colleges, in addition to Commons at Yale Schwarzman Center.

There will be opportunities for your friends and family to share a meal in the dining halls when they come to visit!

For grab and go delicious meals, feel free to use your lunch transfers at The Bow Wow and Steep Café.

Living off campus? No worries! This plan is available to you too.

Full Meal Plan Information

Full Meal Plan

Required for first year students

Eligible Students: Undergraduate students of any year, living on or off campus

Meals Per Week: Twenty-one (three [3] meals per day, seven [7] days per week)

Lunch Transfers Per Week: Five (5) transfers per week, specifically Monday through Friday, can be redeemed at The Bow Wow or Steep Café. Three (3) of those five (5) transfers can be redeemed at Commons Monday through Friday

Guest Swipes: Five (5) per semester (residential dining halls only)

Cost: The 2024-2025 Full Meal Plan cost is $4,300 USD per semester

Dietary Accommodations: View helpful information and contact us

Requirements: All students living in residential colleges or on Old Campus are required to purchase a meal plan

Flex (14)

Calling all upper level students! By now, you likely have your schedules down to a science and know dining locations like the back of your hand. This plan offers flexibility to fit with your busy day. You’ll have more opportunities to grab a meal in dining halls with your guests when they visit on campus. Are you an undergraduate student living off campus? No worries! This plan is available to you too.

Flex Meal Plan Information

Flex Meal Plan

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

Meals Per Week: Fourteen (14) meals at residential dining halls per week

Lunch Transfers Per Week: Three (3) transfers per week, specifically Monday through Friday, which can be redeemed at Commons, The Bow Wow, or Steep Café

Points: Three-hundred (300) total points per semester to be used at residential dining halls, The Bow Wow, Commons, Café 25, Café Med, Elm, Health Center Café, Ivy, Ramen at Becton, Steep Café, and West Campus

Lunch Transfer Value: To be used at The Bow Wow or Steep Café: $12 value per lunch transfer.

Guest Swipes: Ten (10) guest swipes per semester (residential dining halls only)

Cost: The 2024-2025 Flex Meal Plan costs $4,300 per semester

Dietary Accommodations: View helpful information and contact us

Requirements: All students living in residential colleges or on Old Campus are required to purchase a meal plan

Connect (Off-Campus)

If you’ve chosen to live off-campus, you remain part of the Yale community! You will be automatically enrolled in this flexible plan, designed to provide you with opportunities to connect on-campus with your friends and classmates. Bonus meals and points provide plenty of options to stay connected (and bring guests too)!

Connect Meal Plan Information

Connect Meal Plan

Eligible Students: Undergraduates living off campus only

Meals Per Week: Any five (5) meals at residential dining halls only

Bonus Meals: Thirty (30) total per semester throughout residential dining halls, Commons, The Bow Wow, Steep Café, and SLIFKA

Points: One-hundred (100) points total per semester to be used at residential dining halls, The Bow Wow, Commons, Café 25, Café Med, Elm, Health Center Café, Ivy, Ramen at Becton, Steep Café, West Campus, and SLIFKA

Cost: The 2024-2025 Connect Meal Plan cost is $1,750 per semester

Dietary or Religious Accommodations: View helpful information and contact us

Lunch Transfer Value: To be used at The Bow Wow or Steep Café: $12 value per lunch transfer.

Important Information

Enrollment: To make it more convenient to participate, you will be automatically enrolled in this 2024 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, 2024 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, 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 30 (Graduate & Professional Students)

You’ve got enough to focus on with continuing your education. Let’s check eating nutritious (and delicious) meals off your list! This plan gives graduate and professional students a bank of thirty (30) meals to use throughout the semester.

Grad 30 Meal Plan Information

Grad 30 Meal Plan

Eligible Students: Graduate & professional students only

Meals Per Semester: Thirty (30) meals total at Commons or The Bow Wow at Yale Schwarzman Center

Points: Fifty (50) total points to be used at The Bow Wow, Commons, Café 25, Café Med, Elm, Health Center Café, Ivy, Ramen at Becton, Steep Café, and West Campus

Cost: The 2024-2025 Grad 30 Meal Plan cost is $385 per 30 meal block

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

Graduate/ professional students can sign up any time. Please email yale.hospitality@yale.edu to get started.

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

Graduate Plus Meal Plan (Graduate & Professional Students)

Graduate Plus Plan

Graduate Plus

Eligible Students: Graduate & professional students only.

Meals Per Semester: two (2) total meals per week at Commons or The Bow Wow at Yale Schwarzman Center.

Points: 125 total points to be used at The Bow Wow, Commons, Café 25, Café Med, Elm, Health Center Café, Ivy, Ramen at Ground, Steep Café, and West Campus.

Cost: The 2024-2025 Graduate Plus Meal Plan cost is $925 per academic year.

Graduate/ professional students can sign up any time. Please email yale.hospitality@yale.edu to get started.

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

Yale Hospitality Retail & Café Locations

Retail & Cafe Location

Commons*
Elm
Ivy
The Bow Wow*

 Yale Schwarzman Center
Grove Street & College Street
New Haven, CT
Ramen at Becton Becton Hall
15 Prospect Street
New Haven, CT
Steep Café* Yale Science Building
260 Whitney Avenue
New Haven, CT
Café Med* Yale School of Medicine
333 Cedar Street
New Haven, CT
Health Center Café Yale Health
55 Lock Street
New Haven, CT
West Campus Yale West Campus
100 W Campus Drive
Orange, CT
Slifka Center Dining
Yale Science Park

*Lunch meal swipes/transfers accepted

Service Standards

Our current service standards provide flexible food options throughout residential colleges and designated dining locations. Opportunities and important information for Meal Plan holders are as follows:

  • Dine In at your choice of residential college dining hall and enjoy your meal on china with flatware
  • Pre-Order your choice of SmartMeals for lunch and/or dinner via mobile app
  • Dietary accommodations continue to be managed through Yale Hospitality’s registered dietician
  • Kosher meals will be available via lunch transfer through the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life

The Fine Print

  • Meal Plan credits are not transferable to others — they can only be used by the meal plan holder
  • All Meal Plan swipes indicate one (1) swipe per meal period (Full, Flex, Connect Meal Plans)
  • Unused swipes do not transfer to future weeks
  • Unused bonus meals and dining points will carry over from the Fall to Spring semester
  • All points expire at the end of the academic year
  • Lunch meal period swipes/transfers must be between 11:00am and 3:00pm (until 4:00pm at The Bow Wow)
  • You may not swipe again at residential dining halls until the dinner period, which starts at 5:00pm
  • Meal plans are only valid during the specified academic year term and cannot be redeemed
  • Meal transfer swipes are not available on weekends (Saturday and Sunday)
  • Guest swipes are complimentary meals provided to students by Yale Hospitality
  • 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 at yale.hospitality@yale.edu