Quinnipiac University

Dining Experience

Meal Plan Budgets and Staying on Track

Aerial view of the Mount Carmel Campus dining hall

Dining Experience

Meal Plan Budgets and Staying on Track

With carefully designed meal plan options curated for a variety of appetites, students may purchase meals in our dining locations across all three campuses. Meal plans are refreshed at the beginning of each semester, and students are able to purchase individually priced items that meet their health and nutritional goals. Explore the resources below to help you stay on track throughout the semester — including mobile and online budget trackers, and mobile ordering apps.

 

Track and Manage Your Meal Points and Q-Cash

Staying on Budget with Your Meal Plan

We recommend tracking your actual meal point balance with the budgets below at least once per week.

Residential Student Dining Plans

Semester rates below reflect rates for the 2024-25 academic year.

Residential Student Plan Type Semester Rate Suggested Average Weekly Usage Budget* Suggested Average Daily Usage Budget*
Silver Plan $2,135 $142 $20.30
Gold Plan $2,255 $150 $21.40
Platinum $2,370 $158 $22.50
Platinum+
$2,265 $175 $25
Diamond $3,210 $214 $30.60

Commuter Plans:

  • Bronze: $260 per semester ($520 per year)

  • Bronze+: $640 per semester ($1,280 per year)

*Averages are approximate

This table shows suggested meal point balances based on average daily and weekly usage recommendations. Figures shown is how much you should have left for meal points each week. This is based on the current year, 2024-25.

Week Beginning Date Silver Plan Gold Plan Platinum Plan Platinum+ Plan Diamond Plan
Welcome Week
(Aug. 21, 2024)
$2,135 $2,255 $2,370 $2,625 $3,210
Week 1
(Aug. 24, 2024)
$2,064 $2,180 $2,291 $2,538 $3,103
Week 2
(Aug. 31, 2024)
$1,927 $2,035 $2,139 $2,369 $2,897
Week 3
(Sept. 7, 2024)
$1,790 $1,890 $1,987 $2,200 $2,692
Week 4
(Sept. 14, 2024)
$1,653 $1,745 $1,835 $2,031 $2,486
Week 5
(Sept. 21, 2024)
$1,516 $1,600 $1,684 $1,862 $2,280
Week 6
(Sept. 28, 2024)
$1,379 $1,455 $1,532 $1,693 $2,074
Week 7
(Oct. 5, 2024)
$1,243 $1,310 $1,380 $1,524 $1,868
Week 8
(Oct. 12, 2024)
$1,106 $1,165 $1,228 $1,355 $1,662
Week 9
(Oct. 19, 2024)
$969 $1,020 $1,076 $1,186 $1,456
Week 10
(Oct. 26, 2024)
$832 $875 $924 $1,017 $1,250
Week 11
(Nov. 2, 2024)
$695 $731 $772 $848 $1,044
Week 12
(Nov. 9, 2024)
$558 $586 $620 $679 $838
Week 13
(Nov. 16, 2024)
$421 $441 $468 $511 $632
Week 14
(Nov. 23, 2024)
$284 $296 $316 $342 $426
Thanksgiving recess (Nov. 25 - 29, 2024)
Week 14
(Dec. 7, 2024)
$147 $151 $164 $173 $220

By Dec. 14, 2024

$0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Too many points
Too few points
  • Students who have fewer points than the budget recommends can negotiate a transfer of points from another student.
    Learn more about the transfer process
    Log into Quinnipiac's meal point transfer system

  • If a student runs out of meal points, they can supplement with Q-Cash. The dining facilities accept Q-Cash and credit cards. Q-Cash acts as a debit account separate from the student's meal plan, and students may add Q-Cash to their account at any time by making a deposit on the Transact page. In addition to each dining location on our three campuses, Q-Cash is accepted at numerous establishments in the surrounding area.

Tips and tricks to stay on track
  • Stick with purchasing meals, rather than snacks or candy.

  • Students on a small plan should consider two meals a day and then have snacks in your room to supplement for a third meal.

  • Purchase Starbucks and other expensive drinks as an occasional treat. Fountain beverages are the least expensive. Fountain water is free and filtered.

  • Gift cards from Starbucks can be used (ask for them as gifts).

  • Check your points on the eAccounts app/website daily and compare to the week-by-week budget guidelines.

  • Convenience store items like toiletries in the North Haven dining hall are more expensive than purchasing at other retail locations.

  • Get the most out of your points by purchasing deli sandwiches, which include a piece of fruit or chips with your sandwich.

  • Look at the prices on the menu boards before purchasing an item. 

  • Buy only one entrée per meal.  The dining plans are set up with a price for each item, not buffet-style.

  • Report any concerns to the manager on duty right away so they can be addressed immediately.

Default meal plans

For the Fall term:

  • All residents default to the Platinum Plan

  • Commuter and students who live off-campus default to the Bronze plan.

For the Spring term, students default to their selected plan from the Fall term.

Changing your meal plan during add/drop period (during the first week of Fall and Spring semesters)

Students have the ability to change their dining plan selection for each term a few weeks before the term begins and up until the last day of the add/drop registration period. The academic calendar outlines the add/drop periods for Fall and Spring

To view or change a dining plan, students should:

  1. Log into MyHousing

  2. Select "Dining" and then select "Dining Plans"

  3. Select the current term and then select "Change my Meal Plan"

  4. Select the desired dining plan from the list of available dining plans and click "Purchase Meal Plan"

Please note:

  • Students living on the Mount Carmel and York Hill Campuses will see Silver, Gold, Platinum, Platinum+ or Diamond for dining plan options.

  • Students living in Whitney Village and Quinnipiac-owned off-campus housing may upgrade from the required Bronze dining plan to Bronze+, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Platinum+ or Diamond dining plans.

  • Full-time commuter students may upgrade from the Commuter Bronze plan to the Commuter Bronze+, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Platinum+ or Diamond dining plans.

Menus, Locations and Hours

Our dining partner, Chartwells, maintains up-to-date information about dining options across our three campuses. Learn more about locations, menus, dietary restriction information, sustainability and catering.

Visit the Dine On Campus website

Mobile Ordering

Personalizing your dining experience

Video: Learn more about how meal plans work.