Dining Plans in the Residence Halls
Residence hall dining plans have two components: the Meal Plan (quantity of meals included), and the Gold Plus option. Meal plan rates are included in the residence hall rates; for specific rates for each Dining Plan option, refer to the Residence Hall Fees webpage.
Meal Plans
There are four meal plans available: Prime Line, Frequent Diner, Aggie Advantage and Budget Saver. The only difference between the four plans is the quantity of meals; all four meal plans are valid for any meal offered in any of the four dining commons locations.
Prime Line Meal Plan
180 meals per quarter; this plan is recommended for residents who prefer to eat on campus for most of their mealsFrequent Diner Meal Plan
150 meals per quarter; this plan is recommended for residents who prefer to eat on campus frequentlyAggie Advantage Meal Plan
120 meals per quarter; this plan is recommended for residents who eat two meals a day and frequently leave campus during the weekendBudget Saver Meal Plan
90 meals per quarter; this plan is recommended for residents who frequently leave campus during the weekend
Residents have access to all four dining commons during all operating hours regardless of meal plan, provided the meal plan is not exhausted for the quarter.
At the end of each quarter, all leftover meals roll over to the next quarter. At the end of the year, all leftover meals will be converted to a cash equivalent at a rate of $2.25 / meal and will be transferred to Y2 Blue Funds. Students may, at the end of each quarter, opt to convert leftover meals to Y2 Blue Funds rather than rolling meals over to the next quarter.
Gold Plus - Declining Balance (Debit) Account
Gold Plus is an optional dining account that may be added to any of the four meal plans. Gold Plus is a declining balance (debit) account students use to purchase food at University Dining Services locations, including the dining commons, The Junction and Trudy’s, and The Silo Union Complex restaurants: Café Fresca, La Crepe, Brenan’s Starbucks, SubCity, Pizza Hut Express, Carl’s Jr., and Taco Bell Express. Gold Plus may also be used at concession locations at the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) and the Pavilion at the ARC. Gold Plus purchases are non-taxable. Students make purchases by using their Registration (ID) card just as they would a debit card.
There are two Gold Plus options: Gold Plus 100 and Gold Plus 150.
Gold Plus 100
Residents who choose the Gold Plus 100 option begin the quarter with a $100 Gold Plus account balance. Residents make purchases in campus retail food locations using their Registration (ID) Card just as one would using a bank debit card. Balance transactions are deducted from the Gold Plus account, until the account is exhausted. At the beginning of the next quarter, another $100 is allocated to the account for use. Students who add the Gold Plus 100 option for all three quarters will receive $300 in Gold Plus money over the course of the year.Gold Plus 150
Residents who choose the Gold Plus 150 option begin the quarter with a $150 Gold Plus account balance. Residents make purchases in campus retail food locations using their Registration (ID) Card just as one would using a bank debit card. Balance transactions are deducted from the Gold Plus account, until the account is exhausted. At the beginning of the next quarter, another $150 is allocated to the account for use. Students who add the Gold Plus 150 option for all three quarters will receive $450 in Gold Plus money over the course of the year.
Gold Plus money does not roll over to the following year; at the conclusion of the academic year, all monies left on the Gold Plus account are forfeit. Gold Plus money cannot be spent at the Memorial Union, Coffee House or at community locations.
Y2Blue Funds - Declining Balance (Debit) Account
Y2Blue Funds, also known as conversion funds, are declining balance (debit) accounts that may be used to purchase food in any University Dining Services facility on campus. Like Gold Plus, Y2Blue purchases are non-taxable.
Aggie Cash - Declining Balance (Debit) Account
Aggie Cash is another declining balance (debit) account available to UC Davis students. Aggie Cash offers more flexibility than Gold Plus and Y2Blue Funds: Aggie Cash is accepted at both University Dining Services locations as well as several community locations. Unlike Gold Plus and Y2Blue Funds, Aggie Cash purchases are taxable, but campus purchases made with Aggie Cash receive a 10% discount. For more information, refer to the Aggie Cash website.
Aggie Cash may be purchased at three locations:
- Meal Card Office (in the Segundo Junction C-Store)
- Silo Card Office (upstairs in the Silo)
- Scrubs Card Office (In the Scrubs-Med Science dining facility)
Aggie Cash may also be purchased by calling the Meal Card Office at 530-752-8243
Purchasing Additional Meals
Students who deplete their meal plan balances before the quarter ends and would like to purchase additional meals may purchase Meal Blocks from the Student Housing Accounts Office at 170 Student Housing or online at MyUCDavis; see Changing Meal Plans to learn how to utilize MyUCDavis to purchase Meal Blocks.
Meal Blocks are 10-meal meal plans that may be added to existing meal plans. Meal Blocks are $60.30 each. Students may purchase multiple Meal Blocks. Visit the University Dining Services office at The Junction in the Segundo Services Building for more information.
Students who project that they may run out of meals and determine they want to upgrade their meal plan instead of purchasing Meal Blocks should be advised that additional charges may be assessed if they have exceeded the estimated weekly balance of their current meal plan.
Suggestions & Planning Ahead
University Dining Services suggests that students who are unsure which meal plan to select should consider selecting the a middle-to-larger plan to ensure they will have enough meals for the quarter. Afterward, students who determine they instead should have a smaller plan may choose to downgrade their plan during the approved meal plan change period, and should remember that leftover meals roll over to the next quarter (except for spring quarter).
UDS also publishes a Block Meal Planner that can be used to estimate how many meals a student should consume by a particular period in the quarter. This tool can be used to predict how many meals will be needed for the remainder of the quarter, as well as which meal plan should be selected for the following quarter. Visit any dining commons, the Area Service Desk, or Student Housing to get a copy of the Planner.