Meal Plans 101

A meal plan unlocks delicious meals, coffee, snacks, and more at Aggie Fresh Co. locations across campus. Meal swipes are conveniently preloaded onto one’s student ID for easy access, and Flex Dollars provide added flexibility for everyday purchases.

• Unlimited meal plans provide flexible, all‑week access to Levin Dining Hall, along with one designated meal swipe per day that may be used as a meal equivalency at The Drop in the Student Center. Unlimited meal plans also include Flex Dollars in your choice of $250, $150, or $50.
• Block meal plans include a set number of meal swipes for the semester, which may be used in any combination at Levin Dining Hall or as meal equivalency at The Drop in the Student Center. Unused swipes expire at the end of the semester. Block meal plans also include Flex Dollars.

• Students living in University housing are required to purchase a meal plan. Living on campus is mandatory for students during their first two years, and a meal plan is a required component of the residential experience to ensure convenient access to campus dining throughout the year.
• Students who choose to live on campus beyond their first two years are also required to maintain a meal plan while residing in University housing.
• Students who live off campus are not required to purchase a meal plan; however, DelVal offers voluntary meal plan options designed for commuter students who want the convenience and value of dining on campus.

Aggie Fresh Co. offers a wide variety of food options designed to accommodate different lifestyles, dietary needs, and preferences, including vegan and vegetarian choices, gluten‑free options, and items prepared with attention to halal and kosher considerations.

Students with special dietary needs or those seeking nutrition guidance are encouraged to connect with Katerina Nye, MS, RDN, LDN, Aggie Fresh Co.’s Registered Dietitian, for personalized support and consultation. She can be reached at nye-katerina@aramark.com.

Click HERE to view meal plan offerings, details by plan, and pricing.

A meal swipe is a meal included in your meal plan and can be used in multiple ways, depending on your plan type:

• All‑you‑care‑to‑eat dining at Levin Dining Hall (all meal plans)
• Meal equivalency at The Drop in the Student Center, where a meal swipe may be used as a credit toward select menu items (once per day for Unlimited meal plans or based on available swipes for Block meal plans)
• For students on the 7‑Day Unlimited Standard Meal Plan, meal swipes also include up to 10 beverages per day at Starbucks® We Proudly Brew® location.

When used as meal equivalency, a meal swipe is applied as an $8 credit toward any menu item at The Drop in the Student Center.

If a purchase exceeds the $8 meal equivalency value, students may use Flex Dollars, Ram Dollars, or another accepted form of payment to cover the remaining balance.

You may use one meal swipe per visit at Levin Dining Hall, the all‑you‑care‑to‑eat dining location.

At The Drop in the Student Center:

• Students on Unlimited meal plans may use one meal swipe per day as meal equivalency.
• Students on Block meal plans may use meal swipes as meal equivalency as often as their available swipe balance allows.

For students on the 7‑Day Unlimited Standard Meal Plan, meal swipes also include up to 10 beverages per day at Starbucks® We Proudly Brew®.

Meal swipes included with your meal plan are intended for individual use only and may not be used to treat others.

However, you’re welcome to treat friends or family using Flex Dollars, Ram Dollars, cash, or credit at any Aggie Fresh Co. dining location.

Flex Dollars are a prepaid balance included with your meal plan that work like on‑campus dining dollars. They’re loaded onto your student ID and can be used at Aggie Fresh Co. dining locations for everyday purchases like coffee, snacks, and grab‑and‑go meals.

Flex Dollars offer added flexibility beyond meal swipes and are especially useful for lighter meals, quick stops, or dining between classes.

Good to know:

• Flex Dollars carry over from fall to spring semester
• Any unused Flex Dollars expire at the end of the academic year
• Flex Dollars are non‑refundable and cannot be transferred

While both are loaded onto your student ID, they serve different purposes:

• Flex Dollars are tied to a meal plan and can only be used at Aggie Fresh Co. dining locations. They’re designed specifically for food and dining‑related purchases and are tax‑exempt.
• Ram Bucks are a general spending account that can be used for a wider variety of campus purchases (including non‑dining expenses) and are not specific to meal plans.

In short: Flex Dollars = dining flexibility. Ram Bucks = general campus spending.

Meal plan options at Delaware Valley University vary based on whether you live on campus or commute.

• Students living in University housing are enrolled in an Unlimited meal plan. All Unlimited plans include unrestricted access to Levin Dining Hall and one meal equivalency per day at The Drop, with differences based on Flex Dollar amounts and coffee and beverage access. If specialty coffee and daily Starbucks® We Proudly Brew® beverages are important to you, the 7‑Day Unlimited Standard plan may be the best fit.
• Students who commute may choose between an Unlimited meal plan or a Block meal plan. Block meal plans are best for students who are on campus less frequently and want a set number of meals for the semester. All Block meal plans include Flex Dollars.

Students select a meal plan through the University’s housing and enrollment process. Visit the Student Housing Portal via the Current Students Page to log in using your DelVal credentials.

Meal plan selections are made on a semester basis.

• Students who are required to have a meal plan as part of living in University housing typically select a meal plan for the academic year during the housing and enrollment process, with opportunities to make changes before each semester’s published deadline.
• Commuter students who are not required to have a meal plan may choose to purchase or change a meal plan for a single semester, based on availability and published deadlines. Students are encouraged to select their spring meal plan before the end of the fall semester to support continuity and ensure continued access to campus dining services in the spring.

Yes. Students may change or upgrade their meal plan before each semester’s published deadline.

For the 2025–2026 academic year, meal plan change deadlines are:

• Fall Semester: September 8, 2025
• Spring Semester: February 2, 2026

Meal plan changes must be completed by the applicable deadline for each semester through the Student Housing Portal, accessible via the Current Students Page using DelVal credentials.

Students may request a release from the University’s meal plan requirement under limited circumstances. Meal plan waiver or cancellation requests are typically considered only for documented medical or religious reasons and are reviewed by the University on a case‑by‑case basis.

If a request for release is not approved, the student remains financially responsible for all charges associated with the meal plan, whether the plan is used or not.

To request a meal plan release or modification, students should follow the University’s housing and enrollment procedures by accessing the Student Housing Portal via the Current Students page using their DelVal credentials.

For questions regarding meal plan cancellation or release requests, students are encouraged to contact University Housing directly at housing@delval.edu.

We're here to help! Visit our Connect With Us page to get in touch with our team, including our on-site dietitian for any dietary or nutritional inquiries.