First-Year Dining Plans

Flexible options to make a smooth and healthy transition to campus living

How to Use Your Plan

Making Sure You're Well Fed At Columbia

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Required for First-Year Students

All First-Year students at Columbia College and SEAS are required to enroll in one of three First-Year Dining Plans.

Building Community

Available to First-Year CC/SEAS students only, these plans are specifically designed to encourage community building among new undergraduate students.

First-Year Plan Highlights

Each First-Year Dining Plan includes*:

Flexible Meal Options

Each plan offers 12-19 meals per week. The meal swipe balance resets each Sunday; meals do not rollover week-to-week.
15 floating meals per term that can be used when you exceed your weekly allotment or to swipe in guests.

Dining Dollars

Dining Dollars can be used just like debit at any of our on-campus dining locations. They can be added at any time to your student account, are tax free, rollover year-to-year, and expire upon your graduation.

All plans include at least $75 Dining Dollars per term.

Flex

Some plans include Flex in addition to Dining Dollars. Flex can be used like debit at any of our on-campus dining locations, as well a number of other merchants on- and off-campus and for online food delivery. Flex can be added at any time to your student account, rollover year-to-year, and expire upon your graduation, but are not tax free.

Plan 3 includes the highest number of Dining Dollars and Flex for students who want the most flexibility about where they eat.

The specific number of meals, Dining Dollars, and Flex vary depending on the Dining Plan selected.

First-Year Plan Comparison AY 26-27

Dining Plan: Plan 1
Designed for:: Students who will eat most meals in our dining halls and want the highest number of meals.
# Meals Each Week per Term: 19 meals per week
15 floating meals
Dining Dollars per Term: $95
Flex per Term: $0
Cost per Term (Plan is for entire year): $3,564*
Cost per Meal Swipe: $9.72

Dining Plan: Plan 2
Designed for:: Students who will eat primarily in our dining halls, but prefer flexibility to eat at a retail location or off-campus.
# Meals Each Week per Term: 15 meals per week
15 floating meals
Dining Dollars per Term: $75
Flex per Term: $75
Cost per Term (Plan is for entire year): $3,564*
Cost per Meal Swipe: $11.98

Dining Plan: Plan 3
Designed for:: Students who want the most flexibility to eat either in our dining halls, at a retail location, or off-campus.
# Meals Each Week per Term: 12 meals per week
15 floating meals
Dining Dollars per Term: $125
Flex per Term: $400
Cost per Term (Plan is for entire year): $3,564*
Cost per Meal Swipe: $13.21

Select or Review Your First-Year Dining Plan

Sign-Up Through the Housing Portal

First-Year Dining Plans are selected within the Columbia Undergraduate Housing Portal over the summer. Dining Plan selection typically becomes available in July. Once your Dining Plan has been selected, there are no cancellations.

Dining Plan Changes

Students can change their Dining Plan during the Dining Plan Change Period, typically the first two weeks of each term. The Change Period for Spring 2026 has ended.

You can review your plan selection on our Dining Plan Selection site.

First-Year Dining Plans