Dining Plan Policy

Your student affiliation determines your plan type and location access. 

• Undergraduate students can access all Dining locations: John Jay Dining Hall, JJ's Place, Ferris Booth Commons, Johnny's Food Truck, Faculty House, Fac Shack, Grace Dodge Dining Hall, Chef Don's Pizza Pi, Chef Mike's Sub Shop, and Barnard Dining.
• Teachers College students can access all Dining locations: John Jay Dining Hall, JJ's Place, Ferris Booth Commons, Johnny's Food Truck, Faculty House, Fac Shack, Grace Dodge Dining Hall, Chef Don's Pizza Pi, Chef Mike's Sub Shop, Barnard Dining.
• Graduate students can access only the following dining locations: Johnny's Food Truck, Fac Shack, Faculty House, Grace Dodge Dining Hall, Chef Don's Pizza Pi, Chef Mike's Sub Shop, Barnard Dining.

Service Dates  

Fall Semester:

• Plan start date
  • New student dining plan service starts the Wednesday of new student orientation. 
  • Dining plan service for all other students starts the Friday before classes begin. 
• Holidays and breaks
  • There is service on an adjusted scale during Fall and Thanksgiving breaks. Limited dining halls are open. 
  • Dining is closed on major University Holidays, like Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years Day. 

Winter Break:

• There is service on an adjusted scale during Winter breaks. Limited dining halls are open. 
• For Winter Break, swipes from your Fall Term balance are used through the December 31. On January 2, when Spring service begins, swipes come from your Spring Term balance. 

Spring Semester:

• Plan start date
  • All plans start on the second day of January for the Spring semester. 
  • There is serve on an adjusted scale during Spring break. Limited dining halls are open. 
• Holiday and breaks
  • Dining Plan service for continuing students ends the last day of final exams/Friday before Commencement. 
  • Dining Plan service for graduating seniors ends the day before Commencement.
  • Dining is closed during the Summer period. 

Academic Year 2025-26: 

Check the Dining calendar for other key dates and events throughout the academic year.

• New student Columbia College and Columbia Engineering Dining Plans start Wednesday, August 27, 2025. 
• Dining Plans for all other students begin Friday, August 29, 2025. 
• Regular operating hours for Fall term will end on December 19, 2025. Limited service for Winter Break runs December 20 - 31, 2025. Fall service ends on December 31, 2025. 
  • Dining is closed on November 27, December 24 - 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026. 
• Spring service begins on January 2, 2026. 
• Dining Plan service for non-graduating students ends on May 15, 2026.
• Dining Plan service for graduating seniors ends on May 19, 2026.

Swipes 

• One swipe is one meal. If you want to take a second meal to go, please use another swipe or a guest swipe. 

• Guest swipes can be used by the plan holder: 

  • to swipe in someone else 

  • for themself if they want a second meal or run out of meal swipes that week

Meal Expiration  

• Meals in weekly plans expire at the end of Saturday night so that the meal swipe balance is refreshed on Sunday morning. This applies to:
  • All First-Year plans, and
  • Upperclass, GS, and graduate plans  A / Weekly, EZ18 and EZ 19.
• Meals in term-based plans expire at the end of the academic year. This includes Plan A / Term, Plan A / Meals, Plan B / Dining Dollars, Plan B / Flex, Plan C,  Plan D, and Plan EZ 350.
  • As a courtesy, unused meals from the Fall Term will rollover to Spring Term. However, these meals are not available until all meal swipes for Spring Term have been used, and they cannot be viewed in SSOL. There is no monetary value associated with rollover meals.
• Meals do not roll over between academic years and cannot be used in the summer.
• Dining Dollars and Flex accounts roll over year to year and will expire the day after graduation. 

Payment 

• The residential dining halls accept meal swipes, Dining Dollars, and Flex. Cash are credit cards are not accepted.
• If using a form other than meal swipe, please tell the cashier before you tap your card.
• Retail units accept Cash, Dining Dollars, Flex, and credit card. Swipes cannot be used in retail locations.

Emergency Meal Fund 

• Provides no questions asked to Columbia College, Columbia Engineering and General Studies students.
• Students are eligible for six tickets per semester.
• Must request ticket from school:
  • CC and SEAS students who need tickets should contact [email protected] to meet with a staff member and receive assistance. Tickets will be distributed during business hours in 601 Lerner.
  • GS students who need tickets should go to 403 Lewisohn Hall and should contact [email protected].
• EMF tickets may not be used for special events.

NYC Department of Health Certified Organization 

• Columbia Dining is a certified food service operator with the NYC Department of Health and participates in regular inspections. This also means Dining must follow best practices and procedures that guide how dining service operates.

To-go Service 

• All Columbia Dining Plan holders are eligible for the reusable to-go container program. How it works: 

  • New students are given a token a Check-In. 

  • Continuing students can pick up a new token the first week of dining service at the beginning of each semester.  

  • After that period, it will cost $5 to join the program (payable by Dining Dollars, Flex, or credit card). 

  • Students redeem a token for a container at the register at any residential dining hall location. Students can turn in a used container for a clean one or a token to use at another time.

  • To-go containers are only accepted at our residential dining plan locations: John Jay, JJ's Place, and Ferris Booth. To-go containers cannot be used at Chef Mike's Sub Shop, Chef Don's Pizza Pi, Faculty House, Fac Shack, Grace Dodge Dining Hall, Johnny's Food Truck, or retail units. 

  • Containers should not be thrown out or recycled. They must be returned to any residential dining hall for cleaning. 

• Students may also purchase a disposable to-go container for 50 cents (payable by Dining Dollars or Flex).

Personal Bags, Bottles, Containers and Other Items 

• Personal beverage bottles, to-go containers or tupperware, and tote or shopping bags may not be used in the dining halls.

• In the seating areas of John Jay, JJ's Place, and Ferris Booth Commons, refill stations are available for students to fill their personal bottles or to-go cups. 

• The NYC Department of Health regulates reusable containers permitted in certified operations. One of the requirements outlined is that Dining wash the reusable containers on premise at a specified temperature.  

Surplus Food 

• In accordance with NYC Department of Health guidelines for Food Safety and Community Sanitation, Columbia Dining cannot donate surplus food that has been served during mealtimes.

Allergies and Special Diets 

• Students with significant food allergies are encouraged to register with the Columbia Dining Registered Dietitian. 

• Only students on the Kosher Dining Plan have access to Kosher areas at either Columbia or Barnard Dining. 

Students on Dining Plans participate in all-you-care-to-eat plans at dining service locations in John Jay Dining Hall, JJ's Place, Ferris Booth Commons, and Faculty House. At Chef Mike's Sub Shop, Chef Don's Pizza Pi, Fac Shack, Johnny's Food Truck, and Grace Dodge Dining Hall, students can use a single meal swipe for a set number of items that constitute a meal.

When on the-go, students may use the Columbia Dining eco-container; other types of personal containers or Tupperware are not allowed. Students may opt to eat-in or get a take-out container, but not both. Stuffing personal bags/backpacks, filling outside Tupperware, or removing an excessive amount of food is considered theft and will be reported to student conduct. Students may face disciplinary action for this behavior. See more in the Guide to Living. Columbia Dining reserves the right to refuse service for any reason.

At certain dining locations, seating is available outside the dining hall (e.g., at the tables outside the entrance to Ferris, in the John Jay courtyard, etc.) and students may opt to sit there. If you plan to return to the servery for more food, you must leave your CUID with the cashier. If you do not leave your CUID, reentry will not be allowed unless you swipe in again.

Columbia Dining and Barnard Dining are separate, but reciprocal programs. The exchange details are agreed upon by the schools at the start of every academic year, including when and where students may use reciprocal service. Basic parameters are as follows, but are subject to change:

• Columbia and Barnard students on a Dining Plan can use meals at either school. 

• At Columbia, Barnard meal plan holders can use exchange meals at John Jay Dining Hall, Ferris Booth Commons, JJ's Place, Johnny's Food Truck, Chef Mike's Sub Shop, Chef Don's Pizza Pi and Faculty House. At Teachers College, Barnard students can use exchange meals at Grace Dodge Dining Hall.  

  • Barnard points are limited to Barnard Dining locations.

• At Barnard, Columbia students can dine at Hewitt, the Diana and Liz’s Place.

  • Dining Dollars can also be used at Barnard retail and residential locations.

Barnard Dining Plan holders should contact the program directly with questions or for additional information.

Columbia Dining occasionally takes photographs or video in the dining halls and at events. If you do not wish to be photographed or recorded, please notify the photographer and a manager. 

Please respect the privacy of our staff: do not take photographs or record video without their permission.