Stanford Dining Hall Meal Plans

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Dining Hall Meal Plan Information

The Row Houses (Self-Op)  |  Co-ops  |  Co-ops Plus  |  Suites  |  Yost, Murray, & Treat Houses

Students can use their meals for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner meals in any open dining hall. Visit our dining hall locations and hours page for more information. Meal Plan Dollars may be used at select R&DE Stanford Dining, Hospitality and Auxiliaries retail locations or any dining location, including all late-night operations. Cardinal Dollars may be used at all R&DE Stanford Dining, Hospitality and Auxiliaries retail locations.

New This Year! More Value in Your Meal Plan

New this year, students on eligible meal plans can easily add $250 Cardinal Dollars to their undergraduate meal plan. This gives you more flexibility to spend your meal plan at UMe Tea, Zaida’s Kitchen, Wetzel’s Pretzels, Subway, Panda Express, and Starbucks, and each time you use your Cardinal Dollars at these locations, you earn 3% cash back.

Eligible plans:

• Undergraduate dining hall meal plans (19, 15, and 12 meal)
• Row House (Self-Op) meal plan
• Co-Ops and Co-Ops Plus
• Suites meal plan
• Yost, Murray, & Treat Houses (YME) meal plan
   

How it works:

• Opt in when you select or confirm your meal plan. Your bill reflects your selected meal plan cost plus $250 Cardinal Dollars.
• Your Cardinal Dollars loads onto your Stanford ID.
• Spend it anywhere Cardinal Dollars are accepted and at participating restaurants you additionally earn 3% cash back.
   

Why opt in? Cardinal Dollars builds flexibility into your dining meal plan experience. It gives you a wider range of dining options across the campus. So if you're on the go between classes, or you just want a change of pace, you have Cardinal Dollars ready to use at Zaida’s Kitchen, Wetzel’s Pretzels, Subway, Panda Express, or Starbucks. That flexibility means fewer out-of-pocket purchases and more built-in meal plan options no matter where you are on campus. 

2026-2027 Meal Plan Options for On-Campus Undergraduate Housing Residents

All undergrad students living on campus (except in Mirrielees) are required to be on a meal plan but students can switch their dining hall meal plan the first three weeks of the quarter. These meal plans also allow access to any SDHA all-you-care-to-eat dining halls. Meal counts reset at the end of each week on Saturday night, and restarts on Sunday morning with brunch.  

Undergraduates have three main meal plan options: 

• 19 Meal Plan: our most cost effective option, the 19 meal plan gives students access to 19 meals/week in the dining halls, or access for breakfast, lunch, and dinner Monday - Friday, and brunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday. This meal plan also includes 5 guest meals per quarter for use in any dining hall. 
• 15 Meal Plan: the 15 meal plan allows for 15 meal swipes per week and $300 Meal Plan Dollars per academic year for use in any dining hall, R&DE cafes and markets, or late night dining facility. Unused meal plan dollars carry over to next quarter. This also includes 5 guest meals per quarter. Important to note: this is the default meal plan for freshman and upper-class students. 
• 12 Meal Plan: the 12 meal plan includes 12meal swipes per week and $575 Meal Plan Dollars. er academic year for use in any dining hall, R&DE cafes and markets, or late night dining facility. Unused meal plan dollars carry over to next quarter. This also includes 5 guest meals per quarter. This option, however, is only available for upper-class students. 

All three of these options cost $8,142 for the 2026-2027 academic year. Below, you'll find a cost breakdown per quarter. 

The Row Houses (Self-Op)

The Row House (Self-Op) meal plan was designed specifically for residents of the following addresses below. If your residence is not listed, you are not eligible for this meal plan. 

The Row House (Self-Op) meal plan applies to 1115 Campus, 539 Cowell, 550 San Juan, 586 Mayfield, Sigma Chi (550 Lasuen), 675 Lomita, 680 Lomita, Alpha Phi (702 Bowdoin), Alpha Kappa Delta Phi, BOB, Durand, Grove, Jerry, Kappa Alpha, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Sigma, Mars, Muwekma-tah-ruk, Narnia, Neptune (650 Mayfield), Phi Kappa Psi, Pi Beta Phi, Pluto, Roth, Sigma Nu, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Storey House, The Warehaus (620 Mayfield), Toussaint Louverture (610 Mayfield), Well House, Xanadu, and Kappa Kappa Gamma. 

The Row House meal plan includes continental breakfast and chef-prepared lunch and dinner meals Monday - Friday. It also includes 5 meal swipes per week for use in any dining hall (intended to supplement for weekend meals), 5 guest meals per quarter for use in any dining hall, and up to 5 guest swipes for each weekday dinner.  The Row House meal plan is also eligible to add the $250 Cardinal Dollar option for added flexibility. 

Dining plans, dates and pricing are subject to change without notice. Students begin each week of their meal plan on Sundays. Unused meals expire at the end of each week and cannot be refunded.

All undergrad students living on the Row are required to be on a meal plan. Meal plans are billed on a quarterly basis, and the cost is determined by the number of service days in each quarter.

Co-Ops

Students in the Co-Ops prepare dinners for their house Monday-Friday. Open kitchens are available 7 days a week. The Co-Op meal plan only applies to residents of 576 Alvarado, Columbae, and Hammarskjöld.

The Co-Op Meal Plan includes 5 meal swipes per week for use in any dining hall, 5 guest meals per quarter for use in any dining hall, and may have 5  guests eat in the co-op for each weekday dinner. The Co-Op Meal Plan is also eligible to add the $250 Cardinal Dollar option for added flexibility. 

Dining plans, dates and pricing are subject to change without notice. Students begin each week of their meal plan on Sundays. Unused meals expire at the end of each week and cannot be refunded.

All undergrad students living in a Co-Op are required to be on a meal plan. Meal plans are billed on a quarterly basis, and the cost is determined by the number of service days in each quarter.

Co-Op Plus Meal Plan

Students in the Co-Ops prepare dinners for their house Monday-Friday. Open kitchens are available 7 days a week. The Co-Op plus meal plan only applies to residents of 576 Alvarado, Columbae, and Hammarskjöld.

The Co-Op Meal Plus Plan is designed to crease flexibility of eating around campus and so includes 300 Meal Plan Dollars for use in any dining hall or select R&DE cafes and markets, plus the additional features of the Co-Op meal plan: 5 meal swipes per week for use in any dining hall, 5 guest meals per quarter for use in any dining hall, and may have 5 guests eat in the co-op for each weekday dinner. The Co-Op Plus Meal Plan is also eligible to add the $250 Cardinal Dollar option.

Dining plans, dates and pricing are subject to change without notice. Students begin each week of their meal plan on Sundays. Unused meals expire at the end of each week and cannot be refunded.

All undergrad students living in a Co-Op are required to be on a meal plan. Meal plans are billed on a quarterly basis, and the cost is determined by the number of service days in each quarter.

Suites

Students in Anderson, Griffin, Marx, and Jenkins residences are defaulted to the Suites Meal Plan. Main dining is at Avanti and overflow dining is at Middle Earth. Features of Suites dining include continental breakfast and chef-prepared lunch and dinner Monday - Friday, 12 meal swipes per week for use in any dining hall, 5 guest meals per quarter for use in any dining hall, and up to 5 guests may eat in Suites for each weekday dinner. Those on the Suites meal plan is also eligible to add the $250 Cardinal Dollar option for added flexibility. 

Dining plans, dates and pricing are subject to change without notice. Students begin each week of their meal plan on Sundays. Unused meals expire at the end of each week and cannot be refunded.

All undergrad students living in the Suites are required to be on a meal plan. Meal plans are billed on a quarterly basis, and the cost is determined by the number of service days in each quarter.

Yost, Murray, & Treat Houses 

Students living in Yost, Murray, & Treat Houses are eligible for this meal plan. Features dining include continental breakfast and chef-prepared lunch and dinner Monday - Friday, 10 meal swipes per week for use in any dining hall, 5 guest meals per quarter for use in any dining hall, and up to 5 guests may eat in Yost, Murray, & Treat Houses for each weekday dinner. Those on the Suites meal plan is also eligible to add the $250 Cardinal Dollar option for added flexibility. 

Dining plans, dates and pricing are subject to change without notice. Students begin each week of their meal plan on Sundays. Unused meals expire at the end of each week and cannot be refunded.

All undergrad students living in Yost, Murray, & Treat are required to be on a meal plan. Meal plans are billed on a quarterly basis, and the cost is determined by the number of service days in each quarter.

Meal Plan Dates

Dining Hall Meal Plan Information

CleanDining 
R&DE Stanford Dining, Hospitality and Auxiliariesʼ CleanDining program builds upon the already high standards of food safety and sanitation in the dining halls, utilizing industry best practices and enhanced cleaning protocols. The goal of R&DE Stanford Dining, Hospitality and Auxiliaries' CleanDining program is to provide students with reassurance of the safety of their dining experience and create a focus on enhanced cleanliness that is visible to students. For further questions, feedback or information please contact foodsafety@lists.stanford.edu.

Meal Plan Week 
At the end of the day every Saturday, the next week’s meal allotment is added to student cards. Any unused meals expire at the end of the week (Saturday after dinner).

Transfer 
Plan cards and privileges are non-transferable and cannot be used to obtain food or drink for others.

Schedule 
R&DE Stanford Dining. Hospitality and Auxiliaries reserves the right to modify dining hall service days and/ or hours of operation as needed and without prior notification. Please check rde.stanford.edu/dining-hospitality/dining-locations-hours for the most current information.

You may change your meal plan during the first three weeks of the quarter on campus. You can make changes to your meal plan online at connectstanford.atriumcampus.com. Meal plan changes are prorated on a daily basis. For those plans with Meal Plan Dollars, the Meal Plan Dollars balances are pro-rated as well. If you change your meal plan, and you have already overspent the prorated amount of Meal Plan Dollars on your old plan, you will be charged the difference prior to switching to your new plan.

A student who is under contract and then leaves the university is obligated to fulfill their R&DE Stanford Dining, Hospitality and Auxiliaries contract if they return to the university at any time during the contracted academic year.

Billing 
You are required to pay for the meal plan you choose within the specified time, even if you later change your meal plan. Separate charges or credits resulting from such changes will appear on your statement after each change. Failure to use the dining plan does not cancel your financial responsibility for paying for the dining plan.

Lost Cards 
If your Stanford ID card is lost or stolen, you must report it immediately to the Student Services Center (SSC). Once reported, your card and its associated meal plan account will be deactivated to prevent any additional unauthorized use. If you notify the SSC within two (2) business days of discovering the loss or theft, or within two (2) business days of receiving your university bill that reflects unauthorized charges (whichever occurs first), your financial responsibility for unauthorized purchases is limited to no more than $50. If you do not report the loss or theft within that two-business-day window, you may be held responsible for the full amount of any unauthorized charges. Prompt reporting is essential to protect your meal plan account and minimize your liability.

Conditions of Meal Servings Policy 
The meal plan program features unlimited servings of all meals eaten in the residential dining rooms. It is your responsibility to take only what you can reasonably eat at each meal (All-You-Care-to-Eat policy). R&DE Stanford Dining, Hospitality and Auxiliaries reserves the right to limit the number of servings at special event meals. Bringing containers, backpacks or bags into the dining hall for use in removing food is not permitted. R&DE Stanford Dining, Hospitality and Auxiliaries reserves the right to inspect any packages, coats, bags, purses, etc., brought into the dining areas. Allowing another person to use your meal card, or any other attempt to defraud the meal plan may be subject to Stanford University’s judicial system. 

Meal Plan Dollars

R&DE Stanford Dining, Hospitality and Auxiliaries Meal Plan Dollars are added to your Stanford ID card to provide flexibility for the R&DE Stanford Dining, Hospitality and Auxiliaries Meal Plan. Meal Plan Dollars carry over at the end of each quarter and can be used throughout the academic year as long as you are enrolled in a meal plan. Meal Plan Dollars expire at the end of summer quarter, as long as you are continuously enrolled in a meal plan. If not, Meal Plan Dollars expire with your meal plan. Visit the Cardinal & Meal Plan Dollars webpage for a list of locations where Meal Plan Dollars can be used.

Cardinal Dollars

Cardinal Dollars can be purchased by students, faculty, and staff, and are added to your Stanford University ID card. Cardinal Dollars can be used to purchase meals at all R&DE Stanford Dining Hospitality retail cafés. Visit the Cardinal & Meal Plan Dollars webpage for a list of locations where Cardinal Dollars can be used. Cardinal Dollars expire August 16, 2025.

To Purchase:

• Enrolled students can purchase online by logging into their account using the My Account option. Online orders are charged to your University bill.
• Students can submit an order via email. Send the email from your SUNet account to diningplans@stanford.edu. Be sure to include your SUID number and how much you wish to purchase. Email orders are billed to your University bill.
• You may complete your order by phone at 650-723-4751 with a credit card. 

For additional information, contact us at diningplans@stanford.edu, or by phone at 650-723-4751.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

For more information, see our FAQ page.

To learn more about where to spend your meal plan dollars, please click here.

Please be advised that the terms and conditions governing any of the R&DE Meal Plans, Cardinal Dollars, and any of the SDHA (Stanford Dining, Hospitality & Auxiliaries) services, products, offerings, benefits, features, or any other conditions related to them are subject to change without prior notice. This includes any aspects related to SDHA services, such as menu offerings, pricing, schedules, and any other features or benefits that SDHA provides.   As we continuously strive to enhance our offerings, adapt to industry trends, or respond to the university or other conditions or requirements, we may update these terms from time to time. By enrolling in and purchasing any R&DE Meal Plan, Cardinal Dollars, Catering, Concession or other SDHA service, you acknowledge and agree that this is considered as your acceptance of these terms.