Student Meal Plans

Meal Plan Policies and Procedures

Meal Plan Account

The Meal Plan is an account on your UNCW One Card. The UNCW One Card may only be used by the individual identified on the card. Students must present their card to the cashier each time they use it in order to obtain services at any dining venue, food truck, or convenience store.

  • Only the ONE CARD holder may utilize their meal plan and may not sell, loan, or allow their card to be used by others.
  • Students can use their Meal Plan at all Dining Services locations on campus. To view where All Access Meals, Teals Meals, Guest Meals, and Food Dollars may be used, visit Where Can You Use Your Meal Plan?

Dietary Needs or Restrictions

If a student has special dietary needs or restrictions, Campus Dining can accommodate the student to make sure they get the most out of their Meal Plan. For any dietary and/or nutritional concerns, please contact the Campus Dietician, Chelsea Stant (MS, RD, LDN), at stantc@uncw.edu or 910.962.7621.

Check Meal Plan Balance

How to Check Your Meal Plan Balance:

  1. Login to the UNCW One Card Online Management Center (link can also be found under account management on the One Card webpage).
  2. You will see a number of cards listed on the left. Scroll down to find your meal plan.
    1. Your Food Dollar balance will be reflected on the bottom right of the correct meal plan card listed somewhere in the middle. Select the card and scroll back up to see transaction information.
    2. Your Meals balance (if applicable) will be reflected by selecting the correct meal plan card listed at the bottom. Scroll back up to see available balance and transaction information.

Meal Plan Contract

The Meal Plan Contract encompasses the entire academic year and each semester portion is billed to the Student Account. The fall semester meal plan will be automatically assigned to you for the spring semester. Changes, according to housing type, are permitted during the change period. All meals expire at the end of each semester.

Food Dollar Rolling/Expiration

Unused Food Dollars roll over to the next semester if and only if you purchase a meal plan for that semester. Additionally, rolling occurs from summer to fall and fall to spring ONLY. Unused Food Dollars will be rolled into the following semester’s account after the meal plan change period for that semester. All unused Food Dollars expire at the end of the spring semester. 

  • Unused Food Dollars will be rolled into the following semester account, as explained above, after the meal plan change period for a semester. 

Meals Availability and Expiration

All Access Meals

All Access Meals provide students unlimited access to the dining halls (Wagoner Hall, Dub's Cafe, and The Shore Dining Hall). All Access Meals expire with the meal plan at the end of the semester. 

Teal Meals (Hawk Silver or Hawk Gold)

Teal Meals on the All Access Plans may be used at select retail locations. They are allotted on a weekly basis and do not roll from one week to the next. Teal Meals reset every Sunday morning. All meals expire with the meal plan at the end of the semester. 

Teal Meals or Dining Hall Meals (Block 125, Block 80, or Block 50)

Meals on Block Plans may be used as Teal Meals at select retail locations, or as dining hall meals at Wagoner Hall, Dub's Cafe, or The Shore Dining Hall. Meals are allotted on a semester basis. All meals expire with the meal plan at the end of the semester. 

Meal Plan Billing to Student Account

Any student signed up for a Fall Semester meal plan will automatically be assigned the same plan for the spring semester. Students may change their automatically assigned Meal Plan, according to their housing type, prior to the end of the change period.

The Meal Plan and meal plan add-ons (All Access Meals, Teal Meals, Food Dollars) are billed to the Student Account, and charges are due on the next E-Bill due date. For a list of E-Bill due dates, visit https://uncw.edu/studentaccounts/charges/due-dates.html 

Meal Plan Tax Information: The North Carolina Tax Simplification and Reduction Act (Session Law 2013-316) repealed the meal plan tax exemption effective January 1, 2014. As a result, the sales of prepared food and food served to students in university dining facilities are now subject to sales tax. The current sales tax rate is 7.00% (NC State tax rate of 4.75% and New Hanover County tax rate of 2.25%).

  • NC Sales Tax is charged on the Meals portion only at the time of meal plan purchase. Food Dollars will be taxed as they are used.

On-Campus Required Students

All Students living in Belk, Galloway, Graham, Hewlett, Schwartz, Pelican, Sandpiper, Terrapin, Loggerhead, Cornerstone, Keystone House, Innovation House, and University Suites are required to have one of the Hawk meal plans: Hawk Bronze, Hawk Silver, Hawk Gold.

Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors living in University Suites may choose from one of the Hawk meal plans or the Block 125 meal plan option (beginning Fall 2021). The default meal plan will remain the Hawk Silver. 

If On-Campus Required students do not select their Fall 2021 meal plan by July 01, 2021, the Hawk Silver plan will be automatically assigned. Students can change their defaulted meal plan to another On-Campus Required meal plan option during the meal plan change period. If a student has already used their meal plan, they will need to contact the One Card office.

On-Campus Voluntary or Off Campus Students

Students living in Seahawk Landing, Seahawk Village, or Seahawk Crossing, and all students who live off campus are not required to purchase a meal plan but may select any Meal Plan offered.

Meal Plan Upgrades

Adding Food Dollars

Food Dollars may be added to any meal plan during the semester until the last day of class (see academic calendar). Add-On Food Dollars are billed to the Student Account. 

  • How to Add Food Dollars:
    • Email mealplans@uncw.edu
    • Include your student ID number and the amount you would like to add, either $50, $100, or $200.
    • All requests will be processed manually. Please allow 1-2 business days for processing. A confirmation email reply will be sent once the account has been updated. 

Adding Teal Meals

Block 50, Block 85, or Block 125 plans may add Teal Meals to their plan during the semester until the last day of class (see academic calendar).

Email mealplans@uncw.edu to add on Teal Meals, include your student ID number and the number of meals you would like to add. All requests will be processed manually. Please allow 1-2 business days for processing. A confirmation email reply will be sent once the account has been updated. The cost for add-on Teal Meals will be billed to the Student Account. 

  • 10 Teal Meals for $90 + tax
  • 20 Teal Meals for $170 + tax
  • 50 Teal Meals for $375 + tax

Important Dates

Meal Plan start and end dates per meal plan period, and meal plan change period dates (if applicable). 

Summer I 2021 Meal Plan 

Plan Start
Change Period
Plan End

May 16th

(8 a.m.)

N/A

July 30th

(10 a.m.)

Summer II 2021 Meal Plan

Plan Start
Change Period
Plan End

June 24th

(10 a.m.)

N/A

July 30th

(10 a.m.)

Fall 2021 Meal Plan

Plan Start
Change Period
Plan End

August 13th

(8 a.m.)

April 1st -

August 28th

December 12th

(10 a.m.)

Spring 2022 Meal Plan

Plan Start
Change Period
Plan End

January 7th

(8 a.m.)

November 1st -

January 21st

May 14th

(10 a.m.)

(Pending final Spring 2022 Academic Schedule)

Meal Plan Changes During the Change Period

Students may change their semester Meal Plan, according to their housing assignment, prior to the end of the change period by logging onto their MySeaport account and accessing the Student Meal Plan Application under Student Services.

Term
Meal Plan Change Period Start Date
Meal Plan Change Period End Date
Fall 2021

April 1st

August 28th
Spring 2022

November 1st

January 21st 

PLEASE NOTE: Meal Plan changes are not permitted during the summer sessions.

Important Change Period Information

An unlimited number of meal plan changes are permitted before the meal plan start date for each Fall and Spring semester (see important dates). Once classes begin, only one meal plan change is allowed.

  • Students living in On-Campus Required Housing (Belk, Galloway, Graham-Hewlett, Schwartz, Pelican, Sandpiper, Terrapin, Loggerhead, Cornerstone, Honors, Innovation House, and University Suites) may change their meal plan to one of the Required Housing meal plans: Hawk Bronze, Hawk Silver, Hawk Gold.
  • Sophomore, Juniors, and Seniors living in University Suites may change their meal plan to the Hawk Bronze, Hawk Silver, Hawk Gold, or Block 125 (beginning Fall 2021).
  • Students living in On-Campus Voluntary Housing (Seahawk Crossing, Seahawk Landing, Seahawk Village) or students living Off Campus, may change to any meal plan offered.
  • If a Meal Plan has already been used and the student wishes to change it prior to the end of the change period, they will need to email mealplans@uncw.edu from their UNCW email address and include their student ID number.

Meal Plan Cancellations

Cancellations occur only if a student has graduated or withdrawn from the university, or if a Voluntary Housing or Commuter student elects to cancel their automatically assigned Spring semester meal plan prior to the end of the change period. These students should email mealplans@uncw.edu from their UNCW email address with their cancellation request and student ID number.

All other emergencies or situations will be handled on an individual basis by contacting the UNCW One Card Office at 910.962.3560 or mealplans@uncw.edu.

Rev 12.14.21 | K.South