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.

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 each semester.

Food Dollar Rolling/Expiration

Unused Food Dollars are permitted to roll if you purchase a meal plan for the following semester. Rolling is permitted from summer to fall and fall to spring ONLY. All 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. 

Meal Plan Billing to Student Account

Any student signed up for a Fall Semester meal plan will automatically be assigned the same plan for 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 (Guest 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/Paymentduedates.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Meal Plan Tax Information: The North Carolina Tax Simplification and Reduction Act (Session Law 2013-316) repealed the meal plan tax exemption effective January 1, 2014.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, Cornerstone, Keystone House, Innovation House and University Suites, as well as Freshman living in Seahawk Crossing, Seahawk Landing and Seahawk Village are required to have one of the All Access meal plans: All Access 5 or All Access 7.

If On Campus Required students do not purchase their Fall 2019 meal plan by July 01, 2019, the All Access 5 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 visit the One Card office.

On Campus Voluntary or Off Campus Students

Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors 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. Food Dollars expire each semester. However, unused Food Dollars are permitted to roll if you have a meal plan in the following semester. Rolling is permitted from summer to fall and fall to spring only. All unused Food Dollars expire at the end of the spring semester.

  • How to Add Food Dollars:
    • Log into your account on MySeaport
    • Select the "Student Services" tab
    • Select "Student Meal Plan Application" under "Services" on the left side of the screen
    • Once you've opened the Meal Plan application, you will find blocks of Food Dollars under your meal plan selection, either $50, $100 or $200.
    • Select the amount you would like to add and proceed through the prompts. The Food Dollars are available on your plan immediately, and the cost will be billed to your Student Account.

Adding Teal Meals

Block 35, Block 75 or Block 115 plans may add Teal Meals to their plan during the semester until the last day of class (see academic calendar). Students may do so in the Student Meal Plan Application, found in MySeaport. 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 2018 Meal Plan

Plan Start
Change Period
Plan End

May 13th

(10 a.m.)

N/A

July 27th

(10 a.m.)

Summer II 2018 Meal Plan

Plan Start
Change Period
Plan End

June 21st

(10 a.m.)

N/A

July 27th

(10 a.m.)

Fall 2018 Meal Plan

Plan Start
Change Period
Plan End

August 18th

(8 a.m.)

April 2nd - September 1st

December 16th

(10 a.m.)

Spring 2019 Meal Plan

Plan Start
Change Period
Plan End

January  8th

(10 a.m.)

November 12th - January 22nd

May 12th

(10 a.m.)

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 2018 April 2nd September 1st
Spring 2019 November 12th January 22nd

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, Cornerstone, Honors, Innovation House, University Apartments, and University Suites) may change their meal plan to one of two Required Housing meal plans: All Access 5 or All Access 7.
  • Students living in On Campus Voluntary Housing (Seahawk Village, Seahawk Crossing, Seahawk Landing) or 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 change period, they will need to visit the UNCW One Card Office.

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.

Updated 04.01.19 | M. Allred