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Here is information for students currently attending the Spring 2009 semester who wish to purchase a meal plan. These meal plan choices will expire at the end of the current Spring 2009 semester which is May 15, 2009.
What meal plans do you offer?
We currently have 2 plans – the Standard 14 Plan and the Premium 19 Plan
What do I get with each one?
The Standard 14 Plan gives you 8 meals a week at the campus dining hall (Geronimo’s) plus 700 Dining Dollars for you to spend at all other on-campus dining locations except Subway. This plan gives you the equivalent of 14 meals per week.
The Premium 19 Plan gives you 8 meals a week at the campus dining hall (Geronimo’s) plus 900 Dining Dollars for you to spend at all other on-campus dining locations except Subway. This plan gives you the equivalent of 19 meals per week.
The important thing to understand about how these plans work is that every week, between Saturday and Friday, you need to eat at Geronimo’s 8 times. The Dining Dollars are given to you to supplement the 8 meal swipes so you don’t have to eat at Geronimo’s for every meal. The 8 meals do not accumulate and you cannot save them to use later. If you do not use them all in a week, you lose them. Also, making monthly payments does not add to your Dining Dollars. You are given all your Dining Dollars and your 8 weekly meal swipes when we hand you your meal plan card. If you run out of Dining Dollars before the semester is over, you may buy more from The Meal Plan Office.
How much does each plan cost?
• All 4 campus Freudian Sips
Convenience Stores
• The Edge
• Arbor Grill
• Mercantile Exchange
• West Side Store
• La Tienda
What payment types are accepted by The Meal Plan Office when submitting an application?
The Meal Plan Office accepts cash, personal checks, cashier’s checks, money orders and Visa/MasterCard.
When does the Mid-Year Spring 2009 Meal Plan Program begin and end?
It starts on Saturday, January 17, 2009 and ends on Friday, May 15, 2009.
Can Dining Dollars be purchased separately?
No they cannot.
Can meal swipes at Geronimo’s be converted to Dining Dollars?
No they cannot.
Do my eight dining hall meals roll over every week?
No they do not. The meal plan week begins on Saturday morning and ends on Friday night. Any meals missed during that time are lost.
Do Dining Dollars roll over to next semester?
No they do not. For the spring semester, leftover Dining Dollars are forfeited after May 15, 2009. All meal plan cards will be shut off at the end of the day on May 15, 2009.
Will I get a refund of my unused Dining Dollars?
No you will not. Unused Dining Dollars will be forfeited after May 15, 2009.
Can I convert my unused Dining Dollars to a gift card?
No you cannot. Unused Dining Dollars will be forfeited after May 15, 2009.
I will be living on campus in a dorm with a kitchen. I plan to cook some of the time and purchase some meals on campus. Are there any alternative options for me other than a meal plan?
Send us an email with the following information and we will send you information on a non-meal plan option. Along with your request, you must include your name, your CSUN ID number and where you will be living during the Spring 2009 semester (IE: off campus, on-campus with a kitchen or on-campus without a kitchen). Our email address is mealplan@csun.edu. This request can only be done via email. Please do not call The Meal Plan Office with this particular request.
I will be living on campus in a dorm with no kitchen. I really don’t want and can’t afford a meal plan so are there any alternatives for me?
Unfortunately, no. Living in one of the on-campus dorms with no kitchen requires you to purchase one of the two available meal plans. There are no exceptions to this requirement, therefore, you should not request or accept assignment to a housing unit without kitchen facilities. You should contact the Housing Office to see about changing your building assignment before the spring semester begins. Housing will not allow you to choose your room, pick up your room key or move in to one of these building types without a meal plan.
I’m ready to purchase a meal plan. What do I need to do?
Once you submit your meal plan application and payment to The Meal Plan Office and we have processed it, we will clear you on the Housing Portal as having purchased a meal plan. When Housing looks you up on their computers, they will see this. Also, once The Meal Plan Office has cleared you on the Housing Portal, an automatic email will be sent to you alerting you that we have processed your application.
I’m not sure if a meal plan is right for me. Can I cancel if I do not like it?
No. The meal plan is a contract just like housing and we do have a strict cancellation policy. If you are not required to have a meal plan because you live in a kitchen unit, we advise you to consider the following before purchasing a meal plan. Meet your room-mates and find out what they like to do for meals. Decide whether you have the time and transportation to go to the store every week and cook your meals. There is always the possibility that your room-mates will eat the food you buy at the store for yourself and not replenish it or reimburse you. Last, check out all of the dining locations on campus and see if they offer the kinds of foods you like to eat. Some students are picky eaters or small meal eaters or only like to eat specific foods and a meal plan may simply be too much food. These are just some of the things to consider before purchasing a meal plan. Please contact us and we can further advise you once we assess your situation.
How can I cancel my meal plan?
Acceptable reasons for cancelling your meal plan are: deciding not to attend CSUN after all; official withdrawal from CSUN during the semester for medical or personal reasons; moving out of on-campus housing to an off-campus location. If one of these scenarios applies to you, you can submit a meal plan cancellation form and your meal plan card to The Meal Plan Office. Cancellations are not automatic and we do verify that you have withdrawn or moved which means the process can take up to 6 weeks to complete. The date of your meal plan cancellation will be the date you submit your form and card and AFTER you have completed your official withdrawal from campus and cancelled your housing.
There are also reasons for cancellation that we do not accept. They include undocumented financial hardship; not using the meal plan; having a kitchen and changing your mind about cooking; moving from a no kitchen unit to a kitchen unit.
Before you purchase a meal plan or accept assignment to a room without a kitchen, you must really know whether you can afford it with all of the other expenses you are going to have. If a meal plan is not mandatory for your housing situation, there is no deadline for you to purchase one. You can purchase one anytime during the spring semester and the price will be pro-rated. It is better to take the time to see if it is going to fit in with your school, work and activity schedule first. If you are a first-time freshman, meet your room-mates first and see what they like to do for meals. If you aren’t sure, please call The Meal Plan Office and we will be happy to advise you.
I am on the installment plan. How do I know when payments are due and how much they are?
Meal plan payments are due on the first of the month. Charges are posted to your portal account so you can check there for the amount and due date. As a courtesy, we will send a reminder email the week before a payment is due. If someone else is going to be making payments for you, you should provide us with their email address so they will get the reminder. Most parents and students appreciate this reminder because the campus does not send out statements and a forgotten payment results in a $15.00 late fee being added to the amount due and deactivation of your meal plan card.
I am on the installment plan. Does this mean that every time I make a payment, money gets added to my meal plan card?
No, making any of the monthly payments does not add money to your Dining Dollars. This is an installment plan, not adding money to your card. The number of Dining Dollars is set at the beginning of the contract term and is included in the total of your payments. For example, if you make a payment of $343.75, your Dining Dollars DO NOT increase by $343.75. Your meal plan card is given to you already loaded with 8 meal swipes per week at the dining hall and all of your Dining Dollars. This number does not change unless you run out of Dining Dollars and need to add more. In this case you would contact the Meal Plan Office to buy more Dining Dollars.
Should I get a meal plan?
Here are some things to consider to help you decide if a meal plan is a good option for you. You should purchase a meal plan if the following apply:
I have already submitted my meal plan application and first installment payment to The Meal Plan Office and the rest of the meal plan charges are now posted to my portal account. How do I make these payments?
The remaining payments after your meal plan has been all set up get paid to CSUN and you have a few choices. These choices can all be found on the Cash Services website at http://www-admn.csun.edu/ucs/SPRING_2009_feepay.htm#resident on pages 6-8. This section will show you acceptable forms of payment, how to pay online, how to pay by mail and how to pay in person. Just remember that you cannot pay Cash Services for your meal plan until The Meal Plan Office has processed your application and posted meal plan charges to your portal account. In addition, you will not see the first month’s payment or charge on your portal account because The Meal Plan Office is run by The University Corporation, an auxiliary of CSUN.
How can I contact The Meal Plan Office?
Mailing Address
The University Corporation
Meal Plan Office
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8309
Campus Location
We are located on the third floor of the Sierra Center inside The University Corporation between Sierra Hall and Jerome Richfield Hall
Phone Number
818-677-2655
Email Address
mealplan@csun.edu
What are The Meal Plan Office’s hours of operation?
We are open from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday and closed from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM for lunch. The front desk in the lobby of The University Corporation is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. These are not Meal Plan Office employees but you can leave forms and messages with them for The Meal Plan Office.
Spring 2009 Meal Plan Information
Here is information for students currently attending the Spring 2009 semester who wish to purchase a meal plan. These meal plan choices will expire at the end of the current Spring 2009 semester which is May 15, 2009.
What meal plans do you offer?
We currently have 2 plans – the Standard 14 Plan and the Premium 19 Plan
What do I get with each one?
The Standard 14 Plan gives you 8 meals a week at the campus dining hall (Geronimo’s) plus 700 Dining Dollars for you to spend at all other on-campus dining locations except Subway. This plan gives you the equivalent of 14 meals per week.
The Premium 19 Plan gives you 8 meals a week at the campus dining hall (Geronimo’s) plus 900 Dining Dollars for you to spend at all other on-campus dining locations except Subway. This plan gives you the equivalent of 19 meals per week.
The important thing to understand about how these plans work is that every week, between Saturday and Friday, you need to eat at Geronimo’s 8 times. The Dining Dollars are given to you to supplement the 8 meal swipes so you don’t have to eat at Geronimo’s for every meal. The 8 meals do not accumulate and you cannot save them to use later. If you do not use them all in a week, you lose them. Also, making monthly payments does not add to your Dining Dollars. You are given all your Dining Dollars and your 8 weekly meal swipes when we hand you your meal plan card. If you run out of Dining Dollars before the semester is over, you may buy more from The Meal Plan Office.
How much does each plan cost?
Since the semester is underway, all meal plans will be pro-rated based on the following prices:
Standard 14 Plan: This plan costs $1,375.00 for a full semester. The first payment of $343.75 is due with the application and the rest of the payments will be pro-rated according to when you sign up.
Premium 19: This plan costs $1,537.50 for a full semester. The first payment of $384.36 is due with the application and the rest of the payments will be pro-rated according to when you sign up.
Where can I use my meal plan card?
Your meal plan card is accepted at the following on-campus dining locations:
Dining Locations
• Burger King
• Sierra Marketplace
• The Pub Sports Grill
• Orange Grove Bistro
• Arbor Court
• Juice it Up
• Panda Express
• El Pollo Loco
• Geronimo’s - This is where you will use your 8 meal swipes
• This is the campus dining hall. They serve Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Monday through Friday along with a special made-to-order station that is open from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM Sunday through Thursday. Brunch and Dinner are served on Saturday and Sunday.
• Students on the meal plan use their 8 meal credits here and are given a discounted price of $6.00 per meal on their Dining Dollars after their 8 meal credits have been used up for the week.Coffee Houses
• All 4 campus Freudian Sips
Convenience Stores
• The Edge
• Arbor Grill
• Mercantile Exchange
• West Side Store
• La Tienda
What payment types are accepted by The Meal Plan Office when submitting an application?
The Meal Plan Office accepts cash, personal checks, cashier’s checks, money orders and Visa/MasterCard.
When does the Mid-Year Spring 2009 Meal Plan Program begin and end?
It starts on Saturday, January 17, 2009 and ends on Friday, May 15, 2009.
Can Dining Dollars be purchased separately?
No they cannot.
Can meal swipes at Geronimo’s be converted to Dining Dollars?
No they cannot.
Do my eight dining hall meals roll over every week?
No they do not. The meal plan week begins on Saturday morning and ends on Friday night. Any meals missed during that time are lost.
Do Dining Dollars roll over to next semester?
No they do not. For the spring semester, leftover Dining Dollars are forfeited after May 15, 2009. All meal plan cards will be shut off at the end of the day on May 15, 2009.
Will I get a refund of my unused Dining Dollars?
No you will not. Unused Dining Dollars will be forfeited after May 15, 2009.
Can I convert my unused Dining Dollars to a gift card?
No you cannot. Unused Dining Dollars will be forfeited after May 15, 2009.
I will be living on campus in a dorm with a kitchen. I plan to cook some of the time and purchase some meals on campus. Are there any alternative options for me other than a meal plan?
Send us an email with the following information and we will send you information on a non-meal plan option. Along with your request, you must include your name, your CSUN ID number and where you will be living during the Spring 2009 semester (IE: off campus, on-campus with a kitchen or on-campus without a kitchen). Our email address is mealplan@csun.edu. This request can only be done via email. Please do not call The Meal Plan Office with this particular request.
I will be living on campus in a dorm with no kitchen. I really don’t want and can’t afford a meal plan so are there any alternatives for me?
Unfortunately, no. Living in one of the on-campus dorms with no kitchen requires you to purchase one of the two available meal plans. There are no exceptions to this requirement, therefore, you should not request or accept assignment to a housing unit without kitchen facilities. You should contact the Housing Office to see about changing your building assignment before the spring semester begins. Housing will not allow you to choose your room, pick up your room key or move in to one of these building types without a meal plan.
I’m ready to purchase a meal plan. What do I need to do?
- Submit a meal plan application to The Meal Plan Office along with the appropriate payment. Make sure the application is fully filled out. You need to keep page 1 and submit pages 2, 3, 4 and 5. You can do this in person or through the mail.
- Your check or money order is payable to The University Corporation.
- If paying with a credit card, completely fill out the section on the application pertaining to credit card payments. Making the first payment with a credit card does not mean The Meal Plan Office will deduct every payment from that credit card. You will be making the other payments to your portal account via Cash Services.
- We will process your application and give you a receipt along with your meal plan card.
- 5. If we can, we will process your application while you wait. Otherwise, we may ask you to come back.
Once you submit your meal plan application and payment to The Meal Plan Office and we have processed it, we will clear you on the Housing Portal as having purchased a meal plan. When Housing looks you up on their computers, they will see this. Also, once The Meal Plan Office has cleared you on the Housing Portal, an automatic email will be sent to you alerting you that we have processed your application.
I’m not sure if a meal plan is right for me. Can I cancel if I do not like it?
No. The meal plan is a contract just like housing and we do have a strict cancellation policy. If you are not required to have a meal plan because you live in a kitchen unit, we advise you to consider the following before purchasing a meal plan. Meet your room-mates and find out what they like to do for meals. Decide whether you have the time and transportation to go to the store every week and cook your meals. There is always the possibility that your room-mates will eat the food you buy at the store for yourself and not replenish it or reimburse you. Last, check out all of the dining locations on campus and see if they offer the kinds of foods you like to eat. Some students are picky eaters or small meal eaters or only like to eat specific foods and a meal plan may simply be too much food. These are just some of the things to consider before purchasing a meal plan. Please contact us and we can further advise you once we assess your situation.
How can I cancel my meal plan?
Acceptable reasons for cancelling your meal plan are: deciding not to attend CSUN after all; official withdrawal from CSUN during the semester for medical or personal reasons; moving out of on-campus housing to an off-campus location. If one of these scenarios applies to you, you can submit a meal plan cancellation form and your meal plan card to The Meal Plan Office. Cancellations are not automatic and we do verify that you have withdrawn or moved which means the process can take up to 6 weeks to complete. The date of your meal plan cancellation will be the date you submit your form and card and AFTER you have completed your official withdrawal from campus and cancelled your housing.
There are also reasons for cancellation that we do not accept. They include undocumented financial hardship; not using the meal plan; having a kitchen and changing your mind about cooking; moving from a no kitchen unit to a kitchen unit.
Before you purchase a meal plan or accept assignment to a room without a kitchen, you must really know whether you can afford it with all of the other expenses you are going to have. If a meal plan is not mandatory for your housing situation, there is no deadline for you to purchase one. You can purchase one anytime during the spring semester and the price will be pro-rated. It is better to take the time to see if it is going to fit in with your school, work and activity schedule first. If you are a first-time freshman, meet your room-mates first and see what they like to do for meals. If you aren’t sure, please call The Meal Plan Office and we will be happy to advise you.
I am on the installment plan. How do I know when payments are due and how much they are?
Meal plan payments are due on the first of the month. Charges are posted to your portal account so you can check there for the amount and due date. As a courtesy, we will send a reminder email the week before a payment is due. If someone else is going to be making payments for you, you should provide us with their email address so they will get the reminder. Most parents and students appreciate this reminder because the campus does not send out statements and a forgotten payment results in a $15.00 late fee being added to the amount due and deactivation of your meal plan card.
I am on the installment plan. Does this mean that every time I make a payment, money gets added to my meal plan card?
No, making any of the monthly payments does not add money to your Dining Dollars. This is an installment plan, not adding money to your card. The number of Dining Dollars is set at the beginning of the contract term and is included in the total of your payments. For example, if you make a payment of $343.75, your Dining Dollars DO NOT increase by $343.75. Your meal plan card is given to you already loaded with 8 meal swipes per week at the dining hall and all of your Dining Dollars. This number does not change unless you run out of Dining Dollars and need to add more. In this case you would contact the Meal Plan Office to buy more Dining Dollars.
Should I get a meal plan?
Here are some things to consider to help you decide if a meal plan is a good option for you. You should purchase a meal plan if the following apply:
- You live in an on-campus housing unit without a kitchen. A meal plan is a mandatory requirement for you.
- You will be on campus seven days a week and won’t be cooking or grocery shopping at all
- You are a robust eater who won’t be cooking or grocery shopping at all
- Your school and work schedule is flexible enough to allow you time to eat all your meals on campus
- You will be cooking part of the time or going home on weekends
- You are a picky eater or someone who eats very small meals
- You have special dietary needs which require you to purchase special foods and/or prepare meals yourself
- You are an athlete with a full class and practice schedule or you have a crazy, inflexible schedule
- You live in an off campus apartment or you commute from home
- You are only on campus a few days a week
I have already submitted my meal plan application and first installment payment to The Meal Plan Office and the rest of the meal plan charges are now posted to my portal account. How do I make these payments?
The remaining payments after your meal plan has been all set up get paid to CSUN and you have a few choices. These choices can all be found on the Cash Services website at http://www-admn.csun.edu/ucs/SPRING_2009_feepay.htm#resident on pages 6-8. This section will show you acceptable forms of payment, how to pay online, how to pay by mail and how to pay in person. Just remember that you cannot pay Cash Services for your meal plan until The Meal Plan Office has processed your application and posted meal plan charges to your portal account. In addition, you will not see the first month’s payment or charge on your portal account because The Meal Plan Office is run by The University Corporation, an auxiliary of CSUN.
How can I contact The Meal Plan Office?
Mailing Address
The University Corporation
Meal Plan Office
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8309
Campus Location
We are located on the third floor of the Sierra Center inside The University Corporation between Sierra Hall and Jerome Richfield Hall
Phone Number
818-677-2655
Email Address
mealplan@csun.edu
What are The Meal Plan Office’s hours of operation?
We are open from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday and closed from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM for lunch. The front desk in the lobby of The University Corporation is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. These are not Meal Plan Office employees but you can leave forms and messages with them for The Meal Plan Office.
Forms