Residence Hall Meal Plans

You will choose a meal plan in the Housing Portal when you apply for university housing.

Consider how often you plan to eat on campus:

• Will you be eating three meals a day, seven days a week at UCSC Dining locations?
• Do you usually eat breakfast?
• Do you like to have snacks during the day?

There is no right or wrong meal plan; choose the plan that best fits your lifestyle and budget. Take a quick quiz to see which meal plan best fits your lifestyle!

Students living in campus apartments, ARCH communities, and off-campus can purchase Banana Bucks or Flexi Dollars using the GET app or website. Both Banana Bucks and Flexi Dollars provide discounts at all UCSC Dining-operated locations on campus. Flexi$ can also be used at select off-campus vendors, and for delivery from local restaurants via Grubhub.

Unlimited Meal Plans offer unlimited entry for dine-in service at our all-you-care-to-enjoy dining halls. Choose from weekday-only or 7-day entry options. Unlimited Plans also come with $75 Slug Points per quarter. 

Slug Points Meal Plans offer flexible spending at any UCSC Dining location—from dining halls to cafes, coffee bars, and markets. With a Slug Point plan, each dining hall meal is one simple price—for all-you-care-to-enjoy—which works out to about 10 meals/week on the Blue plan, about 14 meals/week on the Gold plan, and about 19 meals/week on the Banana Slug plan. You can also use any Slug Points Meal Plan to purchase items a-la-carte (prices vary) from cafes, markets, and coffee bars all across campus.

Unlimited Meal Plans can be used at any Dining Hall. Slug Points Meal Plans can be used at all UCSC Dining locations, including Dining Halls, cafes, coffee bars, and markets all across campus. Enjoy a 10% discount when you pay with Slug Points at campus cafes, markets, and coffee bars. Unlimited plans come with 75 Slug Points per quarter that can be used for occasional purchases at UCSC Dining cafes and markets.

You cannot use your Unlimited Meal Plan or Slug Points Meal Plan off-campus. However, you can purchase Flexi Dollars (i.e., Flexi$) anytime by using the GET app or website. Flexi$ can be used with your student ID card at our off-campus partner businesses, or in the GrubHub app for delivery and pickup from many local restaurants. Flexi$ can also be spent at all campus dining locations. Family members can also add funds for their student through the GET website.

If you have a Slug Points Meal Plan, you can check your balance and transactions anytime with the GET app or website. If you have an Unlimited plan, the GET app will show “Meals: 0” because there’s an unlimited number of dining hall entries on your account—not a set number; however, you can track the balance for the Slug Points portion of your plan (Unlimited plans come with $75 Slug Points per quarter).

If you add optional Banana Bucks or Flexi Dollars to your account, you can also check your balance for those through the GET app or website.

Both Slug Points and Banana Bucks are accepted at all locations operated by UCSC Dining. Residence hall meal plans come with Slug Points. Slug Points expire at the end of each quarter. Banana Bucks are points purchased through the GET mobile app or website to add to your account when your Slug Points are running low. Banana Bucks carry over quarter to quarter and expire at the end of the academic year in June (June 15, 2026). Banana Bucks cannot be used until you’ve used up all of the Slug Points in your Residence Hall meal plan for the quarter.

Meal plans reset at the beginning of each quarter and unused Slug Points do not carry over into the following quarter nor are they reimbursed. Students are encouraged to make full use of their meal plan each quarter, and to change their plan if necessary during the published change periods to ensure they are on a plan that best meets their needs.

Yes! If your Slug Points balance begins to run low, you can add Banana Bucks at any time during the quarter using the GET app or website. Families can also add funds for their student through the GET website (get.cbord.com/ucsc). Banana Bucks can be purchased in increments of 50, 100, and 500*. For additional flexibility, Flexi Dollars can also be added through GET. Flexi Dollars can be used at all campus dining locations, as well as the Bay Tree Campus Store, select off-campus vendors, and for food delivery from local restaurants through Grubhub. Banana Bucks and Flexi Dollars added through GET carry over from quarter to quarter and expire at the end of the academic year in June (June 15, 2026)

Unlimited Meal Plans come with 75 Slug Points per quarter, and you can add Banana Bucks or Flexi Dollars the GET app. 

*Note: The 500 Banana Bucks option is not available to add after the end of April. The 100 Banana Bucks option is not available to add after mid-May. The 50 Banana Bucks option is not available to add after early June.

During the summer, and during published change periods in fall and winter quarters, you can change your meal plan for the following quarter. You can switch between plan tiers or move from a Slug Points meal plan to an Unlimited meal plan and vice versa, depending on your needs.

Mid-quarter meal plan changes are limited. If you are on a Slug Points meal plan and your balance begins to run low, you can add Banana Bucks or Flexi Dollars using the GET app or website. To request a mid-quarter upgrade from your Unlimited 5-Day Meal Plan to an Unlimited 7-Day Meal Plan, you can email meals@ucsc.edu.
Please note: Students cannot downgrade their meal plan mid-quarter. Instead, you can change your meal plan during the next published change period.

Yes! Parents, guardians, and other relatives can add Banana Bucks or Flexi Dollars to a student account on the GET website (get.cbord.com/ucsc). No login is required; however, your family member will need to know your UCSC student ID number in order to add funds to your account.

Your parents/family members can add funds to your account using the GET website, but they cannot view your Slug Points balance. State and federal laws prevent the disclosure of your financial information to any third party (even your parent or guardian) without your consent. If you would like to let someone know how many Slug Points you have left, you can check your balance in the GET app and let them know.

Unlimited Plans, Slug Points, Banana Bucks, and Flexi Dollars are non-transferable and non-refundable. But you can treat a friend to a meal using your Slug Points, Banana Bucks, or Flexi Dollars at any UCSC Dining location!

No, meal plans are non-transferable and non-refundable. Slug Points expire at the end of each quarter. Students are encouraged to make full use of their meal plan each quarter, and to change their plan if necessary during the published change periods to ensure they are on a plan that best meets their needs. If you would like to change to a different meal plan level, you can do that during the summer and during specified filing periods in fall and winter quarters for the following quarter.

Banana Bucks and Flexi Dollars are non-transferable and non-refundable. They carry over from quarter to quarter and expire at the end of the academic year in June. 

No; students living in the residence halls are required to have a meal plan as part of their housing contract. While the meal plan cannot be waived, we understand that every student’s needs are unique. If your dietary needs aren’t being met through regular dining options, we encourage you to connect with Dining’s Food Safety and Nutrition Specialist. They’re here to listen, understand your concerns, and work with you to find solutions that support your well-being.