How Do Meal Plans Work?
As a four-year residential college, meal plans are part of residential life for all students living in the following residence halls are required to have a meal plan: Norelius, North, Gibbs, Sorensen, Uhler, Rundstrom, Southwest Hall Suites, Sohre, Pittman, Carlson International Center and Prairie View.
Before the start of the school year, you will sign up for a one of four options of meal plans.
Your student meal account will credited monthly allocations of money to spend that month. The amount determined by the number of service days in the month. Up to $35.00 may be carried forward from month to month and students who go over the monthly allocation will automatically move into the next month’s balance.
What can be purchased with meal plan money?
- All meal plan options are a la carte. What you put on your tray is what you pay for.
- Grab and Go items are more expensive, you may want to limit those types of purchases.
- Meal plan funds can be used in the Market Place, Courtyard Café, and The STEAMery.
Each plan is billed in two installments, along with tuition and housing fees.
The mandatory meal plan will not be waived by Dining Service for:
- Reasons of financial hardship (instead please discuss financial hardship with the Student Accounts Office)
- Class, sport, travel, employment, or volunteer schedule
- Personal diet preferences
- Use of commercial nutrition products, such as packaged food sold by commercial weight loss programs, religious reasons, vegetarian/vegan or organic diet.
In rare cases exceptions are made. Those cases require the Documentation for Housing Accommodation Request form through Residential Life to be completed by a medical provider (not related to the student) describing the medical necessity and a meeting with the campus dietitian to determine reasonable accommodations that need to be made.
Increase Funds
Changes to increase your Meal Plan Option may be made in the Student Accounts Office at any time.
Decrease Funds
Changes to lower your Meal Plan Option for spring semester, must be made in the Student Accounts Office the previous December.
Transactions made without sufficient funds in a declining balance account will be charged to the
student’s account on a monthly basis.
Students who leave the college prior to the end of the semester may be eligible for a refund of 35% pro-rated to the last date of attendance.
The majority of Â鶹ÊÓƵ students who reside in on-campus apartments or off-campus housing choose to establish a voluntary declining balance account, even though they are not required to do so.
The advantage of creating a declining balance meal plan for non-residence hall students is that 'meal plans' are not subject to MN State Sales Tax of 7.875%. Students who purchase items in the Market Place or Courtyard Cafe, The STEAMery or Â鶹ÊÓƵ Buffet using cash, credit, debit, or check would be charged state sales tax. If they were using a declining balance account, they would not.
Deposits made into these accounts may be charged to the general student account or established with cash, credit, debit, or check and may be done so in the Dining Service Office or Student Accounts Office. Account balances are available throughout the year, (no monthly rollover) however, they are not refundable so must be used by the end of the academic year.
Please contact the Dining Service Office if there are questions about declining balance accounts for students who reside in on-campus apartments or in off-campus housing.
Check Your Meal Plan Balance
Meal Plan daily balance information can be found under My Resources - Campus Resources - Account Balances.
Three Crowns Card - Â鶹ÊÓƵ ID
Campus Safety issues your Â鶹ÊÓƵ ID card. All students and employees are issued and required to have a Â鶹ÊÓƵ ID card and to produce it for College officials upon request.
Replacement card
Go to the Campus Safety Office to get a replacement ID card between 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday - Friday. Cards are meant to last the entire duration of your college career. A $40 replacement fee will be charged to the student’s account. You will not be asked to have a new picture taken each year as your initial photo is stored in the card system.
Meal plan costs
All students living on campus in singles, doubles, triples, quads, and suites are required to have a college meal plan. Students living in Norelius, North, Gibbs, Sorensen, Uhler, Rundstrom, Southwest Hall Suites, Sohre, Pittman, Carlson International Center and Prairie View, will need to select one of the following three meal plans, (the cost of each plan includes a $400.00/semester facilities staff and administrative support fee which is assessed at the beginning of each semester.). *Those living in on-campus apartments or houses may choose a meal plan if they would like.
Academic year 2025-2026
Option 1 — $5,144
This option is for the student who may not be on campus to eat daily. This student may be away from campus many weekends, or may be a lighter eater.
Option 2 — $5,544
This option is for the student who may be on campus daily, but does not eat three meals a day. This student may be away from campus some weekends.
Option 3 — $5,944
This option is for the student who will be on campus daily. This student may be involved in athletics, or require a higher caloric intake for another reason.
Option 4 — $6,344
This option is for the student who will be on campus daily. This student may be involved in athletics, or require a higher caloric intake for another reason.
Plan usage
Options 1, 2, 3, and 4 student meal accounts will be credited monthly allocations with the amount determined by the number of service days in the month. Up to $35 may be carried forward from month to month and students who go over the monthly allocation will automatically move into the next month’s balance.
- All meal plan options are a la carte. What you put on your tray is what you pay for.
- Grab-n-Go items are more expensive, you may want to limit those types of purchases.
- Meal plan funds can be used in the Market Place, Courtyard Café, and the STEAMery.
- Changes to increase your Meal Plan Option may be made in the Student Accounts Office at any time.
- Changes to decrease a meal plan for Spring (i.e. Option 2 – Option 1) must be done in the Student Accounts Office by December 5, 2025
- Student meal plans will be activated on August 29, 2025 to May 3, 2026.
- Transactions made without sufficient funds in a declining balance account will be charged to the student’s account on a monthly basis.
- Students who leave the college prior to the end of the semester may be eligible for a refund of 35% pro-rated to the last date of attendance.
Meet with a Dietician
Contact the Health Service Office at (507) 933-7630 to schedule an appointment.
The campus dietitian and can meet with students in the Health Service Office at no cost to the student.
Though we cannot accommodate for personal diet preference; we can provide students with information about our menus, recipes, and ingredients, how to navigate the Market Place cafeteria for options, and the resources to assist in making the meal plan work.
Sign-Up for Your Meal Plan
Students living in Norelius, North, Gibbs, Sorensen, Uhler, Rundstrom, Southwest Hall Suites, Sohre, Pittman, Carlson International Center and Prairie View, need to select a meal plan each school year.