Residential Meal Plans
DINING DOLLARS WILL BE ACTIVATED AND AVAILABLE FOR USE BEGINNING THE FIRST DAY OF CLASSES, MONDAY, January 13, PROVIDED ALL FEES DUE TO THE UNIVERSITY HAVE BEEN PAID IN FULL. IF THERE IS A BALANCE DUE ON YOUR ACCOUNT, THE DINING DOLLARS WILL ACTIVATE AUTOMATICALLY ONCE THE BALANCE HAS BEEN PAID IN FULL.
Due to the high rate of inflation and subsequent supply chain issues, the University reserves the right to adjust the types of meal plans offered and the pricing structure of each meal plan prior to the beginning of each new semester. The University will provide students with notice of any changes as early as possible.
2024 - 2025 Meal Plans
Meal Plan Details
Meal plans are designed with all students in mind
- Meal plans have an expiration date. All students who reside in University owned, operated or managed residence halls are required to purchase a residential meal plan.
- All chosen meal plans for Fall will automatically roll over to Spring.
- Students will have an opportunity to make changes to their meal plan selections prior to the start of each semester.
- Students who do not select a meal plan with their housing application will automatically be charged THE DELUXE meal plan in the amount of $2,185.
- Unused meal swipes do not roll over from week-to-week or semester-to-semester.
- All meal plans consist of any combination of breakfast, lunch or dinner. Only one meal swipe per meal period per day allowed, i.e., one swipe for breakfast per day, one swipe for lunch per day, or one swipe for dinner per day unless the ALL ACCESS plan is chosen.
- The ALL ACCESS meal plan may only be used to swipe for meals for the person who purchased the plan. Swipes for guests are not allowed unless a Guest meal plan is purchased. To purchase a Guest meal plan, please refer to the Guest Meal Plan Contract.
- When a student cancels their housing reservation, their residential meal plan is automatically canceled and removed from their account. If a student wishes to retain their residential meal plan after canceling housing, they must submit a request to the Meal Plan Office.
Meal Plan Options
| Board Plan | Description | Price Per Semester | Average Daily Rate | Average Meal Rate |
| ALL ACCESS | Unlimited meals per week + $160 Dining Dollars | $2,520 | $21.18 | $7.06 |
| THE DELUXE | 14 meals per week + $160 Dining Dollars | $2,185 | $18.36 | $6.12 |
| THE SOCIAL LITE | 10 meals per week + $160 Dining Dollars | $1,855 | $15.59 | $5.20 |
| RAMS Basic | 7 meals per week + $160 Dining Dollars *Only available for Hall 3 and 4 residents | $1,745 | $14.66 | $4.89 |
Door Rates
Students, Faculty, Staff, and Guest may purchase meals at the dining hall with cash, debit, or credit payment methods.
| Breakfast | $6.25 |
| Lunch | $8.25 |
| Dinner | $10.25 |
Dining Dollars
Additional dining dollars can be purchased in increments of $100.00
To-Go Container Program
Students may take advantage of the To-Go Program for a convenient dining option. The containers are designed for guests who prefer not to dine in the Dining Hall and should not be used to take leftovers from meals consumed on-site or for acquiring an additional meal.
Meal Plan Cancellations
Meal plan cancellations made during the two-week grace period at the beginning of each semester will not be charged for board plan use. Students who cancel meal plans after the grace period will be charged a pro-rated amount based on the days the meal plan was available for use. Board plans will be pro-rated through the mid-term. After this date, no accounts will be pro-rated; students will be responsible for paying the full amount of the meal plan. Pro-rations for cancellations of meal plans for students who make purchases for shortened sessions, i.e., A-Term or B-Term, will be allowed a grace period through the Thursday after classes begin, which is typically add/drop. Effective the Friday after classes begin, the student will be responsible for the full amount of the board plan. If dining dollars were utilized, charges will be based on the actual expenditures through the cancellation date.
General Information
Access to the meal plan is through use of the RAM ID card at the cashier station of the dining hall or retail site. NO RAM ID CARD, NO MEAL! If an ID card is lost, stolen or damaged, you must pay the fee and have a new card printed in order to access your meal plan. The replacement fee for a lost, stolen or damaged ID card is $25. Refer to Card Services.
Contracts received and paid in full will be processed and activated within three business days of receiving the contract. If payment is via cash/debit/credit card, the receipt must be presented to the meal plan office to verify the meal plan has been paid in full before activation can occur.
Dining Dollars may be used to purchase breakfast, lunch or dinner in the East and West Caf dining hall or at any retail establishment, i.e., RAMS Hideaway, Golden Espresso, Chick-fil-A, Pizza Hut or Rams Wrap. The Dining dollar plan holder is not limited as to what he/she may purchase during the day as long as funds are available.
Dining dollars will not be activated until the account is paid in full or there is sufficient financial aid to cover all fees owed to the University. Dining dollars will ONLY activate once all fees are paid in full. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Additional dining dollars may be purchased in increments of $100.00 throughout the semester and must be requested through the Additional Dining Dollars form. Dining dollar balances greater than $10.00, will be credited to the student account within 30 days from the last day of the semester.
Accepted methods of payment for meal plans at Albany State are cash, debit card, VISA, MasterCard, money order, cashier’s check, certified check, NelNet payment plan, or by charging to the student’s financial aid account, provided funds are available. Payment may be made at Ram Central on West Campus, Student Center, 1st Floor or paid online.