Frequently Asked Questions: Summer 2010

What is a Meal Plan?
What is a “Visit”?
What are “Flex Bucks“?
Do I have to purchase a Meal Plan?
How do I know which level of Meal Plan I will have?
How Do I Select my Meal Plan?
What if I do not use all of my Flex Points?
How do I know my Flex Points balance?
What if I run out of Flex Points before the semester ends?
Where can I use my Flex Points?
What if I do not use all of my visits during a week?
How do I know my Visits balance for the week?
What if I run out of “Visits” before the week ends?
Where can I use my “Visits“?
Can I Bring a friend?
Can I apply for an exception to the required Meal Plan?
What if I have special dietary needs?
Are there options for vegetarians?
What if I lose my Cardinal Card?

What is a Meal Plan?
A meal plan is a pre-paid account that allows students to eat on campus with a simple swipe of their Cardinal Card. At UofL, meal plans are comprised of  visits and flex bucks.

What is a “Visit”?
A “visit” is one trip to WestSide Dining, our new all-you-care-to-eat resident dining hall.  Visits are allotted per week: for example, the Any 10 Visits & $150 in Flex Bucks plan allows 10 visits to West Side in a week! The week starts on Friday morning and goes through Thursday evening

What are “Flex Bucks“?
Flex bucks are a dollar for dollar account that goes directly onto your Cardinal Card and can be used at any of the dining venues and convenience stores on campus. Think of it as a dining debit card. Flex Bucks are allotted per semester: for example, the Any 10 Visits & $150 in Flex Bucks plan provides $150 in Flex Bucks for each semester!

Do I have to purchase a Meal Plan?
Any commuting full time undergraduate student who is taking 9 or more credit hours on the Belknap Campus and any student residing in on-campus housing must purchase a meal plan. The commuter option is $175 per semester. The residential plans are $1,165 and $745 per semester. There is no mandatory summer meal plan.

How do I know which level of Meal Plan I will have?
If a campus resident is living in a residence hall without kitchens in their units (Louisville Hall, Miller Hall, Center Hall, Unitas Tower, Community Park, Threlkeld Hall, Wellness House, West Hall and Kurz Hall) they will have the option to choose from the following memberships at a cost of $1,165.00 a semester:

Any 10 Visits &             Any 7 Visits &                     Any 5 Visits & 
$150 in Flex Bucks        $250 in Flex Bucks             $375 in Flex Bucks
Best Value!                                                                Default Plan

If a campus resident is living in a residence hall with kitchens in their units (University Tower Apartments and Bettie Johnson Hall) they will have the option to choose from the following memberships at a cost of $745.00 a semester:

Any 6 Visits &                  Any 4 Visits &                   
$100 in Flex Bucks           $190 in Flex Bucks             $745 in Flex Bucks
Best Value!                                                                  Default Plan

Any full time undergraduate student taking 9 or more credit hours on the Belknap campus and residing off university grounds will have the following membership at a cost of $175.00 a semester:                    

The 175 Flex Plan
175 in Flex Bucks

How Do I Select my Meal Plan?
Every student who is required to purchase a meal plan will have the chance to choose a meal plan based their living arrangements. If a student does not select a plan, the default plan will be assigned to the student (see above) Residents can upgrade their Meal plan within the same price point very easily to get the most value out of their plan. A web site is being developed to easily select your meal plan online. Please check back for updates on this site.

Questions About Flex Points?

What if I do not use all of my Flex Points?
Unused Flex Points transfer from Fall to Spring semester. At the end of the Spring semester, any unused Flex Points are not refundable and cannot be transferred to the new academic year.

How do I know my Flex Points balance?
With every transaction you are given a receipt that stipulates the remaining balance for the semester.

What if I run out of Flex Points before the semester ends?
It is easy to add flex points. Just visit the Cardinal Card Online or stop by the Cardinal Card office located in the Houchens Building.

Where can I use my Flex Points?
Any of the dining venues or convenience stores on campus.

Questions about “Visits”?

What if I do not use all of my visits during a week?
Visits are allotted on a weekly basis and therefore any visits not used within one week will be forfeited. Visits are replenished every Friday morning.

How do I know my Visits balance for the week?
With every transaction you are given a receipt that stipulates the remaining balance.

What if I run out of “Visits” before the week ends?
You can always pay for your meal at WestSide dining with Flex Bucks, Cash, Credit or Debit cards. If you are running out of Visits on a normal basis you can upgrade your plan by visiting the Dining Services office in the SAC, Suite W206  or the Campus Card Office in the Houchens building.

Where can I use my “Visits“?
Visits can only be used at WestSide Dining located adjacent to the  University Tower Apartments.

Can I Bring a friend?
Yes. You can bring a guest to WestSide Dining and use your flex bucks to pay for their meal.

Can I apply for an exception to the required Meal Plan?
Yes. You can visit the meal plan waiver website to view details for filling out the required meal plan waiver.

What if I have special dietary needs?
Please contact UofL Dining Services @ 502-852-8310

Are there options for vegetarians?
Yes. All locations have vegetarian items.

What if I lose my Cardinal Card?
You must report the loss to the Cardinal Card office ASAP, so they can freeze your Meal Plan account.