FAQs

The basic function of a meal plan is to streamline the campus dining process. Meal plans operate as a prepaid account on a student's ID a.k.a. Crimson Card that is swiped each time a student visits an IU Indianapolis Dining Services location.

Meal plans are billed through the student's Bursar account, just like tuition and fees. No money changes hands at the time of service, and students are free to choose what they'd like to eat.

Meal plans also allow us to provide the best quality food at the best possible price. And our plans yield substantial cost savings versus paying for food out of pocket for each individual meal.

Our meal plans consist of Meal Swipes, Swipe Swaps, and Dining Dollars to be used at specific campus dining locations. Each of these are outlined in the sections below.

Meal Swipes give you access to all you care to eat dining at Tower Dining, including make-your-own stir fry, a bountiful salad bar, rotating daily specials, decadent desserts, fresh fruit, and all your studying staples, like pizza.

One Meal Swipes gives the meal plan holder one visit to Tower Dining. One Meal Swipe can also be used for one Swipe Swap. For more information on Swipe Swaps, see the question below. The number of Meal Swipes a student receives per week or semester varies by plan. Click here to view the meal plan options.

The students gives their Crimson Card to the cashier upon entering Tower Dining. A Meal Swipe is deducted from the meal plan account and the receipt will display the remaining balance. See Meal Plan Balance and Usage Information to learn about how meal swipes and dining dollars carryover.

Swipe Swaps are simply another Meal Swipe but unlike Meal Swipes these can be used to carryout meals at Tower Dining or Tower Den by Denny's. Each meal plan holder may convert up to two (2) Meal Swipes into a Swipe Swap per day.

Dining Dollars are prepaid dollars loaded onto a student’s Crimson Card as part of their IU Indianapolis Meal Plan. Dining Dollars work just like regular money on a debit card to make purchases at any of the on campus IU Indianapolis Dining Services locations. Dining Dollars come with savings for the student.

One Dining Dollar equals one US dollar however every purchase using Dining Dollars receives 14% off the regular price this includes the 9% tax-free purchase every student gets when dining at IU Indianapolis Dining Services plus an additional 5% off for IU Indianapolis Meal Plan holders only. 

The students gives their Crimson Card to the cashier when paying for their food and the Dining Dollars are deducted from the meal plan account. The receipt will display the remaining balance after each purchase. See Meal Plan Balance and Usage Information to learn about how meal swipes and dining dollars carryover.

Additionally, any ELECTIVE plan purchased before September 1, 2023, will receive an additional $40 Dining Dollars. These incentive Dining Dollars will be added to the student's account after the Dining Plan Cancellation date.

Bonus Swipes are simply Meal Swipes which can be used to bring a guest to eat at Tower Dining or as an additional Meal Swipes for the meal plan holder in the case one runs out.

 The All Access 7 Day, All Access 5 Day, and the 14 Per Week meal plans come with 5 free bonus swipes

For students of IU Indianapolis and Purdue in Indianapolis residing in Ball Hall, University Tower, or North Hall, a meal plan is assigned with your housing contract.  Upon submission of your signed housing contract, Housing and Residence Life will automatically enroll you in the All-Access 7-Day Plan.  A confirmation email with meal plan specifics will be sent to you around mid-July.

Note: Auto-assignments only apply to residents of Ball Hall, University Tower, and North Hall. Riverwalk residents will not be automatically assigned a meal plan.

All other IU Indianapolis and Purdue in Indianapolis students may purchase elective meal plans on the Meal Plan website.

All meal plans are charged to the student’s bursar account. Pay options on those accounts can be viewed on the Bursar's website.  Purdue students can pay by visiting the Purdue Bursar's website.

Take advantage of our exclusive meal plan offers to enhance your dining experience this semester. Sign up for a Fall Meal Plan by August 1, 2024, or a Spring Meal Plan by January 31, 2025, to receive 5 additional incentive Swipes.

Additionally, if you refer a friend during the Fall Semester, you will both enjoy the benefits of our referral program. You will receive $50 Dining Dollars, and your friend will receive $25 Dining Dollars, making dining with friends even more rewarding.

Don't miss out on these fantastic deals to make your dining experience even more enjoyable.

Required meal plans:

• Plans for Ball Hall, North Hall, and University Tower residents
• Two types of plans available: All Access Plans and Per Week Plans
  • All Access Plans allow students unlimited visits to Tower Dining
  • Limited Per Week Plans allow students up to a set number of visits to Tower Dining per week
• Varying amounts of Dining Dollars are included in these plans.
• See Meal Plan Balance and Usage Information to learn about how meal swipes and dining dollars carryover.
• The All Access 7 Day Meal Plan is automatically assigned by Auxiliary Services for the entire contract period of the student's Housing and Residence Life contract. Students are able to switch their plan once per semester. See Changes and Cancellations section for more information on how to change the plan.
• These plans can be viewed by clicking here.

Elective meal plans: 

• Plans for students living in Riverwalk, Graduate Townhomes, off-campus and commuters.
• Three types of plans available: All Access Plans, Per Week Plan, and Semester Plans
  • All Access Plans allow students unlimited visits to Tower Dining
  • Per Week Plans allow students up to a set number of visits to Tower Dining per week
  • Semester Plans allow students up to a set number of visits to Tower Dining per semester
• Varying amounts of Dining Dollars are included in these plans.
• See Meal Plan Balance and Usage Information to learn about how meal swipes and dining dollars carryover.
• These plans can be viewed by clicking here.

Required meal plans:

• Plans for North Hall residents.
• Two types of plans available: All Access Plans and Per Week Plans
  • All Access Plans allow students unlimited visits to Tower Dining
  • Limited Per Week Plans allow students up to a set number of visits to Tower Dining per week
• Varying amounts of Dining Dollars are included in these plans.
• See Meal Plan Balance and Usage Information to learn about how meal swipes and dining dollars carryover.
• The All Access 7 Day Meal Plan is automatically assigned by Auxiliary Services for the entire contract period of the student's Housing and Residence Life contract. Students are able to switch their plan once per semester. See Changes and Cancellations section for more information on how to change the plan.
• These plans can be viewed by clicking here.

Elective meal plans: 

• Plans for students living in Riverwalk, Graduate Townhomes, off-campus and commuters.
• Three types of plans available: All Access Plans, Per Week Plan, and Semester Plans
  • All Access Plans allow students unlimited visits to Tower Dining
  • Per Week Plans allow students up to a set number of visits to Tower Dining per week
  • Semester Plans allow students up to a set number of visits to Tower Dining per semester
• Varying amounts of Dining Dollars are included in these plans.
• See Meal Plan Balance and Usage Information to learn about how meal swipes and dining dollars carryover.
• These plans can be viewed by clicking here.

We recommend selecting a meal plan based upon how often a student will be eating on campus. The information below is broken into two categories: Elective Meal Plans and Required Meal Plans. Students living in Ball Hall, North Hall or University Tower must have a Required Meal Plan so jump to that section if that describes your housing status. Please note the Required Meal Plans are also available for purchase by students not living in Ball Hall, North Hall or University Tower.

Elective Meal Plans:

The following plans are loaded with Dining Dollars to use at campus retail dining locations such as ones found at the Campus Center. The # of meals per week the Dining Dollars provide are based on spending $8 to $10 per meal. These plans are also supplemented with Meal Swipes to use at Tower Dining for All You Care To Eat meals.

• Block 10 Meal Plan provides enough Dining Dollars for 1 to 2 meals per week at on-campus dining services locations plus 10 meals at Tower Dining for one semester.
• Block 15 Meal Plan provides enough Dining Dollars for 3 to 4 meals per week at on-campus dining services locations plus 15 meals at Tower Dining for one semester.
• Block 20 Meal Plan provides enough Dining Dollars for 5 to 6 meals per week at on-campus dining services locations plus 20 meals at Tower Dining for one semester.
• Apartment Meal Plan provides enough Dining Dollars for 7 to 9 meals per week at on-campus dining services locations plus 25 meals at Tower Dining for one semester.
  
  

Required Meal Plans:

The following plans use Tower Dining as the mainstay of the meal plan program with the intention of students enjoying breakfast, lunch and dinner at Tower Dining and using Dining Dollars as a weekly fund for a quick snack or beverage here or there throughout the week. The All Access 7 Day Plan is automatically assigned and students are able to switch to another required plan based on their class standing. See eligibility note next to each plan to determine if the student qualifies for a plan. Dining Dollars may be added to a student’s meal plan during the semester.

• All Access 7 Day Meal Plan provides unlimited meals every day of the week at Tower Dining plus $50.00 Dining Dollars for one semester. The Dining Dollars average out to provide over $3.00 per week.
  Eligibility: All Class Standings
• All Access 5 Day Meal Plan provides unlimited meals Monday through Friday at Tower Dining plus $200.00 Dining Dollars for one semester. The Dining Dollars average out to provide over $12.00 per week. Students on this plan will use Tower Dining for breakfast, lunch, and dinner Monday through Friday only. For students considering the All Access 5 Day Meal Plan, please note this plan allows students to use unlimited meal swipes Monday through Friday, students cannot use meal swipes on the weekend. Currently Tower Dining is the only IU Indianapolis Dining Services location open on Saturday and Sunday and while students are certainly welcome to use Dining Dollars in Tower Dining using a meal swipe is a more cost-effective way to get the most out of the meal plan. The All Access 5 Day Plan was created for the small number of students who return home on the weekends or for whom have a job that does not allow them to participate in meals on-campus on Saturday or Sunday.
  Eligibility: All Class Standings
• 14 Per Week Meal Plan provides 14 meals at Tower Dining per week plus $150.00 Dining Dollars for one semester. The Dining Dollars average out to provide over $9.00 per week. These Dining Dollars are intended for smaller snack and beverage purchases at non-Tower Dining locations. Students on this plan will use Tower Dining for the bulk of their meals on campus. Eligibility: Sophomore Class Standing and above

IU Indianapolis Meal Plans are for use at IU Indianapolis Dining Services-Chartwells managed locations only. These are food locations on campus in various IU Indianapolis buildings. The Meal Swipes are used at Tower Dining (and Tower Den) and the Dining Dollars can be used at any of the IU Indianapolis Dining Services locations. Click here for IU Indianapolis Dining Services locations.   

IU Indianapolis Meal Plans are not accepted at on-campus locations such as  vending machines, IU Health, Eskanazi and Riley Hospitals. These locations are not managed by IU Indianapolis Dining Services-Chartwells. Similarly, IU Indianapolis Meal Plans cannot be used at off-campus restaurants and grocery stores that accept the Crimson Card as payment. Additionally, IU Indianapolis Meal Plans cannot be used or transferred to Crimson Cash or any other Indiana University school. Please note the IU Indianapolis Meal Plan Dining Dollars are not the same as Crimson Cash.   

Elective Meal Plans can be purchased by any Indianapolis student that does not live in University Tower, North Hall, or Ball Residence Hall.

Required Meal Plans must be purchased by students who reside in University Tower, North Hall, or Ball Hall.

Block 10, 15, 20 and Apartment Meal Plans are loaded onto the Crimson Card and available for use two Saturdays prior to the first day of fall semester class. Meal Swipes expire at the close of dinner service at Tower Dining on the last day of spring semester final exams. Dining Dollars expire at the close of business the day after the last day of spring semester final exams.

The All Access 7 Day, All Access 5 Day, and 14 Per Week Meal Plans are loaded onto the Crimson Card and available for use on the Saturday before the first day of fall semester classes. Meal Swipes expire at the close of dinner service at Tower Dining on the last day of fall semester final exams. Dining Dollars expire at the close of business the day after the last day of spring semester final exams.

Important:  Tower Dining is closed during Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break and Spring Break. Students  staying on campus during these times must plan accordingly as the meal plan does not include meals during these breaks. Please click here for more information on important dates regarding meal plans.

Block 10, 15, 20 and Apartment Meal Plans are loaded onto the Crimson Card and available for use on the Sunday before the first day of spring semester classes. Meal Swipes expire at the close of dinner service at Tower Dining on the last day of spring semester final exams. Dining Dollars expire at the close of business the day after the last day of spring semester final exams.

The All Access 7 Day, All Access 5 Day, and 14 Per Week Meal Plans are loaded onto the Crimson Card and available for use on the Sunday before the first day of spring semester classes. Meal Swipes expire at the close of dinner service at Tower Dining on the last day of spring semester final exams. Dining Dollars expire at the close of business the day after the last day of spring semester final exams.

Important:  Tower Dining is closed during Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break and Spring Break. Students  staying on campus during these times must plan accordingly as the meal plan does not include meals during these breaks. Please click here for more information on important dates regarding meal plans.

Unfortunately at this time IU Indianapolis does not offer summer meal plans and Tower Dining restaurant is only open for pre-arranged group reservations.

The Campus Center food court and other satellite retail locations are open with limited hours of operation during this time.

Tower Dining opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner beginning two Saturdays before the first day of fall semester classes to accommodate the Bridge Week Program, other university programs, and students that move in early. Additionally, the Campus Center food court is open with limited hours of operation during this time. Refer to the Hours and Locations for up-to-date hours during this time.

The fall semester meal plans, Block 10, 15, 20 and Apartment Meal Plans, are activated early so students can use them during the Bridge Program. These plans are only available for students that do not live in Ball Hall, North Hall or University Tower.

For students moving into Ball Hall, North Hall or University Tower prior to the normal move in date (the Saturday before classes start in the fall) the Early Move In Plan is automatically assigned and charged to their bursar account.

Students that participate in the All Access 7 Day, All Access 5 Day or 14 Per Week who do not live in Ball Hall, North Hall or University Tower and move in prior to the normal move in date (the Saturday before classes start in the fall) are able to purchase the Early Move In Plan.  Call the meal plan office at (317) 274-2700 or email meals@iu.edu to purchase this plan. Refer to the Hours and Locations for up-to-date hours during this time.

Elective meal plan holders agree to the terms and condition when purchasing the meal plan online. Required meal plan holders agree to the terms and conditions when signing the Housing and Residence Life (HRL) contract. The HRL contract specifies the requirement to purchase a Required Meal Plan and agree to its terms and conditions.

Students can review the Terms and Conditions here.

There are several ways to check your balance and see how much of your meal plan you have used. 

1. Visit the Meal Plan Enrollment Website to get meal swipe and dining dollar balances. Unfortunately, only active plans can be viewed. If you have purchased a second plan, the new plan balances will not be viewable until the current plan has been depleted. To get around this technical issue see the second way to check your balance however this only applies to dining dollars, not meal swipes
2. Additionally, you can check your dining dollar balance at the Check My Balance link. The balance feature takes you to the Crimson Card site where all balance information including Crimson Cash, EZ Deposit, etc, can be viewed.

Unused Block Plans and Apartment Plan Meal Swipes roll or carry over from fall to spring semester. Any unused meal swipes at the end of spring semester are forfeited. There is no carryover from spring to any future semester. Be sure to use all of your meal swipes to get the most value from your meal plan. Unused All Access and 14 Per Week Meal Swipes do not roll or carry over from week to week, fall to spring semester, or spring to any future semester. Be sure to use all of your meal swipes to get the most value from your meal plan.

Unused Dining Dollars on all plans roll or carry over from fall to spring semester. Any unused Dining Dollars at the end of spring semester are forfeited. There is no carryover from spring to any future semester. Be sure to use all of your Dining Dollars to get the most value from your meal plan. 

Students in need of food accommodations need to register with Accessible Educational Services if a IU Indianapolis student (AES) Diversity.Indianapolis.IU.edu or Disability Resources Center (DRC) Purdue.edu/DRC/ if a Purdue Student.  They will help determine the qualification of a disability and approves reasonable accommodations.  AES/DRC and IU Indianapolis Dining Services Executive Chef will help determine how reasonable accommodations can be implemented.  Please note that AES or DRC registration is different from the online form about food allergies and restrictions that you filled out before arriving for Orientation.  Even if you filled out the Orientation form you will still need to register with AES or DRC.

Accessible Educational Services (AES) or Disability Resource Center (DRC) and the IU Indianapolis Dining Services Executive Chef will help determine if reasonable accommodations can be made. Typically, the executive chef is able to accommodate most allergies and dietary restrictions however there are limitations within a high-volume dining environment. In this case, one must consider if a residential facility that has a required meal plan is the best option. It would be recommended to live in an apartment style residence hall where one has more control over the foods they eat.

If you have special dietary needs create an Allergen ID at Dine on Campus at IUI.  This will create a digital ID card that can be printed or uploaded to your smartphone wallet.  Take a short survey that will help inform our chefs and managers of your dietary concerns. Use your Allergen ID card to privately inform the dining staff at any dining location of your dietary needs.  

Our culinary team is trained to develop a delicious solution to meet your needs.  Someone will reach back out to you to discuss your dining options and make accommodations if possible.

Yes, any student can change their plan once during the semester. Meal plan changes must be done between the time your semester meal plan has been charged to your bursar account and the second Friday of that semester (typically charges are sent to your bursar account the third week of July for fall and the second week of December for spring). No changes are accepted outside of these times. The ability and process to change your plan differs based on your housing status and the date of change. See the FAQ below: How do I change my meal plan?

Students living in Ball Hall, North Hall or University Tower have specific plans they may change to – read further for additional details.

• Freshmen students living in Ball Hall, North Hall or University Tower have the option to switch to the All Access 5 Day Plan only.
• Sophomore students and above living in Ball Hall, North Hall or University Tower have the option to switch to the All Access 5 Day or the 14 Per Week Plans only.
  
  Please note the following for those wanting to switch to All Access 5 Day Plan however please seriously consider your food needs on the weekend before changing to this plan. This plan gives you unlimited Meal Swipes Monday thru Friday only. The All Access 5 Day Plan is only suggested for students who do not need meals on campus on the weekends. In the case a student with an All Access 5 Day Plan remains on campus Saturday and/or Sunday and needs to eat using the meal plan, only Tower Dining is open and therefore Dining Dollars will be used.

The meal plan change procedure depends on the date you change your plan. See below for specific instructions by date:

• Prior to your meal plan activation date (refer to you confirmation email for this date) visit the IU Indianapolis Meal Plan Enrollment Website and log in using your university network id and passphrase. You will see the plan you are currently enrolled and the "Change Plans" or “Cancel Plan” button will be available depending on your housing status. Students living in Riverwalk ,Graduate Townhomes, off-campus, or commuters will have a "Cancel Plan" button, simply click, cancel your current plan and then re-enroll in a new plan. Students living in Ball Hall, North Hall or University Tower will have a "Change Plan" button, simply click the button and follow the prompts.
• On or after your meal plan activation date (refer to you confirmation email for this date), visit the IU Indianapolis Meal Plan Enrollment Website and log in using your university network id and passphrase. Click the Contact Us link located in the top right corner of the page and select the Change My Plan from the drop-down menu under How can we help you? and provide the required information.

The meal plan cancellation policy and procedure depends on your housing status and the date you cancel your plan, visit Terms and Conditions for more information.

Below are specific instructions on how to cancel your meal plan, organized by housing status:

Students living in Riverwalk ,Graduate Townhomes, off-campus, or commuters: cancellations are accepted through 11:59 p.m. the second Friday of the semester.

• Prior to your meal plan activation date (refer to you confirmation email for this date) visit the IU Indianapolis Campus Dining Enrollment Website and log in using your university network id and passphrase. You will see the plan you are currently enrolled and the “Cancel Plan” button. For those with a "Cancel Plan" button, simply click, cancel your current plan. A cancellation confirmation email will be sent to your university email address.
• On or after your meal plan activation date (refer to you confirmation email for this date), visit IU Indianapolis Meal Plan Inquiry and provide the required information.

Students living in Ball Hall, North Hall or University Tower: cancellations are only accepted upon an approved cancellation of your housing contract by the Housing Department.

• Students living in Ball Hall, North Hall or University Tower may only cancel their meal plan upon canceling their housing contract. In this case, if a student's housing contract is canceled for any reason, their meal plan will be automatically canceled on the same date as the housing cancellation. While there is no requirement to contact meal plans, we highly recommend reaching out to the office to ensure that all information is accurately communicated, meals@iu.edu.  All cancellation information is shared from Housing and Residence Life to the Meal Plan Office directly.

Cancellation fees are based on a student's housing status:

• Students living in Riverwalk ,Graduate Townhomes, off-campus, or commuters may cancel your meal plan without a buyout fee through the second Friday of the semester it was purchased by 11:59 p.m. Any unused balance will be credited back to the student’s bursar account.
• Students living in Ball Hall, North Hall or University Tower whose housing contract is canceled will be charged a meal plan buyout fee in addition to the Housing and Residence Life’s fee for cancellations unless you are exempt. The exemption procedure is managed by Housing and Residence Life. If you are exempt from the HRL buyout fee you are automatically exempt from the meal plan buyout fee. For those not-exempt, this fee may be waived if you remain a university student and purchase a Block 15 Meal Plan or larger. See "How I  request a Buyout Fee Waiver" for more information.

There are two options to request a buyout fee.

• Option 1: Apply for exemption to the Housing and Residence Life Buyout Fee. In the case a student receives exemption approval, the student will also be exempt from being charged the Meal Plan Buyout Fee.
• Option 2: Students who continue as IU Indianapolis students but no longer live in Ball Hall, North Hall or University Tower, can purchase the Block 15 Elective Meal Plan or a larger plan to qualify for an exemption from the meal plan buyout fee. Visit the IU Indianapolis Meal Plan Website and fill out the IU Indianapolis Meal Plan Inquiry Form.

The best way to keep up with all the dining services information and programs is by connecting with IUI Dining via social media– Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. Be sure to like the page while you are there. Another great resource for events and hours is on the Dine On Campus website. Additionally, as a meal plan member, you will receive periodic emails with information about your meal plan as well as dining events, limited time offers, hours of operation, reminders and updates.

Chartwells wants and needs your feedback. Please let us know about all the things important to you such as what types of food you would like to see more of - less of, let us know if the milk runs out, or if something was spilled and missed, we will get an associate to quickly respond. You can give us this feedback in 1 of 4 ways:

• For Immediate Feedback and Response: 1) text management by locating the number to text on the Chattback sign found at every location or 2) find a member of management-they love to hear from you during your dining experience. Become familiar with their faces by viewing their bios and pics
• Call or Email Mgmt: refer to the Chartwells Management Contact List to call or email the manager directly
• Talk to your Hall Council Representative: Share your feedback with your rep and they can relay it to the Dining Services Team at the Hall Council meetings
• Participate in Surveys: you will receive a short survey at least once a semester to rate and provide open comment on your dining experiences

Please reach out to the Office of Auxiliary Services via phone, email or in-person.  Walk-in hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Calls and emails answered Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. please allow 1 business day to return voicemail and/or email.  The office is closed during all university holidays.