End of Spring Semester and Summer Hours of Operation

Dining Service meal plans for the fall 2021 and spring 2022 academic year (including meal plan swipes and Dining Dollars) expire at 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, 2022. This does not mean that all locations close at 9 p.m. View the hours at the link below for various units to see when most dining locations will close for the spring 2022 semester.

Summer meal plans are effective from Sunday, May 15 thru Thursday, August 11, 2022.

View a list of hours on the summer hours webpage.

Meal Plans

Student sitting at a table in the dining center with a mask on.

Photo by Craig Chandler, University Communication

Meal Plans

Students eat gelato in the Abel Dining Center

First-year Student Meal Plans

Dining Service meal plans are flexible by design. All students have access to the Herbie 25 Add-on.

Returning Student Meal Plans

Returning students can also select any first-year student meal plan. All students have access to the Herbie 25 Add-on.

Compare Plans

Looking to compare plans at a glance? Take a look at the chart below which highlights some of the major differences between our meal plan options.

Fall 2021/Spring 2022 Meal Plan Information
Big Red
18/200
Platinum
14/600
Diamond
12/1000
Sapphire
10/1400
Gold
250/1200
Silver
150/1000
Bronze
100/550
Herbie 25
Add-on
All first-year students living on campus green check mark green check mark green check mark green check mark red x red x red x green check mark
All returning students green check mark green check mark green check mark green check mark green check mark green check mark green check mark green check mark
All students living off campus green check mark green check mark green check mark green check mark green check mark green check mark green check mark green check mark
Any student living in a sorority or fraternity green check mark green check mark green check mark green check mark green check mark green check mark green check mark green check mark
Meals break down 18 meals per week 14 meals per week 12 meals per week 10 meals per week 125 meals per semester 75 meals per semester 50 meals per semester 25 meals per pack
Carry over from fall to spring semester. Expire end of spring semester. No refunds.
Dining Dollars $100 per semester $300 per semester $500 per semester $700 per semester $600 per semester $500 per semester $275 per semester red x
Carry over from fall to spring semester. Expire end of spring semester. No refunds.
Dining Dollars Reload $100 Dining Dollar reload blocks can be added to any meal plan. Multiple Dining Dollar reload blocks can be purchased. red x
Guests, Limits & Lockouts Up to two (2) meal plan swipes per meal period. Up to five (5) meal plan swipes per meal period.
Swipes can be used in any combination at any dining center, Husker Heroes, or Herbie's Market location.
Only one swipe can be used at Herbie's Market per meal period in the form of a meal exchange.
Students who use their alotted weekly meal plan swipes can use their Dining Dollars until their swipes reload on Sunday morning. Students who use their five (5) meal plan swipes are prevented from eating elsewhere during the same meal period unless they use their Dining Dollars. Multiple packs can be purchased.
Price per academic year $4,793.00 $4,793.00 $4,793.00 $4,793.00 $3,641.00 $2,601.00 $1,571.00 $270.00
Meal Plan FAQs

Am I eligible for a meal plan?

Students must be enrolled in at least one (1) credit hour to be eligible for a meal plan.
Where can you use meal plan swipes?

Meal plan swipes can be used in any dining center. In addition, you can use a meal plan swipe in Husker Heroes or Herbie's Market in the form of a meal exchange.

Meal plan swipes cannot be used at any Nebraska Union food vendor.
What is a meal exchange and what is its value?

A meal exchange is a meal plan swipe used somewhere other than the dining center.

Meal exchanges have an $9 value and are accepted at Husker Heroes and Herbie's Markets.
What are Dining Dollars and how do they work?

Dining Dollars are an addition to meal plans that give students the flexibility to purchase food items. Students present their NCard at the Market register, and the total of the food items purchased count toward your Dining Dollars.
What’s the difference between Dining Dollars and meal plan swipes?

Dining Dollars can be used in any Herbie’s Market on campus. Swipes are used in the dining centers and count toward your meals per week balance.
Where can you use Dining Dollars?

Dining Dollars are accepted in any of the Herbie’s Markets on campus (Cather, Abel, Knoll, Village and East Campus) as well as any dining center or Husker Heroes location.

You can also use your Dining Dollars at any Nebraska Union food vendor (excluding Imperial Palace) via the mobile ordering app. Nebraska Union food vendors include Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Steak 'n Shake, Subway and Valentino's.
Can I reload my Dining Dollars?

$100 Dining Dollar reload blocks can be added to any meal plan and can be purchased be any student living with University Housing. Multiple Dining Dollars reload blocks can be purchased. Reload Dining Dollars in the Housing Portal in MyRed.
Can I change my meal plan?

Students can change their semester meal plan PRIOR to the meal plan start date. Once the meal plan begins, there’ll be a two-week freeze from the contract start date that’ll prevent students from making changes to meal plans.

After the two-week freeze, students will have one week to make changes to their meal plans (Spring 2022: January 31 – February 4). After this date, students will be unable to make changes to their current semester meal plan.

First-year students will only be able to view and select options for which they are eligible.
Is there a cost associated with changing my meal plan?

Big Red 18/200, Platinum 14/600, Diamond 12/1000 and Sapphire 10/1400 plans bill swipes by a nightly rate + semester dining dollars. These plans are “pro-rated” meaning you will pay the daily rate + Dining Dollars used for the number of days you have the plan.

Gold 250/1200, Silver 150/1000 and Bronze 100/550 plans are “block” plans, this means you are paying for a set number (block) of meals and a set number (block) of Dining Dollars. Block plans are not pro-rated, you are charged the whole cost of the plan at the time you purchase the plan.

Occasionally, and depending on prior plan usage, moving from a pro-rated plan to a block plan may cost more than the original plan.
Can I cancel my meal plan?

Meal plans are required unless the student is residing off campus or in an apartment-style unit in Courtyards, Village or Massengale. All first-year students are required to have a meal plan.

Students whose meal plans are not required can submit a required 30-day cancel notice by emailing the request to housing.contracts@unl.edu. The email must be sent from the Huskers email address include the student name and NUID. Students will be charged for 30 days of meal swipes and any used Dining Dollars after the email has been received.

If the last day of the 30-day cancellation notice lands during the last 30 days of the semester, there will be no credit issued for the remaining days left in the semester.
Do meals reset? If yes, when?

Big Red 18/200, Platinum 14/600, Diamond 12/1000 and Sapphire 10/1400 meal plans

Meals reset each Sunday. Meals do not carry over from week to week.


Gold 250/1200, Silver 150/1000 and Bronze 100/550 meal plans

Meals will carry over to the spring semester but must be used by the end of the contract. No refund will be given in the last 30 days of the contract.
Do Dining Dollars reset? If yes, when?

The Dining Dollars balance is for the semester. Unused Dining Dollars carry over from the fall semester to spring semester but must be used by the end of the contract. No refund will be given in the last 30 days of the contract.
If I leave school at the end of the fall semester, do I get a refund?

Students leaving at the end of the fall semester will not be refunded for meals or Dining Dollars if within the last 30 days of the fall semester.


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