Meal Plan Terms and Conditions

Revised October 9, 2024

Campus Services HQ oversees all meal plan selections, changes and cancellations, and the Charleston Culinary Group manages all of the College’s campus dining locations.

Spring 2025 Terms and Conditions

Please review the Terms and Conditions for College of Charleston meal plans. You will agree to these terms when you sign up for a meal plan.
  • Definition of Terms

    The College of Charleston offers a wide variety of meal plans to meet every lifestyle. Each meal plan includes guaranteed meals through the use of meal taps in designated on-campus locations, which currently include City Bistro, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Liberty St. Food Hall, The Market, Marty’s Place, Patriots Point, TD Arena, and three P.O.D. Express locations. Dining Dollars may be used to supplement meal taps and can be used in all previously mentioned campus dining locations, plus our retail food facilities, which currently include Chick-fil-A and Starbucks in the Addlestone Library. The student ID card (known as the Cougar Card) is used to transact both meal taps and Dining Dollars.

    • All Access plans provide unlimited meal taps for the student and are non-transferable. All Access plans also include preloaded Dining Dollars and 15 guest meals. Meal taps expire at the end of the semester.
    • 12 Meals per Week plan provides the student 12 meal taps per week. A week is defined as Saturday breakfast through Friday dinner. Any remaining meal taps at the end of the week will expire. Meal taps are non-transferable. This plan also includes preloaded Dining Dollars and 15 guest meals.
    • Block plans provide a specified number of meal taps per semester. All unused meal taps from any Block plan expire at the end of the semester. These plans include preloaded Dining Dollars. Meals may be extended to a guest, but there are no additional guest meals.
    • Dining Dollars are a credited dollar amount allocated on the student ID card that can be used at any of the on-campus dining locations. Dining Dollars can be added to the student’s account anytime during the semester via the eBill tile on MyPortal or in person at Campus Services HQ. Dining Dollars roll over from semester to semester until the student graduates, withdraws or takes a formal leave of absence through the Academic Success and Retention Office.
  • Billing

    For students residing in campus housing, meal plans are billed by semester and assigned by academic year. The meal plan selected for an initial term is the default plan for the subsequent term. For non-residential students, meal plans are billed and assigned by semester. The meal plan selection may be changed until 5:00 p.m. on the last day of drop/add each semester. Tuesday, January 14, 2025, is the deadline for the spring 2025 semester. After the last day of drop/add, the meal plan remains in effect for the entire semester. Meal plans or Dining Dollars are an itemized charge on the student eBill. Students or authorized users are responsible for reviewing meal plan charges applied to the student eBill. After the drop/add period concludes, a meal plan may no longer be charged to the student eBill. Payment must be received at the time of purchase in Campus Services HQ.

  • Incoming First-Year Students Living in Campus Housing

    Incoming first-year students (regardless of credit hours) and transfer students classified as first-year students upon acceptance by Admissions, who live in campus housing, are required to purchase a qualifying College of Charleston First-Year Student Resident Plan. Cancellations are not permitted unless the student’s request has been approved according to the Meal Plan Accommodation Procedure.

    Meal plan rates are subject to approval by the College of Charleston Board of Trustees. Meal plan options and rates are posted on the Charleston Culinary Group website. Note: All fees listed are subject to change at any time.

  • Cancellation

    Students can add, change or cancel (if eligible) a spring 2025 meal plan through January 2, 2025, in the MyHousing/Dining portal. After that, students have until 5:00 p.m. on January 14, 2025, to add, change or cancel a meal plan. They may either submit a change form, which can be found on the Meal Plan website after January 2, 2025, or make the request in person at Campus Services HQ, 162 Calhoun St.

    A student will be released from the meal plan if a complete withdrawal, leave of absence or transfer to another institution is completed with the Academic Success and Retention Office or if the student withdraws from all classes by the stated deadline for withdrawal with a grade of “W” as posted on the academic calendar for the semester. Refunds of the meal plan fee will be prorated.

    A student will be released from the meal plan if they are academically ineligible to return. Students are responsible for contacting Campus Services HQ at campusservices@cofc.edu to request a refund.

    A student will be released from the meal plan for Study Abroad, National Exchange or full-time internship.

    Cancellation of the housing contract or removal from campus housing does not automatically cancel meal plan enrollment. If the student no longer wishes to participate in the meal plan, the student must make a written inquiry with Campus Services HQ at campusservices@cofc.edu.

  • Receipts and Statements

    If the point-of-sale terminal is equipped to provide receipts, the cardholder will either receive a receipt as a matter of course or upon request.  Meal plan and Dining Dollars balances may be checked at the time of use. The Cougar Card portal, accessible to the student from MyPortal, provides account statements for a 12-month period. Activity statements for meals and Dining Dollars listing all transactions will be generated upon request by the student at Campus Services HQ.

  • Refunds of Unused Funds

    Refunds of unused Dining Dollars will be issued to students who are graduating or have been granted a leave of absence or withdrawal by the Academic Success and Retention Office. Campus Services HQ will refund the account balance only after receipt of a completed refund form.  No refunds will be issued for account balances less than $10. Refunds are credited to the student eBill. If the refund results in a credit on the student eBill and if the student has a direct deposit account on file with the College, the refund will be deposited directly to that account; otherwise, the College of Charleston will mail a check to the cardholder at the permanent address on record with the College. If the student has a balance on their eBill, the refund will act as a credit towards the balance owed. Campus Services HQ reserves the right to close any account that has been inactive for 18 months or more. Unused meal taps remaining at the end of the term will expire and are not eligible for refund. In the event the College of Charleston is closed or is required to adjust hours of operation due to a weather event, public health emergency needs, safety considerations, acts of God, civil unrest, natural disasters, facility issues, or other emergencies, including but not limited to COVID-19 and related situations, meal plan fees will not be refunded for the period of closure.

  • Terms of Service

    The Charleston Culinary Group suspends service for Winter Break. Limited options are available during Thanksgiving Break, and meal plans are accepted. Limited options are also offered during Summer Break, and a smaller selection of block meal plans are offered for this timeframe. Locations open over Summer Break will also accept cash, Cougar Cash, Dining Dollars and credit cards for payment. Holiday and break schedules are posted on the Charleston Culinary Group website and at each dining location.

  • Dining Hall Attire

    Casual, comfortable attire may be worn in College dining facilities.  However, students without shirts or shoes with soles, or who are wearing only bathing suits will not be admitted.

  • Second Helpings

    Unlimited seconds on food items are available during each meal session in Liberty St. Food Hall and City Bistro. Dining staff may ask that students take no more than two servings of an item at one time to ensure adequate supply for others. In most dining locations, meal plan users can eat their meal on premises or take their meal to go but are not permitted to do both during the same meal session.

  • Misuse of the Cougar Card

    The Cougar Card is non-transferable. It is a violation of the College of Charleston Student Code of Conduct to use a Cougar Card belonging to another individual. Unauthorized use, tampering or alteration may result in confiscation and/or disciplinary action.