Residence Meal Plan
The Residence Meal Plan is required for UBC Vancouver Residents living in Place Vanier, Orchard Commons and Totem Park. Having a meal plan has many advantages, but most importantly it means you’ll be sharing great meals with friends in a caring environment where diversity, wellbeing, and community matter.
Eating Together
Improves self-esteem, academic success, nutrition, happiness and more.
Save Time & Energy
Focus on studying, making friends & getting involved in your new community.
Lighten your Load
No need to plan, shop, prep & clean up meals.
Nutritional Support
Healthy eating tips, dietary preference and allergen guidance from our RD.
Fresh, Healthy Food
High-quality & wholesome ingredients guided by our Food Values.
Over 45 Locations
Dining rooms, restaurants, cafés, food trucks, eateries and more.
How Your Meal Plan Works
When you purchase your meal plan, funds are loaded onto your UBCcard. The Residence Meal Plan is a declining balance plan. Like a debit account, Dining Dollars in your meal plan account are deducted when you make food purchases.
To Make a purchase, swipe your UBCcard at a cash register. Every food item has an individual price. In the residence dining rooms, your order total and price reduction will be displayed on a transaction screen at the cash register. Dining is not “all you care to eat” and there are no pre-set numbers of meals allotted to each student.
You must have your UBCcard with you when you make food purchases from your meal plan. If you don’t have it you will be asked to pay cash, credit or debit and will not receive a discount. Meal plans are non-transferable.
Fee Summary
Residence Dollars
Save up to 25%
Used for tax-exempt (5%) purchases in residence dining rooms and select retail locations. Prices in residence dining are reduced by 25% at the time of transaction and discounted by 5% at select retail locations.
Flex Dollars
Save 5%
Used at 15+ Food Services locations (5% discount), 16+ Campus Partners, campus vending machines and pay-for-print. Gives students access to convenient locations outside of their residence dining rooms.
Here is a summary of 2019-2020 meal plan fees. For more detailed information about payment amounts and the payment schedule, visit the Fees & Payments page and click on the page for your residence.
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
Residence Dollars | $1,483.90 | $1,564.84 | $3,048.74 |
Flex Dollars | $548.90 | $578.84 | $1,127.74 |
Residence Overhead* | $493.90 | $520.84 | $1,014.74 |
Residence CIF** | $175.00 | $175.00 | $350.00 |
Total Per Term | $2,701.70 | $2,838.52 | $5,541.22 |
* Residence Overhead is an upfront payment that covers a portion of fixed costs. Learn more about Residence Overhead below.
** Residence Dining CIF is a non-refundable Capital Improvement Fund used for capital investments that directly enhance residence dining environments, facilities and equipment. It is deducted from your meal plan cost and cannot be used to make food purchases.
Residence Overhead
Residence Overhead is a critical upfront payment that covers a portion of fixed costs. Essentially, it is a deposit that is gradually offset every time you make a purchase in the three residence dining rooms through a 25% price reduction.
25% of $4,063.48 = $1,014.74*, your total Residence Overhead Fee.
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
Residence Dollars | $1,483.90 | $1,564.84 | $3,048.74 |
Residence Overhead* | $493.90 | $520.84 | $1,014.74 |
Total Per Term | $1,977.80 | $2,085.68 | $4,063.48 |
The price reduction you receive is equivalent to the overhead paid. If you spend all of your Residence Dollars in the three residence dining rooms, your entire Residence Overhead is recovered. If you spend half your Residence Dollars, only half of your Residence Overhead is recovered.
* Yes, 25% of $4,063.48 should be equal to $1,015.87! The way our system calculates daily rates creates discrepancy within $1.00 depending on the calendar year.
How Much do I Have to Spend?
You have $5,191.22 to spend during your full meal plan contract – a combination of Residence Dollars ($3,048.74), Residence Overhead ($1,014.74) and Flex Dollars ($1,127.74).
When you spend Residence Dollars in residence dining rooms, you are charged 25% less than the retail food value to offset your Residence Overhead fee. For example, when you buy a burger with a retail price of $10, you are charged $7.50 Residence Dollars for it. You also have $1,127.74 Flex Dollars to spend at 30+ nearby food service locations and campus partners.
Check out our handy Budget Calculator to estimate your daily spend based on your eating habits and personal schedule.
Where Can I Use my Residence Dollars?
Plan to eat about 80% of your meals using Residence Dollars in residence dining rooms to get the most value from your plan and stay on budget. The cost of food purchased in the residence dining rooms is tax-exempt (5%) and reduced (25%) to reflect that Residence Overhead has been paid.
Residence Dollars can also be spent at select restaurants, food trucks and quick service locations. Food and non-alcoholic beverages purchased at these locations are tax-exempt (5%) and discounted (5%).
Residence Dining Rooms
Feast, Gather and Open Kitchen serve international comfort foods made from scratch and with local ingredients whenever possible. Plan to eat about 80% of your meals at these three locations.
Restaurants
Try The Point’s famous chicken & waffles with spicy maple syrup, indulge in modern West Coast cuisine at Sage, and discover campus’s best-kept lunch secret at Ideas Lounge in the Peter Wall Institute.
Quick Serve Locations
Find great food at convenient locations around campus: The Loop, Triple O’s, Mercante, Bento Sushi, Perugia, Pacific Poke, Ike’s and Subway.
Where Can I Use my Flex Dollars?
Enjoy 20% of your meals using Flex Dollars at UBC Food Services cafés, most locations owned by the AMS, select national franchises and more. Food and non-alcoholic beverages purchased at UBC Food Services locations are discounted by 5%.
If you use up your Residence Dollars before your Flex Dollars, Flex Dollars will automatically transfer to Residence Dollars when you make purchases in the residence dining rooms, and you will continue to receive a 25% price reduction and 5% tax savings.
Cafes & Markets
Enjoy hot drinks, baked goods, sandwiches, entrées, groceries and more at conveniently located cafés and markets across campus. Locations include three Starbucks locations and two Tim Hortons locations, as well as Harvest, Stir It Up Café, Sauder Exchange Café, Law Café and Neville’s Café.
Campus Partners
14+ locations on and near the UBC campus, including The Nest (UBC Student Union building), Browns Socialhouse, Domino’s Pizza, Great Dane Coffee, Vera’s Burger Shack, The Pita Pit and more. No discounts apply. More →
Other Locations
Hero Coffee + Market (Orchard Commons), Hubbard’s Global Market (Place Vanier), Magda’s Late Nite Market (Totem Park) and Gage Market (Walter Gage) offer extended hours and grocery staples. Flex dollars can also be used at many campus vending machines and Pay for Print in UBC libraries and study areas.
Budgeting Support
Budget Calculator
Estimate your daily spend based on your eating habits and personal schedule.
Sample Menu Plans
Menu plans for healthy eating and vegetarian diets.
Budget Blog Posts
Tips to help you stay healthy and on-budget all year long.
Nutritional Support
Read the Nutrition Blog
Learn tips and tricks to perform your best while attending UBC.
Book an Appointment
Students in residence can meet with our Registered Dietitians to discuss food allergies, intolerance, nutrition-related medical conditions or general healthy eating.
Ask a Question
No time to meet up? Students in residence can email our Registered Dietitians with food or nutrition questions.
FAQS
Only Flex Dollars can be topped up. If you run out of Residence Dollars, your Flex Dollars will automatically transfer to Residence Dollars when you make purchases in the residence dining rooms, and you will continue to receive a 25% price reduction and 5% tax savings.
Top up anytime through the online service center or at the SHCS Main Office.
Residence Dollars are automatically transferred to a Carryover Plan in early May, enabling you to purchase food and non-alcoholic beverages at UBC Discount Locations at a 5% discount. Residence Dollars can also be transferred to a UBC Food Services Gift Card by submitting the form below by the deadline provided. There is no charge for the transfer to a Carryover Plan or UBC Food Services Gift Card.
Flex Dollars are automatically transferred to a UBCcard Plan at no charge at the end of your contract. Flex Dollars can be refunded for a $25 admin fee by submitting this form by the deadline provided.
For more details please refer to your Residence Contract.
Lost or stolen UBCcards must be deactivated and reported immediately.
- Freeze your Residence Meal Plan by deactivating it through the SHHS Online Service Centre.
- Report your lost/stolen UBCcard through the UBC Carding Office.
- Get a replacement card from the UBC Carding Office.
- Visit a UBC Food Services location on campus and ask the cashier to swipe your new card—this puts your new UBC Card information on the system.
- Reactivate your Residence Meal Plan through the SHCS Online Service Centre.
UBC Food Services assumes no responsibility for fraudulent use of your UBCcard before your account is deactivated and your lost/stolen card is reported to the UBC Carding Office.
UBC Food Services Financial Breakdown: 2016/2017
* General operating expenses include kitchen, serving supplies and small equipment, cleaning and office supplies, licenses, insurance, IT, POS systems, bank charges, customs/freight, and more.
