Terms and Conditions

Iowa State University

ISU Dining

2025-2026 ISU Dining Student Contract Terms and Conditions 

I. Introduction

This document establishes the ISU Dining contract Terms and Conditions (“terms”) and Policy Handbook for plans, blocks, Dining Dollars (“DD”), and dining facilities. This contract is a binding agreement between Iowa State University (“ISU”) and the contract signatory. Along with the terms and policies in this document, all policies and regulations outlined in the 2025-2026 Housing Contract Terms and Condition (“housing terms”), the ISU Dining website (https://www.dining.iastate.edu/about-us/isu-dining-rules/), and the University Policy library are hereby incorporated into this contract and are all binding. It is the student signatory‘s responsibility to become familiar with all provisions of this contract. No verbal statement by any party is considered a waiver of any term or condition, whether expressed or implied, unless made in writing by the Director of ISU Dining.

A. Contract Dates

1. During the Academic Year – Plans, blocks, and DD are contracted for the ENTIRE academic year, both the fall and spring semesters.
2. During the Summer – Blocks and DD are contracted for the ENTIRE summer.
3. Service Dates

B. Eligibility and Requirements

1. ISU Dining will use your University issued ID number to access your university balance, your registration status, and your in-semester address to determine your eligibility for and requirement to purchase plans, blocks, and DDs.
2. Eligibility – To be eligible to purchase a plan, block, and/or DD, you must have no past due balance or holds to registration and either assigned to on-campus housing, enrolled as a student at ISU, or enrolled in the Admissions Partnership Program.
3. Required Areas – If you are assigned to Union Drive, Richardson Court, Buchanan Hall, or Geoffroy Hall you must select a Cardinal, or Gold plan (section IV) for any new to ISU students. Returning ISU students can choose from the Cardinal, Gold, or Campanile plans.
4. Voluntary Areas – If are assigned to Linden, Wallace, or Wilson Hall, Frederiksen Court, or Schilletter and University Villages you are not required to contract for a plan, but you are encouraged to purchase any plan, block, or DD amount.
5. Off Campus – If you live off-campus, including Sorority and Fraternity housing, you are not required to contract for a plan, but you are encouraged to purchase any plan, block, or DD amount.

C. Special Dietary Needs / Accommodations

1. Requirements for plan participation (section I.B.) are not waived. ISU Dining menus satisfy nutritional, fasting, and other needs, and staff are available to work with students to choose appropriate menu items and discuss reasonable dietary and dining accommodations.
2. Dietary Accommodations – If you have a medical, dietary, or non-medical restriction that necessitates a dining accommodation, you must participate in the Dining Accommodation Request process. The Dining Accommodation Request Form process details are available on the ISU Dining web site: https://www.dining.iastate.edu/nutrition/accommodations/
   a. It is a student’s responsibility to submit their accommodation request and any required documentation in order to initiate the accommodation process. Because the accommodation assessment process can take time, students should submit accommodation requests at least 10 business days before their anticipated need.
   b. If your accommodation request is approved, staff are available to assist you in selecting appropriate menu items and, when necessary, grant access to the Special Diet Kitchen. Other dining locations can accommodate a variety of dietary and nutritional needs.
3. Service Animals – A dog or miniature horse that is individually trained to do work or perform specific tasks for a person with a disability is considered a Service Animal (according to the Americans with Disabilities Act). Service Animals are the only animals permitted entrance to any ISU Dining location.
   a. Emotional Support / Therapy Animals are not permitted in any ISU Dining location.
   b. Feeding your service animal in any ISU Dining location is prohibited.
   c. Students should familiarize themselves with the University’s Animals on Campus Policy for other applicable rules and guidelines: https://www.policy.iastate.edu/policy/facilities/animals

II. Fees and ISUCards

A. Purchasing Dining Options

All dining option purchases are made in the Housing and Dining Portal. https://iastate.starrezhousing.com/StarRezPortalX This can also be accessed via the “Purchase a Meal Plan” link on the ISU Dining website.

1. ISU Dining will use your University issued ID number to load your purchased dining options onto your ISUCard.
2. Only the student/ISUCard holder is permitted to purchase, change, or cancel their dining options. Third-party access is not available.
3. If assigned to a Required Area (section I.B.), you have until July 15 for fall and December 15 for spring to select your plan. After these dates, if you have not selected a plan, you will be given the Cardinal Plan.

B. Assessment of Fees

1. All plan, block, and DD fees are assessed to your university bill using your University issued ID number.
2. For contracts submitted prior to the start of the semester, fees begin to accrue on the service start date.
3. For contracts submitted after the semester begins, meals, blocks, and DD are issued in full and fees begin to accrue the date the contract is submitted.

C. Appeal of Fees

1. Fees – You may contest assessed fees not including cancellation penalties, according to the following process:
   a. Once you have received notification of assessment, via an itemized email to your ISU account, you must email your appeal to dining@iastate.edu within 30 days.
        i. Appeals should contain your full name, ISU ID number, e-mail address, and rationale as to why you are not responsible for the charge(s). Any supporting materials must also be submitted at this time.
   b. Your appeal and associated materials will be reviewed and a decision will be emailed to you within 15 business days.
   c. All charges will remain on your university bill during the appeal process. Only in the event of a successful appeal, will a charge be removed or reduced. Any late fees or penalties accrued due to late or non-payment are your responsibility.

D. Rates

1. Board of Regents, State of Iowa, receives the proposed rates during the spring prior to the start of this contract. Final approval typically comes at the April or May meeting.
2. Prior to final approval, residents may view current year and proposed rates on https://www.dining.iastate.edu/. Proposed rates are for illustrative purposes only and are subject to change pending Board approval. The website will be updated as soon as the approved rates are available.
3. The Board reserves the right to change the contract rates during the contract term with 30-day advance notice. If rates increase, students will receive an e-mail informing them of the change. Residents will have 20 days from the date of this notification to cancel their contracts without penalty.
4. Board approval of the proposed rates does not constitute a rate change during the term of the contract.

E. Loss / Theft of ISUCards and Mobile ID

1. You should immediately report the loss or theft of your ISUCard to the ISUCard Office in Beardshear Hall.
   a. ISU Dining is not responsible for any fraudulent transactions.
2. Using an ISUCard that is not your own or loaning your ISUCard to another person is prohibited. An ISUCard used by someone other than its owner will be confiscated.
3. ISU Dining provides mobile ID through the GET app.
   a. The mobile ID is considered an extension of your ISUCard.
   b. Mobile ID may not be used by someone other than the intended meal plan holder.

III. Changes and Cancellations

A. Dining Change Timeline

You may change your meal plan options as follows.

1. Before Meal Service Begins – You may change to any plan for which you are eligible.
   a. The full cost of the old plan, including DD, will be credited and the full cost of the new plan, including DD, will be charged.
2. Once Meal Service Has Begun through the Dining Change Deadline – You may change to any plan for which you are eligible.
   a. The original plan will be credited at a daily prorated rate for the remaining days in the semester. The new plan will be charged a daily prorated rate for the remaining days in the semester.
        i. The meals associated with the new meal plan will be added in full.
   b. If you change to a Block, there is no proration of the new Block.
   c. DD are not reduced or refunded.
3. After the Dining Change Deadline
   a. Meal Plans cannot be cancelled or reduced.
   b. Meal Plans can be adjusted to a larger plan.
   c. Block Plans and DD can be purchased at any time.

B. Dining Cancellations

1. If you have an On-Campus Housing Contract, your ability to cancel your meal plan is tied to the On-Campus Housing Terms and Conditions.
   a. Residents of Voluntary Areas who wish to cancel their plans must do so by the Dining Change deadline each semester. Charges and credits will be adjusted as outlined in section III.A.
        i. Cancellations after the deadline will not be allowed.
   b. Residents of Required Areas are not able to cancel their meal plans.
        i. If you change your housing assignment from a Required Area to a Voluntary Area during the Fall semester, you must keep your current meal plan for the remainder of the Fall semester. You are eligible to adjust or cancel your meal plan for the Spring semester prior to the Spring dining change deadline.
        ii. If you change your housing assignment from a Required Area to a Voluntary Area during the Spring semester, you are required to keep your meal plan for the remainder of the Spring semester.
        iii. If you cancel your housing assignment from a Required Area to move Off-Campus, AFTER the housing cancellation deadline, the Plan Reduction Policy (section III.C.) will apply. aiii) The housing cancellation deadline can be found in the On-Campus Housing Terms and Conditions in section V.B. https://www.housing.iastate.edu/contracts-and-assignments/contract-terms-and-conditions/
2. If you do not have an On-Campus Housing Contract and live Off-Campus, you must cancel your plans by the Dining Change deadline each semester. Charges and credits will be adjusted as outlined in section III.A.
3. If you leave ISU due to academic dismissal, transfer, withdrawal, call to active military duty, you may cancel the remaining portion of your plan without penalty. Unused DD and meals will be refunded.
   a. Fees will be refunded at a daily prorated rate for the number days remaining in the semester. If you live on-campus, this is the date you complete your proper check out (if checked-in).
4. Upon reasonable notice, ISU Dining reserves the right to terminate meal plan contracts due to a public health emergency or force majeure. In the event ISU Dining terminates meal plan contracts due to public health concerns or force majeure, and not because of a resident’s breach of the ISU Dining contract, ISU Dining will offer fair and reasonable reimbursements, as appropriate, and based on information available at that time.

C. Plan Reduction Policy

1. A meal plan contract is for the full contract term of the housing contract you are cancelling.
   a. Cancelling an Academic Year housing contract will require a meal plan for the Fall and Spring semesters.
   b. Cancelling a Spring only housing contract will require a plan through the end of the Spring semester.
2. If you cancel your housing contract to move from a Required Area to move Off-Campus before or during the Fall semester, you must keep your current meal plan for the remainder of the Fall semester. For the Spring semester, you have the following options:
   a. You can keep your current meal plan for the Spring semester.
   b. Reduce to the Campanile plan for the Spring semester.
   c. Incur a penalty equal to the Spring semester cost of the Campanile Plan.
   d. The decision to keep, reduce, or cancel the meal plan must be made at the time you cancel and move out of your housing assignment.
3. If you cancel your housing contract to move from a Required Area to move Off-Campus during the Spring semester, you
   must keep your current meal plan for the remainder of the Spring semester

D. Missed Meals Due to Absence from Campus

1. If you have a Cardinal, Gold, or Campanile plan and are absent from campus for seven or more consecutive days for any of the following reasons, you may request a refund for missed meals:

2. Residents of Voluntary Areas may not request a refund for meals missed due to a class requirement, as you were made aware of this requirement prior to the change deadline.

3. Refunds will be processed at the end of the semester and will be calculated using the daily prorated of the plan for each consecutive day absent.

E. Method

Requests can be submitted as follows. If you submit multiple requests, the most recent will be used. Verbal requests are not considered.

1. Housing and Dining Portal; https://iastate.starrezhousing.com/StarRezPortalX/16BFE8E3/1/1/Home- Home?UrlToken=EEF63408 option for change and cancellations will display if applicable.
2. E-mail to dining@iastate.edu – All emails must be sent from the meal plan holder and include their full name, UID number and specific request.
3. Check-Out Paperwork – On-campus residents may request plan cancellation on their checkout paperwork.

IV. Plans, Meals, and DD

A. Meal Plans

A detailed description of available Meal Plans and Block Plans is available at https://www.dining.iastate.edu/.

1. The Cardinal and Gold plans come with dining center meals and DD. The Campanile plan has Flex Meals and DD. You can purchase additional Flex Meals and DD as desired.

B. Block Plans

Groups of Flex Meals, available in quantities of 25, 50, or 100. All Flex Meals have a $13.50 Retail Value.

C. Dining Center Meals

Each dining center meal allows for a single entry into one of ISU Dining’s residential dining centers and access “GET & Go” meals.

1. The Cardinal plan dining center meals can only be used for you as the contracted student. They cannot be used for guests.
2. Due to the open availability of food items, only those who have paid may enter a dining center.
3. In dining centers, the use of storage containers / bags to remove food items is prohibited. The food served in the residential dining centers is intended only for consumption in these locations and may not be taken out.
4. GET & Go Meals
   a. Use dining center meals to access portable meal option.
   b. Up to two dining center meals per day can be used at GET & Go locations.
   c. Meal plan holder must be present at the time of pick-up of GET & Go orders.
   d. ISU Dining staff may require identification of meal plan holder via ISUCard at the time of GET & Go order pick up.

D. Flex Meals

Can be used in all ISU Dining locations.

1. Each Flex Meal has a $13.50 equivalency value that can be used to purchase designated food items in ISU Dining locations.
2. Flex Meals can be used for you or your guests (section III.G.).
3. Flex Meals can be used for dining center entry.

E. Dining Dollars (DD)

A pre-paid, declining balance account that can be used at all ISU Dining locations and select campus vending machines.

1. Once issued, DD are not refundable, except as outlined in section III.B.
2. In ISU Dining retail locations, the purchase of Gift Cards with DD is prohibited.

F. Redeeming Meals and DD

1. You can use your meals and DD anytime ISU Dining locations are open. You may use multiple meals and/or DD per day as follows:
   a. In dining centers and retail locations, present your ISUCard or mobile ID to the cashier who will debit one dining center meal, Flex Meal, or the cost of the purchase in DD as requested from your account.
2. You may view your available meal and DD balances any time at www.dining.iastate.edu/meals.

G. Guests

1. The Cardinal plan guest meals (5) or DD can be used for your guests at dining centers.
2. The Gold plan dining center swipes or DD can be used for your guests at dining centers.
3. Campanile and Block Plan holders can use Flex Meals or DD for your guests at any dining location.
4. Both meal plan holder and their guest must be present at the time of purchase.

H. Rolling of Plans and DD

1. Unused summer Block Plans and DD will remain available for use through the next spring semester.
2. At the end of the fall semester, unused Dining Center or Flex Meals on Gold and Campanile plans expire. Unused Block Plan meals and DD will remain available for use during the spring semester.
   a. Your fall Meal Plan will automatically renew for spring unless you change it in the Housing and Dining Portal (section III).
3. At the end of the spring semester, all unused Dining Center, Flex Meals and DD expire.