Meal Plan Overview

A meal plan provides students with a predetermined number of meals and/or dining dollars to use at various on-campus dining locations during the semester.

All meal plans (Meal Swipes & Dining Dollars) are loaded to your Loyola Marymount University ID, making it even easier to dine on campus. This includes physical IDs, virtual IDs, and digital meal passes for students, faculty, and staff.

All-you-care-to-eat dining is the most common meal plan program in higher education. It means unlimited dining during your visit to The Lair. With a swipe of the card, guests can enjoy as much food as they like—no need to budget for individual dishes or items.

It’s also a great way to sample different foods, grab that extra cookie, and skip the hassle of waiting in line at the cash register.

Students who plan to live on campus will select their initial meal plan through the Student Housing Portal as part of their housing application process.

Students in off-campus housing and/or commuter students may purchase an optional meal plan through their Lion Wallet beginning August 1st for the fall semester and December 1st for the spring semester. Look for the “Meal Plan Selection” tab on the left-side menu options during the open change window.

For assistance related to the meal plan signup or change process, please contact the OneCard Office (onecard@lmu.edu).

Once meal plans are activated during the fall or spring move-in, students may make eligible meal plan changes within their Lion Wallet through the end of Week 3 of classes (by 5pm that Friday).

For assistance related to the meal plan signup or change process, please contact the OneCard Office (onecard@lmu.edu).

Students enrolled in a meal plan may purchase Supplemental Dining Dollars (S-Dollars) through their Lion Wallet. However, just like Dining Dollars, any unused S-Dollars will expire at the end of the Spring term.

Individual meal swipes are not available for purchase; however, Dining Dollars (including S-Dollars), Flexi-Dollars, and credit cards may be used for all campus purchases, including access to the Lair. Please remember that any unused meal swipes will expire at the end of each term, so be sure to use your meal swipes first.

Students with medical or dietary concerns are encouraged to first consult with LMU's campus dietitian, Charlotte Hargrove, to discuss their specific needs and explore available dining accommodations. Please visit the Health & Wellness link for more information about service provided by our team.

If it is determined that the student's medical condition cannot be reasonably accommodated within the dining program, the student may contact Disability Support Services (dsslmu@lmu.edu) to begin the accommodation review process.

Students have several meal plan options to choose from. First-year students may select either the Platinum or Gold plan. Upper-division students living in traditional residence halls may choose from the Platinum, Gold, or Silver plans. Students living in campus apartments or off-campus may select any meal plan. Please reach out to Hannah Rhodes (rhodes-hannah@aramark.com) if you need help selecting a meal plan.

Lion Platinum Meal Plan

• Who it’s for: First-year students and athletes
• Includes:
  • 300 Meal Swipes – The total number of meals available per semester
  • 150 Meal Exchanges included in the 300 meal swipes – 9 per week in select retail locations
• $400 Dining Dollars
• Why choose it:
  • Maximum flexibility and variety
  • Optimal nutrition for athletic performance
• Best if you:
  • Where do you live? → Residence Hall
  • How many times a day will you eat on campus? → 3 or more
  • How often do you want to dine at different locations? → I always want to be able to eat wherever I want
  • Do you snack throughout the day? → Yes
  • How much do you spend on drinks/snacks? → A lot

Lion Gold Meal Plan

• Who it’s for: First-year students and upper-division students
• Includes:
  • 230 Meal Swipes – The total number of meals available per semester
  • 115 Meal Exchanges included in the 230 meal swipes – 7 per week in select retail locations
• $500 Dining Dollars
• Why choose it:
  • Perfect balance of value and convenience
  • Great for diverse dining options
• Best if you:
  • Where do you live? → Residence Hall or On-Campus Apartment
  • How many times a day will you eat on campus? → 2
  • How often do you want to dine at different locations? → More than a few times per week
  • Do you snack throughout the day? → Yes
  • How much do you spend on drinks/snacks? → A little bit

Note: First-year students must select either Lion Platinum or Lion Gold Meal Plan

Lion Silver Meal Plan

• Who it’s for: Upper-division students and apartment residents
• Includes:
  • 165 Meal Swipes – The total number of meals available per semester
  • 80 Meal Exchanges included in the 165 meal swipes – 5 per week in select retail locations
• $600 Dining Dollars
• Why choose it:
  • Affordable yet flexible
  • Ideal for students who want a mix of dining hall and retail choices
• Best if you:
  • Where do you live? → On-Campus Apartment
  • How many times a day will you eat on campus? → 1–2
  • How often do you want to dine at different locations? → Every once in awhile
  • Do you snack throughout the day? → Yes
  • How much do you spend on drinks/snacks? → A little bit

Lion Community Meal Plan

• Who it’s for: Apartment residents or commuters
• Includes:
  • 75 Meal Swipes - The total number of meals available per semester
  • 30 Meal Exchanges included in the 75 meal swipes – 2 per week in select retail locations
• Your choice of $200, $300 or $400 Dining Dollars
• Why choose it:
  • Convenient for students who don’t want to cook daily
  • Provides variety without committing to a full plan
• Best if you:
  • Where do you live? → On-Campus Apartment or Other Housing
  • How many times a day will you eat on campus? → 1
  • How often do you want to dine at different locations? → Every once in awhile
  • Do you snack throughout the day? → No
  • How much do you spend on drinks/snacks? → Next to nothing

Lion Scholar Meal Plan

• Who it’s for: Apartment residents or commuters
• Includes:
  • 30 Meal Swipes – The total number of meals available per semester
  • 10 Meal Exchanges included in the 30 meal swipes – 1 per week in select retail locations
• Your choice of $400, $500 or $600 Dining Dollars
• Why choose it:
  • Great value for light, flexible dining
  • Perfect for occasional campus meals
• Best if you:
  • Where do you live? → Off-Campus Apartment or Other Housing
  • How many times a day will you eat on campus? → 1 or less
  • How often do you want to dine at different locations? → Every once in awhile
  • Do you snack throughout the day? → No
  • How much do you spend on drinks/snacks? → Next to nothing

*Please note that students may change their meal plan through the end of the 3rd week of the fall semester, and may also change their meal plan between fall and spring semesters.

Meal swipes can be used for entrance into all-you-care-to-eat dining located inside the Lair. They can also be used for meal exchanges at select campus restaurants.

A meal exchange is when you trade a meal swipe for a preset combo at select campus retail locations, which typically includes an entrée, side, and beverage. A typical option at Iggy’s Café, for example, may include a sandwich, fries, and a fountain soda.

These tax-free dollars can be spent on food and beverages from any dining location on campus, including campus coffee carts, C-Stores, and other retail outlets. Balances carry forward from fall to spring semesters but do not roll over to the next academic year.

Students who prefer not to dine in can use a meal swipe at check-in to receive a to-go container. They can then fill it with their favorite food items and take their meal with them.

Everyone is welcome to dine in the Lair. For community members and visitors without meal plans, there will be a door price for entry.

Breakfast:

Dining Dollars* - $14.00

Cash or Credit - $14.00 + Tax

Lunch:

Dining Dollars* - $16.00

Cash or Credit - $16.00 + Tax

Dinner:

Dining Dollars* - $16.50

Cash or Credit - $16.50 + Tax

Special Events:

Dining Dollars* - $16.50

Cash or Credit - $16.50 + Tax

*Dining Dollars are Tax-Exempt

Once meal plans are activated at fall move in, students may make eligible changes through the Lion Wallet until the end of Week 3 of classes. Students will also have an opportunity to adjust their meal plan selection in the spring semester.

Meal exchange will be accepting at the following retail dining locations: Qdoba, Iggy’s Café, Einstein Bagel Bros., Starbucks, Crimson Lion Café, The Drop, POD Leavey and POD Del Rey.

Yes, students will be able to use meal exchanges at select locations on Grubhub.