University Housing Meal Plans
Residential Meal Plans
Students living in a first-year residence hall (Bluff, Prairie or Woodland Halls) are required to purchase a Residential Meal Plan (A, B or C).
In addition to Meal Plans A, B and C, Meal Plans D and E are eligible for purchase by residents living in Cougar Village or Evergreen Hall. Students living in these communities are not required to purchase a meal plan.
Residential Meal Plans are an "a la carte" structure, meaning you pay for what you eat. The selected meal plan will be loaded onto the SIUE Cougar Card at the beginning of the semester and the Cougar Card is used like a debit card at campus dining locations.
When you purchase a residential meal plan:
- Part of what you pay upfront goes toward fixed dining costs (like supplies, staff and maintenance).
- The rest of your meal plan money is added to your Cougar Card for you to use to make purchases.
- Because you already paid some costs in advance, the food you buy with your Cougar Card is discounted.
- You do not pay sales tax on your food when using these meal plans.
Our students can eat wherever they want on our campus using their meal plan. Discount pricing is not available at Union Station. We do not recommend using the residential meal plan at Union Station.
Any balance remaining on the meal plan at the end of the fall semester rolls over to the spring semester for use. Any balance remaining at the end of the spring semester is forfeited.
Students can switch meal plans during the first two weeks of the fall semester and the first two weeks of the spring semester. If a student wishes to make a change to the spring semester, they can make that request at any point in the fall semester and break.
| Plan | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plan A | $1,945/semester |
| Plan B | $2,305/semester |
| Plan C | $2,685/semester |
| Plan | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plan A | $1,945/semester |
| Plan B | $2,305/semester |
| Plan C | $2,685/semester |
| Plan D | $500/semester |
| Plan E | $1,000/semester |
Commuter Meal Plans
All current, enrolled and financially clear SIUE students have the option to select a Commuter Meal Plan. Commuter Meal Plans are an "a la carte" structure, meaning you pay for what you eat. The selected meal plan will be loaded onto the SIUE Cougar Card at the beginning of the semester and the Cougar Card is used like a debit card at campus dining locations.
When you purchase a commuter meal plan:
- Part of what you pay upfront goes toward fixed dining costs (like supplies, staff and maintenance).
- The rest of your meal plan money is added to your Cougar Card for you to use to make purchases.
- Because you already paid some costs in advance, the food you buy with your Cougar Card is discounted.
Students can purchase their Commuter Meal Plan in MyHousing.
Commuter Meal Plans are available to current SIUE students during the fall and spring semesters only and may be purchased for the full academic year or spring term alone. Plans are not offered during the summer. To be eligible, students must be enrolled and financially clear. Students can eat wherever they want on our campus using their meal plan. Discount pricing is not available at Union Station. We do not recommend using the residential meal plan at Union Station.
| Plan | Amount |
|---|---|
| Commuter 500 | $500/semester |
| Commuter 1,000 | $1,000/semester |
Cougar Bucks
Cougar Bucks are optional for all students and can be used for vending, printing, dining and at the Cougar Store. Once the money is on your Cougar Card, you get a 5% discount where accepted. See a full list of places you can use your Cougar Card on-campus and off-campus. Funds are added to this account online through:
- The GET phone app · In person with the Cougar Bucks Deposit Form at the Office of the Bursar, Rendleman Hall, Room 1101.
Unspent money can be refunded upon separation from the University with the submittal of a completed Request for Refund form. See Request for Refund for details.
