Dining Family Resource Guide

All students living on campus are required to purchase a meal plan, and they can choose their meal plan size when signing up for housing. Commuting students can also purchase a meal plan. When selecting a meal plan, it is important for students to think about how many meals they prefer to eat each day, how often they plan to go home on weekends, and how much snacking they enjoy outside of meals. For assistance in choosing the right size meal plan, students can contact BGSU Dining and learn more at www.dineoncampus.com/bgsu.

Meal Plan Options

When students choose their meal plan, it’s important to note that no matter which meal plan they choose, they will still have access to all of the same dining facilities. The difference between each meal plan is the number of swipes and falcon dollars that are available to use, or in other words, the number of times a student can eat on campus through their meal plan.

Once a meal plan is selected for the fall semester, the same meal plan will automatically be the default plan for the spring semester – unless a student requests a change. Students can change their meal plan before each semester begins by using the online meal plan change form.

What are Swipes and Falcon Dollars?

Swipes

Swipes Definition: A swipe is a student’s ticket into our all-you-care-to-eat dining facilities. In these dining halls, students can eat as much as they’d like and stay as long as they wish. Students can also use their swipes to acquire an "Equivalency Meal" in Market Convenience Stores.

How to Use a Swipe: A swipe is when a student with a Custom meal plan presents an ID to enter an all-you-care-to-eat facility. For example, if a student has 63 swipes and eats at The Carillon for breakfast, that student would then have 62 swipes left. 

Expiration: Meal swipes expire at the end of each semester.

Falcon Dollars

Falcon Dollars Definition: Falcon Dollars (also known as retail dollars) refer to the retail portion of the Custom and Retail Meal Plans. Falcon Dollars work similarly to a debit card balance and can be used at any retail location on campus to pay a la carte. These dollars may also be used to pay at the door at our all-you-care-to-eat facilities but can not be used off campus or at the BGSU Bookstore.

How to use Falcon Dollars: At all of the retail locations on campus, items are marked with a specific price, much like at a restaurant or grocery store. For example, if a student has $475 falcon dollars and purchases a $9.25 meal at Starbucks, they will then have $465.75 Falcon Dallars leftover to spend. 

Expiration: Unlike swipes, Falcon Dollars roll over from semester to semester but expire at the end of each academic year.

Special Diets

Does your student have dietary restrictions or allergies? Rechelle Bischoff, MFN, RDN, LD, our campus dietitian, is here to help! Rechelle’s role is to help students with food allergies and intolerances. She also educates the BGSU community about nutrition and wellness. She is available to speak to students about any dietary concerns they may have and can be reached at 419-372-0548 or nutrition@bgsudining.com.

Questions about dining?

Additional FAQs can be found on our website, or you can contact us between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday using the following communication methods below and we will be happy to assist you.

Text: 216-868-4424
Email: dining@bgsu.edu
Account Questions: 419-372-7933