Meal Plans & FAQS

A: Maroon Dollars are being phased out at the end of the 2025–26 academic year.

A: Dining Dollars are a campus dining currency designed for use at dining halls and most cafés and markets on campus. They come with select meal plans and allow students, faculty, and staff to use their University ID like a debit card for purchases.

Dining Dollars are tax-exempt, and each time you make a purchase, funds are deducted from your account. One Dining Dollar is equivalent to $1, and balances roll over from quarter to quarter. In the unlikely event that tax is charged on a purchase made using Dining Dollars, please contact UChicago Dining so the issue can be reviewed and corrected.

Dining Dollars are designed to support food and beverage purchases at campus dining locations. In some locations, such as campus markets, a limited selection of non-food items may also be available as part of the dining experience. Revenue generated through Dining Dollars plays a key role in sustaining dining operations, including student-run cafes and local small business partners on campus. This model helps maintain a diverse and vibrant dining program for the campus community.

A: No, refunds are not available for unused Dining Dollars. Dining Dollars are included in your meal plan and will roll over from one quarter to the next.

A:  Dining Dollars are tax-exempt and come with some meal plans. They allow students, faculty, and staff to use their University ID like a debit card at dining halls and most cafés and markets on campus. Each Dining Dollar is equivalent to $1, and balances will roll over from quarter to quarter.

Phoenix cASH is a taxable, reloadable account that remains valid for the duration of a student’s enrollment or an employee’s time at the University of Chicago. Both Dining Dollars and Phoenix cASH are accepted at UChicago Dining locations. Phoenix cASH is managed by the Bursar’s Office.

To add Phoenix cASH to your account, visit the Phoenix cASH Information page.

A: Phoenix cASH is not managed by UChicago Dining. For assistance, please contact the Bursar’s Office through the ServiceNow portal.

Students can submit a support request by selecting “Phoenix cASH” in the category field on the ServiceNow Student Form.

Departmental or staff inquiries can be submitted through the ServiceNow Departmental or Staff Form by selecting “Phoenix cASH” from the category dropdown.

A:  At retail locations, tell the cashier you would like to use Dining Dollars or Phoenix cASH, then tap your University ID at the card reader when prompted. The system will deduct from Dining Dollars first, then switch to Phoenix cASH if needed.

In the dining commons, if you run out of meal swipes, the system will automatically:

If you only have Dining Dollars or Phoenix cASH, the system will automatically charge the appropriate amount for the meal period when you tap in.

A: Any remaining balance can be covered by another form of tender (i.e. credit/debit cards or cash, if accepted).