Meal Plans

Meal plans for the spring semester begin on Sunday, January 5, if you were not on meal plan for the fall, you may enroll starting on Monday, December 16. Visit The Birdhouse, then go to the “Services & Forms” page to the “Academic Year 2024-2025 Meal Plan Enrollment Form”.

If you were on a meal plan for the fall 2024 semester and you would like to change to a different meal plan for the spring, the meal plan change period is Monday, January 13 – Friday, January 24. You will receive an email on Monday, January 13 with the link and instructions. You can use your current meal plan until you change. Cancellation is not permitted unless you graduated in December or Studying Abroad in the spring, our office receives both lists mid-end of January for processing.

We know that Blue Jays all dine differently. Some Jays eat meals multiple times a day, some Jays eat larger meals a few times a day, some Jays eat large meals multiple times a day, and some Jays are in a hurry and need to fly out of the dining nest to make a class or study with friends! Whatever your Blue Jay dining preference, we have a plan for you.

Johns Hopkins meal plans are comprised of two parts: meal swipes and dining dollars. Explore the tabs below to learn more about each part.

Meal Swipes

Meal swipes are the primary part the meal plans.

Each entry into a café is counted as a meal swipe.
Meal swipes are reset each Sunday morning for the next week.
Unused swipes on the 21/19/14/10 meals per week and Kosher 12 meals per week are forfeited each week.
Swipes on the Block 80/Block 50/ Kosher Block 80 plans can be used at anytime during the semester and reset at the beginning of each new semester.
Meal swipes can be used in exchanged for to-go boxes at Hopkins Café and Nolan’s on 33rd, for a dinner meal exchange option at Levering Kitchens or for up to two “meals in a minute” to-go meals at Charles Street Market (the 2 meal swipe limit on “meals in a minute” does not apply for the Anytime Meal Plan).
For all meal swipe plans, there is a 20-minute delay between meal swipe uses, this includes in-person dining and to-go boxes at Hopkins Café and Nolan’s on 33rd, “meals in a minute” options at Charles Street Market and meal exchange options at Levering Kitchens.

Dining Dollars

Dining Dollars are a dollar-for-dollar tender that can be used in dining retail locations such as Charles Street Market, Levering Hall, Niecy’s Fabulous Juice Bar located in the Rec Center, Daily Grind, located in Mudd Hall and Brody Learning Commons and Kitsch Coffee, located in Gilman Hall. These funds are designed to complement the meal plans by allowing Blue Jays to purchase snacks, a morning or late-night coffee or groceries to prepare a special meal for friends in their residence hall. Additional Dining Dollars can be added at anytime online.

Meal plan eligibility is aligned with class year and housing styles. Choose your class year to learn more about available meal plans:

Enrolling in a meal plan is full academic year commitment (both semesters).

Frequently Asked Questions

Below is a list of the most commonly asked questions related to dining and meal plans. If your questions is not answered below, please do not hesitate to contact using the information on the left.

Can I change my Meal Plan?

Yes, you have an opportunity to change your meal plan several times throughout the year during different meal plan change periods. The first change period is Wednesday, May 1 – Sunday, June 30 before billing in July. During the academic year, meal plan change periods are from Monday, August 19 – Friday, August 30 for the Fall semester and Monday, January 13 – Friday, January 24 for the Spring semester. No changes will be able to be made outside of these change periods.

Can I treat a friend using my Meal Plan?

Unfortunately, you are unable to treat a friend to your meal plan, meal swipes are only for your use.

Can I cancel my Meal Plan?

No, once you are enrolled in a meal plan, you are committed for the entire academic year unless your student status changes. You may, however, change your meal plan to another one during the meal plan change periods.

How do I sign up for a Meal Plan?

Why do I only have certain Meal Plans I can choose from?

Based on where you live, on campus, depends on the types of meal plans you can choose from. Blue Jays living in the AMRs, Wolman and Scott-Bates Commons can choose from certain plans designed to accommodate the needs based on their residences. Since these locations do not have access to a full kitchen and are required to be on a specific range of meal plans based off these facilities. Blue Jays living in Homewood and Bradford apartments as well as Roger’s House that have access to a full kitchen are able to enroll in any of our current meal plans.

What happens if I don’t use all of my meal swipes each week?

For weekly meal swipe plans, unused meals expire on Saturday at Midnight. You will receive a new set of swipes on Sunday. For Block meal plans, your meals expire at the end of the semester. These students will receive a new block set of swipes on the first day of the new meal plan period. All unused meals are forfeited and non-refundable.

Where can I use my meal swipes?

You can use your meal swipes at the Hopkins Café, Nolan’s on 33rd, at Meals-in-a-Minute at the Charles Street Market and for meal exchange during dinner at Levering Kitchens.

Where can I use my Dining Dollars?

Dining Dollars can be used at most JHU Campus Dining locations, these include the Hopkins Café, Nolan’s on 33rd, Charles Street Market, Levering Kitchens, and Levering Café. They can also be used at Niecy’s Fabulous Juice Bar located in the Rec Center, Daily Grind, located in Mudd Hall and Brody Learning Commons and Kitsch Coffee, located in Gilman Hall.

Do Dining Dollars carry over?

Dining Dollars carry over from Fall to Spring. Unspent Dining Dollars expire at the end of the academic year on June 30, for anyone who is not enrolled in a 2025-2026 meal plan before June 30. Any unspent Dining Dollars at that time are forfeited and non-refundable for those not enrolled in a Fall 2025 meal plan. Those enrolled in a plan will be able to keep any remaining Dining Dollars left after June 30 that will be added to their new Fall 2025 Dining Dollar amount.

What do I do when my Dining Dollars run low?

You can reload Dining Dollars by filling out the Dining Dollar Reload form. You will receive a confirmation to your JHU email, please look for that and follow the instructions. Please remember it takes 24-48 business hours to be processed after we receive your confirm response.

Why do I pay more for Dining Dollars?

The Dining Dollars you receive cover the cost of the food and the staff involved in preparing and serving the food. The difference between the Dining Dollars you receive, and the price paid is the facilities fee associated with the University’s cost of building, furnishing, and maintaining the dining facilities and equipment for dining service operations.