Meal Plans

Students who live on campus will have a meal plan included in their housing fee, which will cover breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Your meal plan will be a combination of all-you-care-to-eat meals in our campus dining hall and pay-as-you-go funds (“Diamond Dollars”) that can be used at multiple campus locations. 

The dining hall offers multiple stations for meals and you can choose what you would like to eat after swiping into the dining hall. The dining hall offers a variety of cuisines and can accommodate various dietary restrictions and allergies. Please note that the dining hall may not be open for every meal, every day, depending on student demand and that numerous alternative options will be provided in the event of a closure.

Diamond Dollars offer students additional flexibility. As Temple’s campus-based debit system, Diamond Dollars reduce the need for students to carry cash. Diamond Dollars can be spent at many locations on campus, including dining halls, most local restaurants and shops, and even some food trucks. Additional Diamond Dollars can be added online by parents and families throughout the program at any time if needed. Visit the Diamond Dollars webpage for a list of participating locations on campus that accept Diamond Dollars.

Dietary Accommodations

Temple University Culinary Services is adept at accommodating a variety of dietary restrictions and food allergies. There are numerous options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and other specialty diets. If you would like to talk about options for your specific dietary needs, please contact precollege@temple.edu to arrange a meeting with our Culinary Services staff.

Places to Eat on Campus

On-campus dining at Temple means great food when you need it, where you need it. It also means a comfortable atmosphere where you can gather with friends, take a break from studying or just hang out and relax. The typical meal consists of a wide variety of food served cafeteria-style and includes vegetarian and vegan options. The dining hall is set up to accommodate most common food allergies or dietary restrictions. There are numerous other quick-service dining locations and food trucks around campus that accept Diamond Dollars, or cash or credit.

Students should also plan bringing spending money in order to experience the flavorful options of local shops, food trucks, and neighborhood restaurants.

How to pay your for your meal plan

When you enroll in campus housing, you will be provided with a link to pay your housing fee. Your housing fee includes your meal plan. There is no separate meal fee this year. Non-residential students are also welcome to use the Diamond Dollars system to cover their lunches and snacks while on campus, but are not required to pre-pay for meals on campus.

Angled photo of Potbelly restaurant on campus. Orange and red umbrellas line the walkway, and students move between classes and sit down to each lunch.