The first-year student dining memberships for 2022-23 offer incoming first-year students the flexibility, convenience and value they crave. Students can choose from an always changing and expanding array of meal and snack options throughout their day; from grab-and-go to pop-ups to take-out from their favorite dining venues. Cal Poly is unique in that it has no all-you-care-to-eat dining hall. Instead, Cal Poly offers 32 restaurants and more than 1,000 menu items to give students maximum flexibility. Menus offer a wide variety of choices and dietary considerations – vegan and vegetarian, gluten free, Kosher and more. With their dining membership, new Mustangs have the freedom to choose what they want, when they want – and it all begins with the right plan to suit their lifestyle.
Select the right fit from three plans
Food plays a huge and very personal role in students’ lives, and each relationship with it is different. Some students live to eat, while others are happy to snack their way through the day. For this reason, Campus Dining offers three dining memberships that use a “declining balance system” that works like money on a debit card.
To ensure a student has just the right amount of dining dollars – not too little or too many – make sure to select a membership that fits one’s personal eating habits and lifestyle. While choosing the least expensive option may be tempting, ask if it will be enough to keep them satisfied. A student with a big appetite will end up spending more in the long run if they choose First-Year Basic. However, on the flip side, First-Year Club may be excessive for a student who typically eats smaller portions. Select the right fit from three membership options.
First-Year Club
Designed for students who want three square meals, the First-Year Club offers the most robust list of features and special perks. This membership keeps a student with a large appetite fueled for success.
The membership with the most benefits, the First-Year Club costs $6,770 and offers $2,012 a quarter to spend on food. That breaks down into about $25.15 per day, seven days a week or $35.21 per day, five days a week.
Students should select First-Year Club if:
- They eat a full meal** twice a day, seven days a week.
- They enjoy frequent treats (Starbucks, Jamba, etc.).
- They want the most flexibility on where, what and how much to eat on campus.
Benefits
- 12 complimentary premium meal passes (four per quarter) redeemable at premium meal events. Each pass is good for up to $20 at the premium meal events and expire at the end of the academic year.
- A reusable Cal Poly tumbler with 100 fills pre-loaded
- Remaining dining dollars roll over quarter to quarter
- At year end, remaining dining dollars roll over to 2023-24 with the purchase of a Community Membership by June 20, 2023
- 12 guest passes for parents or supporters to eat free at Campus Market, Market Grand Avenue, Mustang Station, Red Radish, Einstein Bros Bagels, Chick-fil-A and all platforms on the second floor of Vista Grande. Each pass is good for up to $20 at the participating venues and expire at the end of the academic year.
- $200 dining cost for WOW and move-in. Must be used by Sunday, Sept. 18.
First-Year Plus
Not everyone needs, or has the time for, three squares a day, and for those students there is First-Year Plus. Striking a great balance between special features and cost efficiency, this plan is enough to keep a student with an average appetite fueled for success.
This membership costs $6,185 and offers students $1,750 to spend on food each quarter. That breaks down into about $21.88 per day, seven days a week or $30.63 per day, five days a week.
Students should select First-Year Plus if:
- They will eat a full meal* twice a day, five days a week.
- They enjoy an occasional treat (Starbucks, Jamba, etc.).
Benefits
- Six complimentary premium meal passes (two per quarter) redeemable at premium meal events. Each pass is good for up to $20 at the premium meal events and expire at the end of the academic year.
- A reusable Cal Poly tumbler with 100 fills pre-loaded
- Remaining dining dollars roll over quarter to quarter
- At year end, remaining dining dollars roll over to 2023-24 with the purchase of a Community Membership by June 20, 2023
- 12 guest passes for parents or supporters to eat free at Campus Market, Market Grand Avenue, Mustang Station, Red Radish, Einstein Bros Bagels, Chick-fil-A and all platforms on the second floor of Vista Grande. Each pass is good for up to $20 at the participating venues and expire at the end of the academic year.
- $200 dining cost for WOW and move-in. Must be used by Sunday, Sept. 18.
First-Year Limited
For those with a lighter appetite, there is the First-Year Basic. This is the most cost-conscious membership and is a good fit for a student who is happy to graze throughout the day or one who will eat off campus often.
This membership costs $5,717 and offers $1,527 each quarter to spend on food. That breaks down into about $19.09 per day, seven days a week or $26.72 per day, five days a week.
Students should select First-Year Basic if:
- They will eat a full meal* once a day, five days a week.
- They enjoy an occasional treat (Starbucks, Jamba, etc).
- They will eat off campus often.
Benefits
- A reusable Cal Poly tumbler with 100 fills pre-loaded
- Remaining dining dollars roll over quarter to quarter
- At year end, remaining dining dollars roll over to 2023-24 with the purchase of a Community Membership by June 20, 2023
- 12 guest passes for parents or supporters to eat free at Campus Market, Market Grand Avenue, Mustang Station, Red Radish, Einstein Bros Bagels, Chick-fil-A and all platforms on the second floor of Vista Grande. Each pass is good for up to $20 at the participating venues and expire at the end of the academic year.
- $200 dining dollars for WOW and move-in. Must be used by Sunday, Sept. 18.
*Full meal means any combination of food items that make a major contribution to one’s total diet. The average cost of a full meal is $15.
Plan Benefits
Each membership is thoughtfully crafted to meet the needs of individual students. In doing so, each one has its own offerings, benefits and perks that either add value or help to match a budget. Below, each membership’s cost, advantages and sweeteners are laid out to help make the decision you are making a little more clear. If you need some help deciding, take our quiz.
| Benefit | First-Year Club | First-Year Plus | First-Year Basic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complimentary Premium Meal Passes redeemable at special meal events | 12 | 6 | – |
| Reusable Cal Poly Tumbler with 100 fills preloaded | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Remaining dining dollars roll over quarter to quarter | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| At year end, remaining dining dollars roll over to the next academic year with the purchase of a 2023-24 community plan by June 20, 2023 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| 12 Guest Passes for parents and supporters to eat free at participating venues | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| $200 dining cost for move-in and Week of Welcome (WOW) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Total Cost | $6,770 | $6,185 | $5,717 |
How The Dining Plans Work
At the beginning of each quarter, a specific amount of Dining Dollars is added to the student’s Poly Card (Cal Poly I.D.). The amount is determined by the chosen membership. Then the student simply uses their Poly Card like a debit card at any Campus Dining venue, dollar-for-dollar. This system gives students the liberty to eat what they want, when they want.
Switching Dining Plans
Campus Dining first-year memberships are convenient, flexible and easy to use. The only hard part is picking the membership that is right for the student. To make the decision stress-free, first-year students are allowed to make a one-time switch in first-year dining memberships during the middle of fall quarter from Oct. 26 through Nov. 14, 2022. Their new choice will go into effect the following winter quarter.
Pricing
Wrapped in each membership are a number of factors and costs that go into running a program that supports first-year students and their varied locations, schedules, likes and dislikes, and nutrition requirements. To this end, all memberships include a $936 operational fee that helps cover the non-food operating costs that go into serving 20,000 meals a day at more than 32 venues and employing 1,500 students. All plans also include $200 for cost of move-in and Week of Welcome (WOW), which expire the last day before fall quarter starts.
Payment Schedule
Choose to make one annual payment, three quarterly payments or nine monthly payments with the first payment due Sept. 1, 2022, and the last one due May 1, 2023. Initial payment deposits will be applied when fall charges are placed.
2022-23 Installment Chart
| First-Year Basic | First-Year Plus | First-Year Club | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Fall Charges | 2,039 | 2,195 | 2,390 |
| Installment Due Dates | |||
| 9/1/22 | 813 | 865 | 930 |
| 9/1/22 (If $1,000 deposit was made) | – | – | – |
| 10/1/22 | 613 | 665 | 730 |
| 10/1/22 (If $1,000 deposit was made) | 426 | 530 | 660 |
| 11/1/22 | 613 | 665 | 730 |
| 11/1/22 (If $1,000 deposit was made) | 613 | 665 | 730 |
| Total Winter Charges | 1,839 | 1,995 | 2,190 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installment Due Dates | |||
| 12/1/22 | 613 | 665 | 730 |
| 1/1/23 | 613 | 665 | 730 |
| 2/1/23 | 613 | 665 | 730 |
| Total Spring Charges | 1,839 | 1,995 | 2,190 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installment Due Dates | |||
| 3/1/23 | 613 | 665 | 730 |
| 4/1/23 | 613 | 665 | 730 |
| 5/1/23 | 613 | 665 | 730 |
| Total Academic Year | 5,717 | 6,185 | 6,770 |
|---|
What You Need To Know
All first-year students living in campus housing are required to have a dining plan for the entire academic year. This gives students the convenience of having meals easily accessible so they can focus on their academics and student life.
- Dining Dollars can be used at any Campus Dining venue.
- Each dining membership includes a $936 operational fee that helps cover the non-food operating costs that go into serving 20,000 meals a day at more than 32 venues and employing 1,500 students. This includes equipment and facility maintenance.
- Dining Dollars roll over to the next quarter; however, funds remaining at the end of the spring quarter are forfeited, unless a Community Membership is purchased and maintained for the 2023-24 academic year by June 20, 2023. These memberships start as low as $250 for the year. Please note, first year plan pass benefits (Sunday Brunch passes, guest passes, premium meal passes, etc.) do not rollover.
- Students with dietary restrictions should review their dining membership food options at calpolydining.com to determine if their dietary needs can be met prior to submitting their initial payment registration for the Housing and Dining License. Please feel free to reach out to the Campus Dining registered dietitian at wellness@calpoly.edu with specific questions.
- If a student runs out of Dining Dollars before the quarter is over, they can load dollars to their Campus Express account on their PolyCard or purchase a supplemental Community Membership. View more first-year membership FAQ.
- Campus Dining hosts a wide variety of special meal events throughout the year – pop-up tastings, themed menus and more. Those with premium meal passes can redeem their passes at one of the many special dining events, and students without passes can use dining dollars or credit/debit cards.
- Guest Passes are redeemable at Campus Market, Market Grand Avenue, Mustang Station, Red Radish, Einstein Bros Bagels, Chick-fil-A and all platforms on the second floor of Vista Grande. Each guest pass is valid for up to $20. If your order exceeds $20, you may use an additional guest pass or pay the difference. Guest passes are not refundable.
Additional terms and conditions may be found in the Housing and Dining License Agreement Terms and Conditions.