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Ohio State offers a wide range of dining plans to meet the needs of students for convenient and nutritious food on campus.

Here are three meal plan options for first-year students living on campus:

• Traditions: Includes unlimited Visits each week to any of three Traditions all-you-care-to-eat dining halls. Students also receive $100 Dining Dollars. BuckID Cash may be added. This full dining plan offers the best value and the most food. For an additional charge, students can exchange up to 5 To-Go Visits for an $8 exchange at a retail location or a $5 exchange at a C-store during the week
• Scarlet 14: Students will get 14 Visits each week to any of three Traditions locations. Includes the Traditions-To-Go carry out option. This full dining plan appeals to students who may eat two meals per day, or those who eat three meals a day during the week and choose other dining options on weekends. Students also receive $200 Dining Dollars and $150 BuckID Cash.
• Gray 10: Students will get 10 Visits each week to any of three convenient Traditions locations. Includes the Traditions-To-Go carry out option. This partial dining plan appeals to students who may only eat 1 or 2 meals a day. Students also receive $200 Dining Dollars and $150 in BuckID Cash.

Students may exchange any Visit for either an $8 purchase at one of our retail locations or a $5 purchase at our C-Stores.

Dining Dollars can be used at any Student Life Dining Services location and offer a 35% discount on all food purchases at retail locations on campus and a 10% discount at C-Stores (on campus convenience-style mini-marts that offer packaged snacks, frozen meals, bottled beverages, etc.)

Dining Dollars are just for purchases at any Student Life Dining Services location. BuckID Cash can be used at any of the hundreds of off campus merchants that accept BuckID.

Parents can add Dining Dollars to a plan with no additional fees. Dining Dollars roll over every semester as long as a student is enrolled. In addition, parents can add BuckID Cash anytime. To add Dining Dollars using a credit card, visit the BuckID website. To add Dining Dollars by charging your student statement of account, email dining@osu.edu.

Visits reset each week on Saturday at 3 a.m. and do not roll over into the next week.

You have the flexibility to change your student's meal plan by September 5, i.e.,  the second Friday after classes start. You can also change your student's meal plan from semester to semester. Changes can be made online.

Dining Dollars and BuckID Cash will be available to use beginning August 4 and Visits will start August 23. 

Click here for more information about dining plans.

Questions? Contact Dining Services at dining@osu.edu or 614-292-8380.