Commuter Meal Plan

How It Works
Purchasing the Plan
Level Options
Leftover Funds
Savings
Where It Can Be Used
Lost/Stolen id+ Card
Terms & Conditions

How It Works

  • Two levels to choose from
  • Charge it to your Bursar Account
  • 10 percent discount at the all-you-care-to-eat dining commons
  • 10 percent discount on prepared items* at select Campus Dining locations
  • Accessed conveniently with your Penn State id+ Card
  • Available for the fall and spring semesters

The Commuter Meal Plan provides an option for off-campus students to enjoy Campus Dining's wide variety of choices and convenient locations. Enrolled undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for the plan. Students living on campus are required to purchase the Campus Meal Plan.

* Prepared items are meals, snacks, and beverages that are made by Campus Dining staff. This excludes menu items at nationally branded restaurants and cafés.

Purchasing the Plan

You can purchase your Commuter Meal Plan at the eLiving website and charge it directly to your Bursar Account. 

Fall Semester 2015 Commuter Meal Plan will be available for purchase March 1, 2015 through August 1, 2015 by noon (12:00 p.m.)
Spring Semester 2016 Commuter Meal Plan will be available for purchase September 1, 2015 through December 1, 2015 by 12:00 p.m.

Missed a Due Date?

LionCash+ shares the same benefits as the Commuter Meal Plan. It can be paid for online using a Visa or MasterCard debit/credit card. It is accepted at both on- and off-campus locations. Learn more about other benefits and where LionCash+ is accepted at the LionCash website.

Level Options

Choose between two fund levels for the semester. Once you purchase a level and are an enrolled student for the upcoming semester, the full amount will be deposited into your Commuter Meal Plan account.

Level One - $500
Level Two - $1,000

Leftover Funds

  • Leftover funds carry over from fall to spring semester.
  • Leftover funds after the spring semester are forfeited.

Running Low on Funds?

Campus Dining registers automatically use funds from your activated LionCash account at the same discounted rate. You can monitor your Commuter Meal Plan account balance and  transaction history by visiting the Penn State id+ Card website.

Savings

With the Commuter Meal Plan, you'll enjoy a 10 percent discount at the all-you-care-to-eat dining commons, as well as a 10 percent discount on prepared items at select Campus Dining locations. Prepared items are meals, snacks, and beverages that are made by Campus Dining staff. This excludes menu items at nationally branded restaurants and cafés.

The 2014-2015 Dining Commons Meal Prices

(Commuter Meal Plan Rate)
Breakfast: $6.25
Lunch: $9.95
Dinner: $12.25

Where It Can Be Used

Students enjoy a large array of favorites, healthy options, and delicious choices with Campus Dining. The Commuter Meal Plan is accepted at Campus Dining locations and many on-campus athletic venues, including:

Accepted at Campus Dining locations at:
Altoona, Beaver, Berks, Behrend, Greater Allegheny, Harrisburg, Hazleton, Mont Alto, Schuylkill, University Park, Wilkes-Barre, and Scranton.

Lost or Stolen id+ Card

If your id+ card has been lost or stolen, deactivate it immediately at the Penn State id+ Card website or by calling 814-865-7590. You can also deactivate your card at your commons desk at any time during the semester (24 hours a day/seven days a week). You can receive a temporary ID for a nominal fee and use it until the id+ Office opens to provide you with a new id+ card. You can also call University Police after regular office hours at 814-863-1111. Your campus's id+ Office can issue a new card at the current replacement fee.

Terms & Conditions

Overview

The Commuter Meal Plan offers two levels for students residing off campus to purchase. Level one offers $500 in funds, level two offers $1000. Commuter Meal Plan members will receive a 10 percent discount at the all-you-care-to-eat facilities and a 10 percent discount on prepared items* at select Campus Dining locations. *No discount is given on branded or packaged items, or at nationally branded restaurants and cafés.

Purchasing the Commuter Meal Plan

The Commuter Meal Plan is available to purchase online through the eLiving website, and the amount for the level purchased will be charged to the student's Bursar account. The Commuter Meal Plan can only be purchased online during the announced timeframe, provided that the student has a registration status of "expected" or "scheduled" – meaning the student has not yet completed the registration process by filing their semester bill. Once the contract is submitted, the funds will not be available to use until the student has then completed the registration process. Additional information about the registration process is available at http://www.registrar.psu.edu/registration/completing_registration.cfm.

Once a student has become registered, the Commuter Meal Plan cannot be purchased. Instead, the student should deposit funds into the LionCash+ account at www.idcard.psu.edu.

Once purchased, the Commuter Meal Plan cannot be adjusted to a higher/lower level or cancelled.

Commuter Meal Plan Account Balances

Remaining funds at the end of the fall semester will carry over to spring semester for use. Any remaining funds at the end of spring semester are forfeited. If the account balance runs low, funds will automatically be pulled from the student's LionCash (provided there are funds available in LionCash+) at the same discounted rate.

Transfer of the Commuter Meal Plan to Another Student

The Commuter Meal Plan cannot be transferred or assigned to another student. The id+ Card is used as the meal access card, and may only be used by the student to whom the card is issued.

Removing Food or Unauthorized Entry into the Dining Commons

When dining in the all-you-care-to-eat locations, the only takeout options are one piece of hand fruit (apple, orange, or banana) and one ice cream cone. Removing additional food or beverages, dishes, or silverware from the dining room or entering the dining commons without paying for the meal will be considered theft. Theft in the dining commons is a serious issue that will result in disciplinary action by the Office of Residence Life, the Office of Student Conduct and/or University Police. Further repercussions could include cancellation of the Housing and Food Service Contract. Campus Dining reserves the right to examine customers' backpacks or bags when they exit the dining commons. Acts of horseplay, food fights, and inline skates are prohibited. If a student violates this policy, he or she will be subject to disciplinary action.