Columbia University Dining

First Year Meal Plans and Columbia Points

All first-year students in residence are required to enroll in one of the four first-year meal plans, outlined in the "Meal Plans, Dining Dollars and Flex Accounts" section of this website. Each first year meal plan is comprised of a varying number of meals, served at John Jay Dining Hall, and Columbia Points, which can be used to make a la carte purchases at any other on-campus dining location.

Meals and Columbia Points are NON-REFUNDABLE and NON-TRANSFERABLE. Students can roll over up to 20 unused meals from the fall term to the spring term, but all unused meals will expire at the end of the spring term. Unused Columbia Points will roll over from the fall term to the spring term, but will expire at the end of the spring term. Students may change plans in the first two weeks of the fall and/or spring term for an administrative fee of $25.

For students who observe a kosher diet, there are two options: (1) enroll in the Columbia University Kosher Meal Plan, which allows you access to a restricted kosher area within John Jay Dining Hall for an additional 10% fee, or (2) enroll in one of the five kosher meal plans offered through Barnard College. Please note that these terms and conditions do not apply to the Barnard College kosher meal plans and other restrictions may apply. Please refer to the Kosher Meal Plan Guide available through Barnard College Dining Services for more information, including pricing.

As with all other uses and functions of the Columbia Card, the first year meal plan feature is for your use only. Only one meal may be used for each brunch and dinner. If your Columbia Card is lost, stolen, or damaged, you must report it to the ID Center or Campus Security immediately.

Food cannot be taken from John Jay Dining Room.

John Jay Dining Hall does not operate during university recesses of Election Day weekend, Thanksgiving, winter recess, academic holidays, and legal holidays observed by the University.

Barnard College Dining Services 'points' are not accepted at Columbia Dining Services locations, and vice-versa. However, first-year meal plan meals are interchangeable between Barnard's Hewitt Dining Hall and Columbia's John Jay Dining Hall.

Upperclass, Graduate and GS Student Meal Plans

All upperclass, graduate and General Studies students can elect to participate in one of four meal plans, each offering a different number of meals per term served in John Jay Dining Hall. Meals are NON-REFUNDABLE and NON-TRANSFERABLE and will expire at the end of the academic year. Students can enroll in a meal plan at any point during the semester (please note, however, no adjustments will be made to the number of meals offered or the price) and may change plans in the first two weeks of the fall and/or spring term for an administrative fee of $25.

For students who observe a kosher diet, there are two options: (1) enroll in the Columbia University Kosher Meal Plan, which allows you access to a restricted kosher area within John Jay Dining Hall for an additional 10% fee, or (2) enroll in one of the five kosher meal plans offered through Barnard College. Please note that these terms and conditions do not apply to the Barnard College kosher meal plans and other restrictions may apply. Please refer to the Kosher Meal Plan Guide available through Barnard College Dining Services for more information, including pricing.

As with all other uses and functions of the Columbia Card, the first year meal plan feature is for your use only. Only one meal may be used for each brunch and dinner. If your Columbia Card is lost, stolen, or damaged, you must report it to the ID Center or Campus Security immediately.

Food cannot be taken from John Jay Dining Room.

John Jay Dining Hall does not operate during university recesses of Election Day weekend, Thanksgiving, winter recess, academic holidays, and legal holidays observed by the University.

Dining Dollars

Dining Dollars are only available to currently enrolled Columbia University students. They are billed to your Student Account Statement from Student Financial Services, unless you choose to make a deposit in-person using cash, check or credit card. The minimum amount required to open an account is $100. The minimum amount that may be added to an account is $50. All purchases made using Dining Dollars are tax-free (the account allows for food and beverage purchases only). Dining Dollars roll over from year to year, but will expire when you graduate. Dining Dollars are NON-REFUNDABLE and NON-TRANSFERABLE.

Flex Accounts

The Flex Account is a debit account program available to any student, faculty or employee of Columbia University. The cardholder's Columbia University ID card will be the access device for all Flex Account transactions. The Columbia Card must be presented at the time of purchase, and shall be the only means of accessing the cardholder's account. The Flex Account is non-transferable and the cardholder understands that no interest or other earnings on Flex Account balances will be paid to the cardholder or credited by Columbia University. There is a $20 minimum for Flex Account deposits.

A cardholder may make deposits into his/her Flex Account in one of the following manners: Cash, Check, Credit Card, or authorized debit applied to the cardholder's Student Account Statement. A $20 fee will be assessed for all returned checks. When a deposit is made against the cardholder's Student Account Statement, the cardholder understands and agrees to the following terms and conditions:

• The cardholder is responsible for notifying anyone who pays the balance on his/her Student Account Statement of the debit being placed.
• As part of the balance on the cardholder's Student Account Statement, the debit will be subject to late payment charges, and will be included in the balance for placing the student on financial hold, which could block privileges such as future registrations, receipt of transcripts and/or diplomas.
• No Flex Account deposits can be made in this manner if the cardholder is currently on financial hold.

A refund is defined as the return of an unused Flex Account balance in the same manner of the original deposit. Refunds are permitted only upon the official academic withdrawal from Columbia University. Refunds may be requested at the ID Center in 204 Kent Hall only. An account withdrawal is defined as converting all, or a portion of, a Flex Account balance into cash, and is not permitted under any circumstances.

Under normal circumstances, a cardholder will not be permitted to overdraw his/her Flex Account. If an account becomes overdrawn, the cardholder understands and aggress that subsequent deposits will be used to offset any overdrawn amount, and if no such subsequent deposit occurs, the overdrawn amount, at the discretion of Columbia University, may be billed to the cardholder's Student Account Statement.

It is the sole responsibility of the cardholder to report the loss of his/her Columbia Card. Any financial loss due to misuse of the lost Columbia Cards is the responsibility of the cardholder. Once a Columbia Card is reported lost, the cardholder will not be held responsible for any financial loss due to misuse of a lost Columbia Card. In order to report a lost Columbia Card, visit the Deactivation ID Center website or call the voice response system (which requires that you know your telephone registration PIN) at 212- 854-4323, or come into the ID Center during our regular business hours. For the protection of the cardholder, there are daily limits placed on laundry and vending transactions. The daily limit for laundry transactions is $15, and the daily limit for vending transactions is $10. The balance displayed at these locations will be the available balance remaining for that day's limit, and not the total balance remaining in the Flex Account.

Columbia University will disclose information to third parties about the cardholder's Flex Account only in order to comply with court orders or other applicable laws, or if the cardholder gives written permission.