Semester Meal Plans | Commuter/Block Plans | Faculty/Staff Plans | Dining Dollars | To-Go Container | FAQ
Meal Plans designed with you in mind
Meal plans are your best value for dining on campus. The Lakeside Dining Hall, where you will use your meal plan, is an all-you-care-to-eat dining location with a variety of selections including a hot line with meat and vegetarian options and sides, a grill, brick-oven pizza and pastas, a salad bar, a sandwich bar, desserts, and beverages.
Dining Dollars are funds reserved for food purchases at retail dining locations: The Grind, Loch's Hangout, Bent Tree Market and Chick-fil-A Express (fall and spring semesters only). Dining Dollars offer flexibility and variety and are included with most meal plans. Dining Dollar purchases are tax-exempt, saving you 8% sales tax on every transaction. Dining Dollar plans may also be purchased separately. See the Dining Dollar section below for more information.
Three ways to purchase a meal plan
Housing Contract
Meal plan options are made available in the University Housing Application for all Residents living in Laker Hall and Laker Village. Laker Hall and new Laker Village Residents will be defaulted to the lowest cost plan within their housing application. The Resident’s student account will be billed the amount indicated on the University Housing website www.clayton.edu/housing/Meal-Plan.
Laker Hall Residents are required to purchase a semester meal plan (Blue or Blue Plus for first-year students; Blue, Blue Plus, or Block 50 for upperclassmen in-residence). Resident hereby acknowledges and agrees to purchase one of the semester meal plans during the term of this Contract.
New Laker Village residents are required to purchase a minimum of a Block 50 meal plan. Resident hereby acknowledges and agrees to purchase the minimum meal plan during the term of this Contract.
Starting Fall 2026, Returning Laker Village residents are required to purchase a meal plan, but have the option to select a meal plan through the housing application process. Meal plan choices may be found at www.clayton.edu/housing/Meal-Plan. The Resident’s student account will be billed for the cost of the meal plan selected.
Meal plan rates incorporated into this Contract are on a per-semester basis. Meal plan payment and all student fee payments must be settled prior to the date of move-in. Unused meals from fall semester will be forfeited.
Unused Dining Dollars from fall semester will be added to Student's spring semester Dining Dollar allotment. Unused meals and Dining Dollars at the end of spring semester will be refunded.
Semester plans: Unused meals from fall semester will be forfeited. Unused Dining Dollars will be added to the Student’s spring semester Dining Dollar allotment. Unused meals and Dining Dollars at the end of spring semester will be refunded.
Block plans: Unused meals and Dining Dollars from fall semester will be added to the Student’s spring semester allotment. Unused meals and Dining Dollars at the end of spring semester will be refunded.
Students may make changes to their meal plans during the first two weeks of classes. First change is free; subsequent changes will be assessed a $25 fee payable at the time of the request (not billable to the student account). No plan changes will be allowed after the third week of classes. Changes may be made by emailing LakerCard@clayton.edu or by visiting the Laker Card Center in person.
Online
Purchase a meal plan or Dining Dollar plan online at LakerCard Online using credit or debit. Meal plans may also be purchased online using available Financial Aid during the days of Bookstore Bucks at the beginning of Fall and Spring semesters.
In Person
Visit the LakerCard Center in Edgewater Hall to purchase a meal plan using credit/debit or cash.
Meal Plan Options for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026
Semester Meal Plans
Semester meal plans are selected on the Housing Contract and are automatically billed
to your student account. Blue Plus and Blue plans reset every week. Unused meals are
forfeited and do not carry forward to the next semester. Unused Dining Dollars carry
forward to the following spring semester. At the end of the spring semester, unused
Dining Dollars are refunded based on the Dining Dollar refund policy near the bottom
of this page.
NEW BEGINNING FALL 2025
- Additional days of service to cover most holidays and breaks
- Unlimited daily swipes
- Free To-Go container
Blue Plus
$2,551.00 per semester
- UNLIMITED daily swipes per week at the Lakeside Dining Hall
(NOTE: swipes may only be used for meal plan holder, not for guests) - $50 Dining Dollars
- Five guest meals per semester
Blue
$2,500.00 per semester
- UNLIMITED daily swipes per week at the Lakeside Dining Hall
(NOTE: swipes may only be used for meal plan holder, not for guests) - Five guest meals per semester
Commuter/Block Meal Plans
Commuter/Block Meal Plans are required for some residents as part of the Housing contract
and are billed to your student account.
Commuter/Block Meal Plans are also available to commuter students. Unused meal swipes
from Fall semester carry forward to the following Spring semester. Unused swipes expire
at the end of that Spring semester. Unused Dining Dollars carry forward to the following
spring semester. At the end of the spring semester, unused Dining Dollars are refunded
based on the Dining Dollar refund policy near the bottom of this page.
NEW BEGINNING FALL 2024
- Free membership in the To-Co container program with the purchase of any Semester
plan, 75+, 50+, or 25+ plan.
75 plus
$714.00
- 75 meal swipes at the Lakeside Dining Hall
- $125 Dining Dollars
50 plus
$503.00
- 50 meal swipes at the Lakeside Dining Hall
- $100 Dining Dollars
25 plus
$287.00
- 25 meal swipes at the Lakeside Dining Hall
- $75 Dining Dollars
STARTER
$44.00
- 5 meal swipes at the Lakeside Dining Hall
- No Dining Dollars
BREAKFAST ONLY
$66.78
- 10 meal swipes at the Lakeside Dining Hall during Breakfast only
- No Dining Dollars
Faculty/Staff Meal Plans
Faculty/Staff Meal Plans are available to all employees. (Leftover meal swipes from
Fall semester roll over to the next Spring semester and expire at the end of that
Spring semester.)
NEW BEGINNING FALL 2024
- Free membership in the To-Co container program with the purchase of a Faculty/Staff
25 plan.
STARTER
$44.00 +tax
- 5 meal swipes at the Lakeside Dining Hall
- No Dining Dollars
Faculty/Staff 25
$212.00 + tax
- 25 meal swipes at the Lakeside Dining Hall
- No Dining Dollars
BREAKFAST ONLY
$66.78 + tax
- 10 meal swipes at the Lakeside Dining Hall during Breakfast only
- No Dining Dollars
Dining Dollar Plans
Dining Dollar plans are available to all students. If you don’t have a meal plan, purchase Dining Dollars to take advantage of the 8% sales tax savings. If you have a meal plan with Dining Dollars, you can purchase additional Dining Dollars at any time. Unused Dining Dollars carry forward to the following spring semester. At the end of the spring semester, unused Dining Dollars are refunded based on the Dining Dollar refund policy near the bottom of this page.
**Dining Dollars are not available for use at the Loch Shop, Loch’s Nest, or vending machines.
Dining Dollar Refunds
Unused Dining Dollars from fall semester carry forward to spring semester. Unused Dining Dollars at the end of spring semester will be refunded to the student account. If a debt to the University exists on the student account, the debt will be satisfied, and any remaining credit balance of $10 or more will be refunded based upon your refund preference through BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc. Issuance of refunds may take up to fourteen (14) business days.
To-Go Container
NEW BEGINNING FALL 2024: Free membership in the To-Co container program with the purchase of any Semester plan, 75+, 50+, 25+ plan or a Faculty/Staff 25 Plan! Bring your used container to the Dining Hall and we will swap it out for a clean container. The containers are BPA free and dishwasher safe. First container is free; replacement containers are $15 each and can be purchased at the Lakeside Dining Hall. One container per customer, per swipe. Containers are intended for guests choosing to not dine in the Dining Hall. They cannot be used to take leftovers from dining in or an additional meal.
Meal Plan FAQ
Meal Swipes: For use at the Lakeside Dining Hall. One swipe = One meal
Dining Dollars: Can be used at any on-campus retail dining location. (Including Lakeside Dining Hall, Lakeside Wild Wings, The Grind, Sub Stand, and Chick-Fil-A Express)
It depends on your meal plan...
- Semester Plans: No. Unused meal swipes are forfeited each week and do not carry forward to spring.
Unused Dining Dollars do carry forward.
- Commuter/Block plans: Yes. Unused Meal Swipes and Dining Dollars from Fall semester carry forward to Spring semester
and expire at the end of that Spring semester.
You have two options:
- Purchase online at https://lakercard.clayton.edu/
- Purchase in-person at the LakerCard Center in Edgewater Hall.
NOTE: Purchasing with Bookstore Bucks is only available during Bookstore Bucks days
at the beginning of Fall and Spring Semesters.
You have two options:
- Purchase online at https://lakercard.clayton.edu/
- Purchase in-person at the LakerCard Center in Edgewater Hall. You may use credit/debit
or cash for in-person purchases.
You will need your LakerCard to use your meal plan. Visit the LakerCard Center in Edgewater Hall if you don't have a LakerCard or need a replacement card.
A request to have a meal plan removed can be placed by emailing: lakercard@clayton.edu . Your request will be reviewed and typically can take 1-2 business days for you to receive a response. *Please note that Laker Hall residents are required to purchase a residential meal plan.
Questions about meal plans or purchasing a meal plan?
Email: lakercard@clayton.edu
Call: (678) 466-4215
Visit Us:
LakerCard Center
Edgewater Hall, Second Floor, Located in the Bursar's Office
