Have a question about dining at Pitt? Learn more about Meal Membership, Dining Dollars, and more below.
Purchasing a Meal Membership
First-year residents and upper-class residents living in non-apartment-style housing are required to purchase a Meal Membership.
Residents
Our Meal Memberships are designed to fit your unique needs while attending the University of Pittsburgh. With flexibility, convenience, and value in mind, the options listed below provide students with meal access at The Eatery or The Perch and Dining Dollars at your favorite on-campus restaurants and our campus grocery store. View our meal memberships below!
Meal Memberships are provided by Pitt Eats, but are purchased in conjunction with housing through Panther Central. Students will select their Meal Memberships via the online Housing and Dining Application. All students residing in residence halls are required to purchase a Meal Membership. Students residing in apartment-style accommodations may purchase one of the Meal Memberships listed, but are not required to do so.
Non-guaranteed students will be assigned a Meal Membership upon notification of their housing assignment, if granted. These students can change their assigned membership during the Add/Drop Period in either the fall or spring term.
2026-2027 Meal Plans
Each plan is per semester. Blocks will not roll over from semester to semester. Dining Dollars will roll over from fall to spring and expire at the end of the spring semester if a student maintains the same meal membership or a higher-valued meal membership.
Meal Plan | Best For: | Price: | |
Full-Access 500 |
Flex meals are per semester. | First Year Resident Upper Class residents can also choose a Full Access Plan, and commuters can choose any plan. | 3,515 |
Full-Access 300 |
Flex meals are per semester. | First Year Resident Upper Class residents can also choose a Full Access Plan, and commuters can choose any plan. | 3,315 |
Full-Access 150 |
Flex meals are per semester. | First Year Resident Upper Class residents can also choose a Full Access Plan, and commuters can choose any plan. | 3,165 |
Weekly 14 |
*Meals reset Sunday at Midnight, flex meals are per semester. | First Year Resident Upper Class Resident Commuters can choose any plan. | 3,110 |
Block 145 |
*All meals expire at the end of the semester, flex meals are per semester. | Upper Class Resident Commuters can choose any plan. | 2,375 |
Block 90 |
*All meals expire at the end of the semester | Upper Class Resident Commuters can choose any plan. | 1,650 |
Block 50 |
*All meals expire at the end of the semester | Commuter and Graduate Students | 1,000 |
75 All-Day Access | Choose which days you eat on campus! Provides 75 All-Access day passes per semester, allowing unlimited entry to The Eatery or The Perch (an hour delay applies between swipes) on any day you use it. Each day you access the dining hall counts as one All-Access Day. This plan also includes one meal exchange per active day and $150 Dining Dollars. | Commuter and Graduate Students | 2,855 |
40 All-Day Access | Choose which days you eat on campus! Provides 40 All-Access day passes per semester, allowing unlimited entry to The Eatery or The Perch (an hour delay applies between swipes) on any day you use it. Each day you access the dining hall counts as one All-Access Day. This plan also includes one meal exchange per active day and $150 Dining Dollars. | Commuter and Graduate Students | 1,690 |
$500 Plan | $500 Dining Dollars | Commuter and Graduate Students | 500 |
$350 Plan | $350 Dining Dollars | Commuter and Graduate Students | 350 |
Meal Exchanges vs. Meal Swipes
Meal Swipe
A Meal Swipe is when you swipe your card to enter The Eatery or The Perch. This will gain you access to an all-you-care-to-eat facility.
Meal Exchange
Meal Exchanges add flexibility to your dining options and meal plan. They are available for specific, high-value combos at all on-campus retail dining locations. Each Exchange contains an entree, side, and drink for one set price. A full list of Meal Exchanges is coming soon!
Dining Dollars
Dining Dollars can be used at any campus dining location, and receive a 10% discount with any purchase at any on-campus non-national brand restaurant. They are tax-free and roll over from fall to spring semester, but expire at the end of the spring semester*.
- Dining Dollars associated with Meal Memberships have 25% of their total balance allocated for use at select off-campus locations.
- Dining Dollars can be reloaded at any time in increments of $25 through Panther Central.
- Up to $10 Dining Dollars can also be donated at the end of each semester. All donated swaps benefit the Meal Assistance Program
*Valid only if a student maintains the same meal membership or a higher valued meal membership.
Flex Meals
Flex Meals can be used for friends, family, or self at The Eatery, The Perch, or for a Meal Exchange at on-campus restaurants, and will expire at the end of the semester. To use these meals, guests must be accompanied by a Meal Membership holder.
Extra Flex Swaps can also be donated at the end of each semester. All donated swaps benefit the Meal Assistance Program.
We suggest thinking about your lifestyle and eating habits and then choosing a Membership that fits best with your routine. All Membership options can be viewed on our website, and we are happy to assist you in selecting an option! Take our Meal Membership Assistant to see what we would recommend based on your selections!
Students living on campus will select a Meal Membership via the online Housing and Dining Application. If a Membership is not selected, an option will be assigned to you. Students have until the end of the add/drop period in the fall and spring semesters to change their memberships. Students who are not required to purchase a Membership can purchase a Meal Membership here.
Current Meal Membership rates can be found on the Pitt Eats website.
Change Your Meal Membership
Change your meal membership here. Please note that all meal membership changes must be submitted by the Add/Drop period. All sales are final once the add/drop period ends.
Yes, you may change your meal membership change through the Add/Drop period. Memberships cannot be changed once the Add/Drop period has passed. However, you may reload or purchase additional Dining Dollars at any time during the semester.
Using Your Meal Membership
Visit my.pitt.edu to see which Meal Membership you are currently enrolled in.
With our Meal Memberships, you should not have to worry about running out of meals if you selected the most appropriate option to fit your lifestyle. If you need assistance in selecting a Meal Membership that fits your lifestyle, please reach out to us; we are happy to help!
We have teamed up with Sharing Excess and Meal Assistance Program to provide Meal Membership holders with the opportunity to donate one (1) Flex Meal once a semester. Information regarding Meal Donations will be communicated in our locations prior to the event.
Yes, students may check out reusable containers for takeout food and drinks using our USEFULL program.
To get started, just download the USEFULL app via the App Store or Google Play. Then, head to the dining hall and ask for a USEFULL container. You’ll check it out using the app and be on your way!
When creating your account:
- Select University of Pittsburgh as your community
- Select your preferred payment method to be used in the event of late fees
- Credit card
- ApplePay or GooglePay
- Pitt ID (Panther Funds or Dining Dollars)
USEFULL is completely free so long as you return your containers within the usage period.
A meal swipe is what we call it when you use a meal or meal exchange at one of our dining locations. It's called a "swipe" because you swipe your Pitt ID at our dining hall locations.
When visiting a dining hall (The Eatery or The Perch), swiping your card will use a meal. If you are out of meals for the day, you may use a Flex Meal or Dining Dollars to pay for entrance; just let the cashier know at the register.
When dining at select off-campus locations, you will need to use Dining Dollars*, Panther Funds, or Credit.
*Dining Dollars used at select off-campus locations must be associated with a Meal Membership that allocates 25% of the total Dining Dollar balance.
Meal Memberships may be used at any on-campus dining location.
Our dining halls are The Eatery at Litchfield Towers and The Perch at Sutherland Hall.
Using Your Dining Dollars
To view your balance of Dining Dollars, go to the Panther Central portal on my.pitt.edu or check your Transact eAccount App. (Download it from from the App Store or Google Play.)
Dining Dollars can be reloaded at any time in increments of $25. To add more Dining Dollars to your account:
- Go to my.pitt.edu
- Search for Panther Central.
- Select Housing Information and Applications
- If directed to PittPay, choose Make Deposit, then select Continue
- Select the amount you wish to add
We have teamed up with Sharing Excess and Meal Assistance Program to provide Meal Membership holders with the opportunity to donate up to $10 Dining Dollars once a semester. We recommend using your Dining Dollars before the end of the academic year since they do not roll over. Dining Dollars can be used at any location on-campus and select locations off-campus. You are free to use your Dining Dollars however you please, as long as you are the holder purchasing the items.
All on-campus non-national brand restaurants offer a 10% discount. View locations on Dine on Campus.
The 10% discount is automatically deducted when using Dining Dollars.
Market locations do not accept the 10% discount. This includes Market at Towers, Market at Sutherland, and Forbes Street Market.
If you have purchased an Unlimited or Lifestyle Membership, 25% of your Dining Dollars may be used at select off-campus locations. If you reload or purchase additional Dining Dollars in any amount separate from the Dining Dollar Membership, this does not include the 25% allocation to off-campus vendors. Reload amounts or purchases of additional Dining Dollars are for on-campus use only.
Dining Dollars roll over from the fall semester to the spring semester if a student maintains the same meal membership or higher valued meal membership. Dining Dollars do expire at the end of the spring semester.
Using Your Meal Exchange
Find more information at Dine on Campus.
There’s an endless number of combinations you can choose from at our locations! For a full list of locations accepting Meal Exchange, please visit the Pitt Eats Dine on Campus website.
Resources
Yes! Visit our Nutritional Information page for contact information for our Nutrition Team.