Residential Meal Plans

2022-2023 UC Merced Residential Meal Plans

A student will never go hungry with a UC Merced meal plan. Each of our residential meal plans provide unlimited entries into the Pavilion Dining Center, which offers rotating menus of healthy, nutritious meals at a variety of dining stations throughout the day.

CAT Dollars, a debit system included with each unlimited plan, also give residents the flexibility to purchase food and additional items at campus locations, including Lantern Cafe, Bobcat Snack Stop and food trucks visiting campus.

Our campus strives to make sure no member of our community experiences food insecurity. Unlimited plans allow residents to stop at the all-you-care-to-eat dining center seven days a week. Grab a bite to eat between classes or eat a full meal with friends, every entry into the Pavilion is included with every meal plan. Please click here for more information about meal plans for those not living on campus.

Located in the heart of one of the most fertile agricultural regions in the world, our chefs strive to provide customers with locally sourced, sustainable meals whenever possible. We’re also happy to work with residents to accommodate any special dietary requests. Please contact Student Accessibility Services for health-related medical needs and allergen considerations. Please contact dining@ucmerced.edu for religious prohibitions or other nutritional requirements.

Students living on campus are required to purchase a meal plan. Meal plans are only valid for the plan holder and are not transferable. Exemptions from purchasing a meal plan for students living on campus are granted only under extraordinary circumstances. Please click here for information about appealing a dining contract.

Please note: Yablokoff Wallace Dining Center is open for indoor seating, but not food service, at this time. The Summits Marketplace is currently closed.

2022-2023 Meal Plan Rates

About Meal Plan Rates

All on-campus residents must have a meal plan.

Students may use their unlimited all-you-care-to-eat meal plan in the Pavilion Dining Center.

CAT Dollars are flexible spending funds that can be used for food locations on campus, campus store purchases and printing.

CAT Dollar funds are loaded prior to each semester. CAT dollars carry over from semester to semester and year to year.

CAT dollars are only refunded when you separate from the university.

Academic Year Meal Plan Contract Pricing

Unlimited Meal Plan Name	Total Price per Semester	Included Cat Dollars per Semester	Guest Passes per Semester	Total Price per Academic Year	Included Cat Dollars per Academic Year	Guest Passes per Academic Year
Unlimited 85	$2,415	$85	3	$4,830	$170	6
Unlimited 250	$2,588	$250	3	$5,176	$500	6
Unlimited 400	$2,746	$400	3	$5,492	$800	6
Unlimited 500	$2,851	$500	3	$5,702	$1,000	6
Unlimited 600	$2,956	$600	3	$5,912	$1,200	6

CAT Dollars

CAT Dollars can be purchased and added to a CatCard at any time. One CAT Dollar is equivalent to $1 U.S. dollar. For more information about depositing CAT Dollars into an account, please visit the CatCard website.

CAT Dollars can also be used at various locations, including the campus store, for supplies, to print documents and for some other campus expenses.

CAT Dollars cannot be used to pay your student bill.

CAT Dollars

Details:

Roll over from year to year
Do not expire and are available to use after moving off campus
Can be refunded when you seperate from the university

Locations that accept CAT dollars:

Cat Dollars cannot be used to pay your student bill.

Guest Dining at UC Merced

The Pavilion Dining Center accepts residential and non-residential meal plans, as well as Cat Dollars, credit cards and debit cards. View Pavilion menus here. For those without a meal plan, entry for breakfast costs $10.95, entry for lunch costs $11.95 and entry for dinner costs $12.95.

Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions section for more information, or reach out to us at dining@ucmerced.edu with any questions or concerns.

For information on 2021 rates, please click here.

If you have any questions or concerns related to your dining experience, please contact us at dining@ucmerced.edu or reach out to Executive Chef Mitch Vanagten at mvanagten@ucmerced.edu and request an appointment.

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