Dining Plans

The Signature Plan is accepted at every campus dining location across the Commonwealth, offering the largest variety of options and savings on nearly every prepared food or beverage purchase. Items that are pre-packaged or sold at a Premium Brand location receive no discount.

Students can adjust Signature Plan dining dollars through eLiving from the time semester bills are generated until the last day of finals. Leftover dining dollars roll over from summer to fall and from fall to spring, so long as students have purchased either a Signature or Classic dining plan for each semester. All dining dollars expire at the end of spring semester. And if they run out of dining dollars, students can use overdraft protection with LionCash funds, while still receiving the same Signature Plan discount.

On-Campus Housing Students

The Signature Plan is conveniently included in the HFS contract for students who live in University Housing and does not need to be purchased separately. Students living in on-campus apartments with a full kitchen can choose a Signature Plan, Classic Plan, or no plan. The cost of the dining plan will be added to students' LionPATH accounts for payment each semester.

Off-Campus Housing Students

Students living in apartments off-campus can purchase the Signature Plan in eLiving under Purchase Meal Plan, then agree to the Terms, Conditions, and Regulations (TCRs). The cost of the Signature Plan can be either added to students' LionPATH accounts or paid for by credit card. 

Purchases can be made during these time frames:

• Fall Semester: March 1 - December 1
• Spring Semester: October 1 - March 1
• Summer: March 1 - August 1

Signature Plan purchases made in the fall semester will be automatically duplicated for the spring semester. Spring dining dollars will be available for adjustments beginning January 1.

• Any funds remaining at the end of the summer or fall semester will only be available the following semester if the student purchases another Signature or Classic Plan. If no other plan is purchased, the remaining funds will expire. The student will receive the discount appropriate for their current semester dining plan, regardless from which plan the remaining funds were transferred.
• Any funds remaining at the end of the spring semester will expire. 

Signature Plan Cost

The Signature Dining Plan is comprised of two cost components:

• The Dining Program Fee covers operational expenses and is used to cover mortgages, labor, supplies, and utilities. It is separate from the money you will spend each semester on dining. This cost ensures that Penn State's dining operations are open and ready to serve students on demand while offering access to lower prices and perks. In return for prepayment of these costs, students receive large discounts on prepared foods at most locations with each transaction, effectively paying for just the cost of the food they're about to enjoy.
• Dining dollars are the spendable funds included in each Penn State dining plan. They work like a declining balance account, with your Penn State id+ Card acting as a debit card. Each time you purchase a meal or a snack, the cost is deducted from your balance. Dining dollars can be adjusted from the time semester bills are generated until the last day of finals, allowing your plan to flex with your needs and dining habits. To receive the full value of the meal plan, students must remain above a required dining dollar amount when making adjustments.

The 2027-28 semester cost at University Park is $3,063 and includes $1,288 spendable dining dollars. At other campus locations, the 2027-28 semester cost is $2,847 and includes $1,206 spendable dining dollars.

Students living in University Housing who are not assigned to apartments with full kitchens are required to purchase the Signature Plan.

You can check your dining plan balance in eLiving at or in the eAccounts app at any time.

Dining plans are purchased for each semester and are available for use when students arrive on campus or if they live off campus, on the first day of classes. Leftover Signature Plan dining dollars roll over from summer to fall and from fall to spring, as long as you have purchased a dining plan for each semester. Classic Plan dining dollar rollover does not require purchase of a spring dining plan. All leftover dollars expire at the end of spring.

You should always use your meal plan first, even if you’re purchasing an item that isn’t discounted. You’ve already paid for the meal plan, whereas every dollar you spend with your cash or credit card is an additional expense. If you run out of dining dollars, you can use LionCash as overdraft protection and still receive the discounted price on eligible items. There is no discount on any item paid for with a debit/credit card.

Yes – on occasion, you may treat your friend or family to a meal or snack on campus. Meal plans, however, are individual plans and should not be used collectively or to pay for another’s items on a recurring basis.