College students have busy schedules, and with those busy schedules comes the need for ease and convenience when it comes to simple tasks, like having dinner.

Kent State University Dining Services offers a variety of meal plan options for students to choose from. According to the Dining Services website, “these meal plans were designed specifically for Kent State students to be convenient, flexible and loaded with options.”

With a meal plan, students don’t have to carry cash or credit cards. All the money included in your meal plan is added directly to your FLASHcard.

There are a variety of locations to choose from on campus. Some open as early as 7 a.m. and stay open as late as 2 a.m. There’s also Rosie’s Diner and Market which is open 24/7. A full list of locations and hours of operation can be found on the Dining Services website.

Meal plans are comprised of meal swipes and declining balance dollars. Meal swipes give students access to the three all-you-care-to-eat dining halls, Eastway Fresh Food Company, The Market and Prentice Café. Meal swipes work by swiping your FLASHcard when entering the dining hall. Students with all-access meal plans have an unlimited number of swipes in those three dining halls. Students with block meal plans will have a set number of swipes each semester.

Declining balance dollars are the dollars included with a meal plan and are used like a debit card. The money added to a FLASHcard can be used at on-campus dining locations, as well as any dining locations that accept FLASHcash.

Declining balance dollars also rollover from semester to semester until graduation. However, any unused meal swipes and guest meals at the end of the semester will expire.

Guest meals offer students the ability to treat friends and family to meals in the three all-you-care-to-eat dining halls. Each of the meal plans offer a specific number of guest meals for the semester that are automatically added to the FLASHcard.

Both the All-Access and Block meal plans offer the meal exchange feature. This allows for more flexibility in the dining experience. With the meal exchange feature, students can use one meal swipe per meal period at Rosie’s Diner, Eastway Deli, Munchies Market Deli, George T. Simon III Cafe and The CUE Express.

According to the Dining Services website, “Per University Policy, first year and sophomore resident students are required to have a meal plan for the entire school year. First year and sophomore resident students are able to pick from The Gold, The Kent or The Blue Meal Plan. Upperclass resident and commuter students are not required to purchase a meal plan, but are welcome to do so via the Housing Application or Flashline.”

Block Meal Plan

Flash 100 Block

The price of this meal plan for the 2019-2020 school year is $1,289 each semester. The Flash 100 Block meal plan includes: 100 meal swipes at Eastway Fresh Food Company, The Market and Prentice Café, a $500 declining balance, five guest meals and meal exchanges at Rosie’s Diner, Eastway Deli, Munchies Market Deli, George T. Simon III Cafe and The CUE Express.

Flash 50 Block

The price of this meal plan for the 2019-2020 school year is $773 each semester. The Flash 50 Block meal plan includes: 50 meal swipes at Eastway Fresh Food Company, The Market and Prentice Café, a $350 declining balance and meal exchanges at Rosie’s Diner, Eastway Deli, Munchies Market Deli, George T. Simon III Cafe and The CUE Express.

Flash 30 Block

The price of this meal plan for the 2019-2020 school year is $516 each semester. The Flash 30 Block meal plan includes: 30 meal swipes at Eastway Fresh Food Company, The Market and Prentice Café, a $250 declining balance and meal exchanges at Rosie’s Diner, Eastway Deli, Munchies Market Deli, George T. Simon III Cafe and The CUE Express.

All-Access Meal Plan

The Gold Plan

The cohort price for the 2019-2020 school year is $2,624 each semester. The Gold Plan includes: unlimited meal swipes in Eastway Fresh Food Company, The Market and Prentice Café, a $550 declining balance, 10 guest meals and meal exchanges at Rosie’s Diner, Eastway Deli, Munchies Market Deli, George T. Simon III Cafe and The CUE Express.

The Kent Plan

This plan is new for the 2019-2020 school year. The cohort price for the year is $2,407 each semester. The Kent Plan includes: unlimited meal swipes in Eastway Fresh Food Company, The Market and Prentice Café, a $300 declining balance, 10 guest meals and meal exchanges at Rosie’s Diner, Eastway Deli, Munchies Market Deli, George T. Simon III Cafe and The CUE Express.

The Blue Plan

The cohort price for the 2019-2020 school year is $2,207 each semester. The Blue Plan includes: unlimited meal swipes in Eastway Fresh Food Company, The Market and Prentice Café, a $100 declining balance, five guest meals and meal exchanges at Rosie’s Diner, Eastway Deli, Munchies Market Deli, George T. Simon III Cafe and The CUE Express.

Declining Balance Meal Plan

The Flex Plan

The price of this meal plan for the 2019-2020 school year is $800 each semester. The Flex Plan includes an $800 declining balance.

Maria McGinnis is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].