Billing and Financial Information
PrinBill
Dining Meal Plans
The meal plan is a combination of goods and services that Dining Services provides for students.
Basic Outline of Meal Plan
Annual board charge: $6,510 per year.
Amount placed on students' accounts each semester: 1,077 points
Points split between two accounts:
Meal Plan Account: 977 points
Can be used in Student Dining & Piasa Pub
Receives 33% discount in Student Dining on non-packaged, eligible items
Purchases not taxed
Plus Account: 100 points
Can be used in College Store and can supplement Meal Plan Account in Student Dining and Piasa Pub (used in Student Dining and Piasa Pub after Meal Plan Account exhausted)
Receives 33% discount in Student Dining on non-packaged, eligible items
All purchases taxed
If you are an enrolled student, you are required to sign up for a meal plan. All new students for their first semester are automatically enrolled in the basic plan. There is an option during NPO to increase the Meal Plan Account and Plus Account.
All unused points roll over from fall to spring semester. Remaining points at the end of spring semester do not roll over and are not refundable. The points on the meal plan are there to be used. There is no residual cash value to unused points.
Students may add to their meal plan account at any time through Principia Marketplace with the button below.
Detailed Description of Meal Plan
The annual boarding cost at Principia College is $6,510. Two-thirds of this amount is used to cover the overhead of Student Dining operations and provides the services covered by the meal plan. One-third or 1,077 points are placed on the meal card (referred to as a PrinCard). The PrinCard accesses two accounts, the Meal Plan Account and Plus Account. The meal plan has a declining balance with à la carte pricing.
The meal plan for all boarding students has 1,077 points (977 points on the Meal Plan Account and 100 points on the Plus Account) per semester, which is sufficient for most students' food expenses in Student Dining for one semester. Some students need more points than this allotment and there are multiple ways to increase the points on the meal plan before each semester and then during the semester.
The Meal Plan Account can be used in Student Dining or Piasa Pub. It begins fall semester with a balance of 977 points, 1,077 points, 1,277 points, or 1,477 points, depending on the meal plan chosen. An additional 977 points, 1,077 points, 1,277 points, or 1,477 points is added for spring semester as well. Unused points roll over from fall semester to spring semester. Remaining points at the end of spring semester do not roll over and are not refundable. The points on the meal plan are there to be used. Again, in the meal plan, there is no residual cash value to unused points.
The Traditional Meal Plan Budgeting Guide provides a list of daily point balances for the Meal Plan Account for the entire semester if the same amount is spent each day to utilize the entire allotment. This is meant as a guide to help students track their usage.
If a student runs out of points on his or her card, meals may be purchased via cash, credit card, debit card, or the Plus Account. The advantage of using the Plus Account is a 33% student discount on the cash price on all non-packaged items in Student Dining for all students on the meal plan. All forms of payment other than the Meal Plan Account are taxed. All purchases made with the Plus Account are subject to tax.
The Plus Account can be used in the College Store, Piasa Pub, or Student Dining. For all new students, 100 points are placed on the Plus Account at the beginning of fall semester. Points roll over from fall semester to spring semester. At the beginning of spring semester, 100 points are automatically put on the Plus Account, unless the student chose to increase the Plus Account level to 200 points, 300 points, or 400 points during the meal plan sign-up process.
Additional points can also be added to the Plus Account as needed during the semester with a service charge of 3%. Points remaining at the end of spring semester that were not part of the original Plus Account balance selected before each semester will first be credited to any outstanding PrinBill charges. Then any remaining balance will be refunded via direct deposit.
The opportunity to select the Meal Plan and Plus Account balance for each semester occurs as follows:
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Fall semester: meal plan sign-up process occurs at the end of spring semester, right before finals
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Spring semester: meal plan sign-ups occur in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving break
The Quick Comparison of Account Features is available to compare the Meal Plan and Plus Accounts.
If you have further questions, please visit our FAQ page.