Two currencies, one card
Everything runs on your Campus Card. A meal swipe is one entry to The Forge, the all-you-care-to-eat residential dining hall; you also get a set number of "guest swipes" a semester to bring someone in. Campus Cash is a declining debit balance that works like money at the retail spots — the union food hall, the coffee kiosks, the North Market convenience store, concessions, and the vending machines — and it is tax-free on food. Meal swipes reset every week and do not roll over; Campus Cash rolls from fall to spring and is refunded when you graduate or move off campus.
A weekly swipe allowance of "14" does not mean two meals a day for seven days — it means 14 entries you can spend however you want, including three in one day during finals.
The plans
Forge 19 (19 swipes/week + $150 Campus Cash) suits students who eat most meals in the hall and rarely cook. Forge 14 (14 + $250) is the common choice — roughly two hall meals a day with enough Campus Cash for coffee and the odd union lunch. Forge 10 (10 + $400) fits students with a kitchen, a light schedule, or a strong preference for the retail side. Anytime (unlimited hall entry + $100) is for first-year students in the traditional halls who want to stop counting.
All new students in the traditional residence halls are required to carry Forge 14 or higher. Students in the apartment-style and cooperative halls, and all commuters, may buy any plan or none; a Commuter 50 block (50 swipes a semester, no weekly reset) is popular with people who are on campus three long days a week.
Changing your plan
You can move up a plan at any time and the difference is prorated to your student account. You can move down a plan or cancel only during the first two weeks of a semester; after that you are committed for the term, the same way tuition is. Requests go through the housing portal in MyPorter, not the dining hall.
If money is tight, talk to the dining office before you cancel — they can often shift you to a lower plan plus a food-pantry referral rather than leaving you with nothing, and the student emergency fund can bridge a gap.
Allergies, medical diets and preferences
A registered dietitian on staff will sit down with you (free, confidential) to build a plan around a food allergy, celiac disease, a medical diet, or religious requirements — including a dedicated allergen-free pantry station in The Forge and standing orders the kitchen prepares away from cross-contact. Halal and kosher-style options are labeled daily; vegan and vegetarian entrées are guaranteed at every meal, not just a side.
Every station posts full allergen and ingredient information, and the dining app lets you filter the day's menu to what you can actually eat before you walk over.
Questions?
See the full staff & office directory for any phone number or email. Because this is a fictional parody site, addresses and phone numbers are illustrative and do not reach a real university.