BIG Changes in Store for Meal Plans

Pat Faulkinberry, Campus Card Services

There are BIG changes coming to meal plans beginning Fall 2016. Less confusion, more options, and no end of the year spending sprees. Sounds too good to be true, but it isn’t. Dining Dollars which are limited to on campus purchases and expire at the end of the academic year will no longer be included with meal plans, they will be replaced with Bulldog Bucks. RIP Dining Dollars, hello Bulldog Bucks!

Dining Dollars vs Bulldog Bucks has been a source of confusion for years. Trying to communicate the difference between the two very different funds has been an ongoing, uphill battle. Eliminating Dining Dollars will make life much easier for everyone.

In addition to all the Zag Dining locations on campus, there are currently twelve participating businesses accepting Bulldog Bucks. The goal is to have twenty off campus locations by the time students return in the fall. Who will choose the added locations? Students will be asked where they would like to spend their Bulldog Bucks off campus. In February, a survey will be conducted and, based on the results, the businesses with the highest rankings that align with the mission of the University will be recruited to participate. Visit www.gonzaga.edu/zagcard to view the current list.

The biggest benefit to making the change is Bulldog Bucks do not expire—they roll over from semester to semester and year to year. If there is a Bulldog Bucks balance, the funds will be available when the student returns to campus. In the event a student lives on campus one year, then off campus the next, their Bulldog Bucks will not expire and will remain available until graduation. No more end of the year cleaning out vending machines and buying every Cliff Bar left on campus with remaining Dining Dollars.

Without further ado, here are the 2016-17 meal plans:

• Platinum All Access: provides unrestricted entrance into the dining halls and 500 Bulldog Bucks $2,725.00
• Gold 16: provides 16 meals in the dining halls per week and 550 Bulldog Bucks $2,700.00
• Silver 12: provides 12 meals in the dining halls per week and 700 Bulldog Bucks $2,620.00
• Blue 225: provides 225 meals in the dining halls during the semester and 600 Bulldog Bucks $2,650.00
• White 175: provides 175 meals in the dining halls during the semester and 800 Bulldog Bucks $2,620.00

At the end of the semester Bulldog Bucks roll over, unused meals do not. Meal count resets before breakfast on Friday.

All students living on campus required to have a meal plan will enroll in one of the plans. Any enrolled student can purchase a plan. Zag Dining will continue to offer additional commuter meal plans to access the dining halls. Bulldog Bucks can be added anytime by visiting www.gonzaga.edu/bulldogbucks.

Bulldog Bucks Quick Facts:

• A declining balance account managed by the University
• No fees, cannot be overdrawn, availability of funds is confirmed at the time of sale
• Available fund roll over from semester to semester and year to year, available until graduation
• Accepted at all Zag Dining locations, multiple departments on campus, and 12 off campus locations
• Currently tax free when used on campus at Zag Dining locations
• Can be used as a budgeting tool
• There are prohibited items that cannot be purchased using Bulldog Bucks, find the complete list in the Terms and Conditions.
• ANYONE can make a deposit as long as they know the student ID number of the recipient by visiting gonzaga.edu/bulldogbucks
• Bulldog Bucks transaction history and available balance can be viewed in Zagweb
• The University limits the available Bulldog Bucks balance to $2,500.00

As Fall semester approaches there will be additional details about the new meal plan structure.

For more information about Bulldog Bucks visit www.gonzaga.edu/zagcard

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Questions about 2016-17 Meal Plans? Email campuscardservices@gonzaga.edu.