Dining Plans 101
Having a dining plan means more than just convenience - it unlocks delicious meals, coffee, snacks, and more, at 23 locations across campus. Your Dining Plan includes Meal Swipes and Wavebuck$, conveniently loaded onto your Splash Card. No need to carry additional cards or cash!
Your Dining Plan Access
Meal Swipes
Meal Swipes give you access to all-you-care-to-eat dining halls, offering variety of delicious and fresh options for every meal.
Wavebuck$
Dining Dollars are prepaid funds that can be used at any campus dining location to conveniently purchase food, snacks, and beverages.
Meal Exchange
Meal Exchange lets you trade a Meal Swipe for select menu items at participating campus retail locations, giving you more flexibility on the go.
Dining Plan FAQs
Have questions about your Dining Plan? Our FAQs are here to help you learn everything you need to manage your plan and make the most of campus dining. From how to get started to maximizing your benefits, you’ll find the answers you need right here.
A dining plan provides students with a predetermined number of meals and/or Wavebuck$ (dining dollars) to use at various on-campus dining locations during the semester.
All Dining Plans (Meal Swipes & Wavebuck$) are loaded to your Splash card (Tulane University ID), making it even easier to dine on campus. Use your meal swipes for All-You-Care-To-Eat-Access at our residential dining halls, the Malkin-Sacks Commons and Green Wave Grille. Meal Swipes may also be used at some retail on-campus dining outlets like The Opening Bell and The Surfing Pelican. Wavebuck$ can be used at on-campus retail locations like Twisted Taco, the LBC Food Court, or in our 24-hour-autonomous store Quick Eats. If you do not have meal swipes, you can also use Wavebuck$ to purchase entry into our residential dining halls.
If you are a first-year, second-year, or third-year student, you are required to participate in a dining plan for the entire academic year. If you are a first-year or second-year student who is living in a university residence hall, you are required to select one of the three designated dining plans (Unlimited 500, Unlimited 250, or Kosher). If you are a third-year student who is living in a university residence hall, you are required to enroll in a designated third-year dining plan (Unlimited 500, Unlimited 250, TU10, or Kosher). If you are a first-year, second-year, or third-year off-campus student, you are required to select, at minimum, a Commuter dining plan.
Whether you are a vegetarian, vegan, observe kosher dietary laws, or have other dietary requirements, Tulane Hospitality can help make sure you always have something to eat. For more information, please see our Health and Wellness page.
Meal Swipes are accepted at the Dining Room at Malkin Sacks Commons, Green Wave Grille, The Opening Bell, Surfing Pelican and Rimon (Kosher dining plan only).
Wavebuck$ are on-campus retail dollars that are built into the various dining plans. For example, if you purchase the Unlimited 250 dining plan, your Splash Card is credited with $250 in Wavebuck$ per semester to spend at any on-campus retail location (LBC Food Court, Surfing Pelican, PJ's Coffee, etc). When purchasing a dining plan, Wavebuck$ can be added in increments of $100. Each additional $100 raises the base price of the plan by $100. More Wavebuck$ may also be purchased throughout the semester in $100 increments.
NOLAbuck$ are retail dollars you can purchase separately from your dining plan. You can then use NOLAbuck$ at specified retail locations around New Orleans. When purchasing a dining plan, NOLAbuck$ can be added in increments of $25. More NOLAbuck$ may be purchased throughout the semester in $25 increments.
The Commuter dining plan is tailored to students who live off-campus. This plan is not available to on-campus students (including those living in Aron Residences). For more information, please see our dining plan page.
Students may add Wavebuck$ in $100 increments and NOLAbuck$ in $25 increments by visiting the Dining Plan portal or in the Campus Services office in the Lavin-Bernick Center, Suite 107. No cash is necessary as the additional buck$ will be charged to the student’s accounts receivable bill if the student has accounts receivable charging privileges.
Wavebuck$ and NOLAbuck$ roll over from fall to spring if a dining plan is purchased for the spring semester. If you choose not to purchase a plan in the spring, all Wavebuck$ and NOLAbuck$ will expire at the end of the fall. All Wavebuck$ and NOLAbuck$ expire at the end of each spring semester.
No,Meal swipes associated with dining plans expire at the end of each semester and do not roll over from fall to spring.
Within the Dining Room at Malkin Sacks Commons and Green Wave Grille, menus change on a four-week cycle, as well as seasonally, to make the most of our local produce and seafood. At our retail locations, menus are very consistent with branded concepts. Many of these locations offer daily specials and limited time and seasonal offerings.
If you lose your Splash Card, immediately deactivate it by going to HERE, selecting card services, and clicking the “deactivate” button. A replacement for lost or damaged cards is available at the Lavin-Bernick Center, Suite 107 for a fee. You cannot enter the meal swipe locations without your Splash Card. If the problem with your card only occurs with dining plan usage, visit Campus Services in the Lavin-Bernick Center, Suite 107 or call 504-865-5441 for assistance.
The Unlimited dining plans allow unlimited access to specified Meal Swipe locations. All Meal Swipes have a 30 minute re-use delay.
Yes, Tulane Hospitality offers dining plans to meet the needs of our graduate students on the uptown and downtown campuses. The Graduate dining plan is sold by semester.
Yes, please be our guest and dine with us. You may pay the breakfast, lunch, or dinner door rate with credit card to dine in our all-you-care to eat dining halls.
Yes, you receive a $2 discount off the door rate at the Dining Room at Malkin Sacks Commons and Green Wave Grille when purchasing a meal with your Wavebuck$ or Splash Cash.
Yes, you can enroll in a dining plan by pre-paying for your dining plan through Students Accounts Receivable, https://studentaccounts.tulane.edu/, or at the Bursar’s Office, 1030 Audubon Street, New Orleans, LA 70118. Once your payment has been made to your accounts receivable, please bring your signed contract to Campus Services, LBC 107. Download the Dining Contract Here
The Kosher dining plan meal swipes are accepted at Rimon at Tulane Hillel, the Dining Room at Malkin Sacks Commons, Green Wave Grille, Surfing Pelican and The Opening Bell. Rimon operates under an independent Kosher certification.
Rimon's Independent Kosher Certification
More information about how Rimon follows Jewish dietary laws (Kashrut)
We offer a variety of options for our Tulane community members who follow a kosher diet for religious or dietary reasons. This includes access to a Kosher-specific dining plan that includes meal swipes that can be used at Rimon at Tulane Hillel, an off-campus restaurant that caters to a plethora of dietary restrictions including dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan. The Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life also include the NONY Delicatessen which serves deli sandwiches and other delights using kosher meats. Please note that NONY is not a Kosher certified restaurant.
Rimon's Independent Kosher Certification
More information about how Rimon follows Jewish dietary laws (Kashrut)
If you have questions about any menu items served elsewhere, including the Malkin Sacks Commons, please email us at dining@tulane.edu or text us directly at 504-900-8656.
If you are officially withdrawing from Tulane University, please fill out a Dining Plan cancellation form and submit to dining@tulane.edu. Once Dining Services has received confirmation from the Registrar, your cancellation will be processed.
Dine With Confidence!
Manage your dining plan with ease. Learn how to check your balance and set alerts.