Students that live on campus have access to a number of facilities and programs explicitly designed to make living on Washburn’s campus easier. One of these programs is the Chartwells meal plan that all students living on campus must sign up for. It gives students living at Washburn an easy way to pick up meals and not worry about where their next meal will be coming from.

The dining plans on Washburn also come with BodBucks to give students money to use to buy common household items, such as laundry detergent, as well as use facilities on campus, such as the laundry rooms in the various living centers on campus. These are just some of the many benefits that comes with signing up for a meal plan at Washburn. Knowing the ins and outs of the meal plans can help new students acclimate to campus life and prepare any other future on-campus residents for a pleasant stay while studying for their degrees.

The meal plans at Washburn are provided by Chartwells and are mandatory for any student living on campus. On-campus residents will have access to four different meal plans while staying at one of Washburn’s residential centers: plan 450, the village plan, declining balance plan and the all access plan. Each plan is unique and offers different deals for students living on campus. These plans are specific to certain areas of residence on campus as well. LLC and West residents have access to the declining balance plan, plan 450 and the all access plan. Lincoln residents are only able to choose from plan 450 and all access. The Village residents will be able to choose from all four plans offered to students on campus. Each of these plans comes with a certain amount of cash that can be used by the student that comes in the form of dining dollars, bodbucks, and “swipes.”

The declining balance plan offers students $1670 per semester that is constituted of $150 in bodbucks and $1520 in dining dollars. The village plan offers a total of $775 per semester that is made up of $250 in bodbucks and $500 in dining dollars. Plan 450 offers a total of $1863 per semester that is made up of $40 in bodbucks and $300 in dining dollars that can be used on 225 meals. The all access plan offers students a total of $2275 with $40 in bodbucks and $150 in dining dollars that can be used for an unlimited amount of meals on campus.

Bodbucks can be used for a variety of services on campus such as buying snacks at a vending machine or purchasing something at the Bod Shop. Dining dollars are different, they are similar to a debit account that is accessed through your iCard and can be used at Stauffer Commons Union Marketplace, Lincoln Dining, the Corner Store, Concessions, the Libation Station and Study Grounds. Dining dollars transfer from the fall semester to the spring semester but will be forfeited from your account if they are not used by the end of the spring semester. The two “block” plans, all access and plan 450, also have a feature called “swipes” that can be used every time a meal is purchased. The all access plan comes with an unlimited amount of swipes while plan 450 comes with 450 swipes per academic year that do not transfer from semester to semester. The swipes are used to access buffet-style meals for residents staying exclusively at Lincoln Hall. More cash can be added to both your bodbucks account and the dining dollars account.

The menus for the meal plan vary daily and can be accessed on the Washburn University Student Life page. Food options can also be changed to adapt to the specific needs of the student using the meal plan. For example, students can choose meal options that are well balanced, vegetarian or vegan. Lunch and dinner options are provided on the Washburn University site as well along with the health information of all the food that will be on the menu. A monthly issue of Chartwells, the provider of the meal plans at Washburn, can also be found online for students who are interested in contacting or finding out more about the food providers for Washburn.

Students on campus have found the meal plans offered by Washburn to be extremely helpful in providing something nutritious to snack on or to grab something quick to eat for dinner before a big test or meeting. The variety of food and the ease with which students can use the meal plans offered at Washburn make it a boon to all those living on campus. Whatever your preferences are, Chartwells and Washburn have a meal plan for you that can be adapted to serve your needs while enjoying your stay on campus.