Dining Plans

For students who live on campus, your room and board includes a dining allotment, a fixed set of meal payments determined by your housing assignment—not your student status. (For example, if you are a sophomore living in Upperclass housing, you receive the Apartment Dining Allotment, not the Essential Allotment.)

The Essential Allotment, assigned to students in First-year and Sophomore Housing, include unlimited access to The Met, our largest dining venue conveniently located in the first-year quad—the heart of residential life on campus. For juniors, seniors and graduate students, the Apartment Allotment encourages you to explore all of our venue options, as the center of your campus life shifts closer to your home department studio space, or the Upperclass Apartments in 15 West.

Please note that sophomores and upperclassmen/grad students can choose to elect the Full Flex plan (details below the following table).

Dining plan breakdowns

To learn more about the individual forms of payment that make up your dining plan, see our explanation of payment types.

* First-year residential students also receive a one-time $50 RISD Bucks credit that can be used for dining venues and other purchases on campus.
** For the Essential Allotment, Café Credits reset to 5 per week each Saturday throughout the semester. You cannot roll over unused credits into the next week’s allotment.
*** The Full Flex plan is not available to first-year students. See more details below.

Students living in Sophomore or Upperclass residence halls on campus may request a change to the Full Flex meal plan.

If you live in Sophomore Housing, or in the 15 West mini lofts, you can change to the Full Flex plan at no additional cost.

If you live in Upperclass Housing, switching to the Full Flex plan comes at an additional cost of $1,189.

If you would like to change your allotment, complete the Full Flex request form. You can submit your request through the end of the second week of a given semester (fall or spring). If you have questions you may email us at dining@risd.edu or call  401 454-6360.

For students who live off campus, you can choose one of the following three dining plans. Off-campus dining plans are billed twice during the academic year. 

Dining plans include three primary ways to pay for meals on campus: Met Swipes, Café Credits and Dining Points. You can also pay for meals using a credit card or with RISD Bucks, a prepaid debit account connected to your RISD ID card.

Note that Met Swipes, Café Credits, and Dining Points associated with your dining plan must be used each semester. Met Swipes, Café Credits, and Dining Points do not roll over from semester to semester or year to year. 

Any student may opt to purchase an additional dining block to supplement your base  plan (or the full-flex option). If you do not have a dining plan, you cannot purchase a dining block for use during the academic year. Please note that, if you are arriving early to campus, your early arrival fees include your room and board.

You may purchase dining blocks in person at the Dining Accounts office at 48 Waterman Street, or online through the StarRez Housing portal. You can use dining blocks over the course of the academic year (July 1 through June 30). Meals purchased through a dining block are redeemable as Met Swipes or Café Credits. 

Dining block costs are as follows:

• 80-meal block: $960
• 50-meal block: $600
• 30-meal block: $360

The 2025 fall semester meal allotment begins on August 31, 2025 and resets on January 16, 2026.

Dining plans for BRDD students depend on your living assignment. For example, first-year students living on RISD campus during your first year receive our essential allotment. If you do not live on-campus at RISD, you may opt into one of the off-campus dining options. 

Students living in first-year and sophomore residence halls receive a celebration treat by completing a celebration treat order form.

All other students who want to purchase a celebration treat must use dining points or RISD Bucks to do so.