Block meals are your entrance into the main dining hall, Marletto’s (the all-you-care-to-eat dining hall). Block meals can also be used at Crossroads Food Court in the University Center for pre-set combinations. More specialty items may cost a block meal plus a few dining dollars. Block meals are sometimes referred to as “swipes” or “meals” at other universities. Block meals do not carry over from semester to semester, meaning any unused block meals at the conclusion of the semester will be forfeited.

Dining dollars are spent dollar-for-dollar at on-campus dining locations. You can pay via dining dollars to enter Marlettos if you don’t have block meals or for individual items at Crossroads. Dining dollars are especially useful if you want to go to the Cyber Café and enjoy Starbucks Coffee or at the EAB Grab-and-Go market for treats or small grocery items. Dining dollars decline as they are spent, just like dollars. Dining dollars not used during the Fall semester carry over to the Spring semester. Dining dollars not used by the end of the academic year or after a meal plan is cancelled, are forfeited.

Meal plans, including both block meals and dining dollars, can be used at any on-campus dining location, including Marletto's Marketplace dining hall and Crossroads Food Court in the University Center. Dining dollars can be used at the Cyber Café in the library and the EAB Grab-and-Go Market. Meal plans cannot be used at off-campus restaurants.

Residents residing in East, West, Maria and Schultz Hall and first-time freshmen are required to have a meal plan and cannot cancel it. If they have a concern about their dining experience, they may contact Dining Services staff or housing@webster.edu for assistance.

Residents living in apartment areas and have selected a meal plan may cancel their meal plan during the add/drop period of each semester (first week of classes) by emailing housing@webster.edu.

Visit the Office of Housing and Residential Life in West Hall or or email housing@webster.edu for more information.

There are a variety of factors to consider when selecting a meal plan. Things to consider are how many times a day the student plans to eat on campus (for example, do they think they will go eat a full breakfast, or have a granola bar in their room before class?), and what type of food they plan to eat.

Typically, the most efficient way to use the meal plan is to use the Block Meals for most meals, and then the points for treats or smaller snacks. We recommend planning to use about 70% of your meal plan at Marlettos, 20% at the Crossroads Food Court and 10% for treats and supplies at the Cyber Café and EAB Grab-and-Go.

Most students do well with the middle meal plan, Meal Plan B. If a student has a very busy schedule and plans to eat less on campus, Meal Plan C might be a better fit. If a student is planning to exclusively eat on campus, or likes to split up their day with multiple meals, Meal Plan A might make more sense due to unlimited Block Meals. Blue and Gold Meal Plans offer ultimate flexibility, so students with very specific dietary habits might benefit from this plan. Know that since the Blue and Gold Meal Plan is all ala carte, some students struggle to budget their meal plan for the entire semester.

Webster Dining options account for students with different food needs. Marletto’s offers a fully halal station with options that rotate every day, as well as plant-forward and allergy-friendly stations.

Please contact housing@webster.edu if you have specific concerns and we can answer your questions or direct you to the dining general manager and access to the Nutrislice App for full nutritional information for different locations.