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• A. Requirements

  1. Participants must be actively enrolled in at least one course at the University of Houston.
  2. All charges for Meal Plans or Cougar Cash Plans will be placed on the student’s myUH account and will be subject to the same payment deadlines and penalties as other university charges.
  3. Participants are divided into two groups:
     1. Mandatory Participants: Residential students living in Cougar Village I, Cougar Village II, Cougar Place, Moody Towers, and The Quad (excluding The Quad Townhouses) are contractually obligated by their Residential Services Agreement to be on a Residential Meal Plan. Mandatory participants are required to have a Residential Meal Plan each semester of the academic year; meal plans selected in the fall semester will carry over to the spring semester.
     2. Voluntary Participants: Any other student, including students living in UH Apartments: Bayou Oaks, Cambridge Oaks, Cullen Oaks, The Quad Townhouses, and University Lofts, can choose any Meal Plan offered.

   

• B. Meal Plan/Cougar Cash – Mandatory and Voluntary Participants

  

• C. Meal Plan/Cougar Cash Restrictions

  1. All 24/7 and 24/5 meal plan holders are not allowed to share meal swipes with fellow students or guests.
  2. Guest passes allow unlimited meal plan holders to redeem meal plan swipes for guests.  Each guest pass is good for one meal per guest.  The number of guest passes you have varies depending on which unlimited meal plan you purchased.  Meal plan holders must accompany guests to Moody Tower or Cougar Woods Dining Commons to redeem passes by presenting your Cougar Card to the cashier.
  3. Cougar Cash balances will be forfeited after one year of inactivity.
  4. Cougar Cash cannot be used to purchase any tobacco products or alcoholic beverages.
  5. Cougar Cash balances are non-refundable. 
  6. Cougar Cash balances roll over from semester to semester. 
  7. Meal Plan and Cougar Cash participants are not allowed to transfer funds between any accounts.
  8. The Meal Plan and Cougar Cash accounts are separate accounts from your ShastaBUCKS (formerly known as “Flex”) account.
  9. Meal Plans and Cougar Cash Plans are non-refundable unless approved through the Meal Plan Petition process. Any refund is credited back to the student’s MyUH account and will be applied to any outstanding balances. There will be no cash refunds for closed Meal Plan or Cougar Cash accounts.

• D. Direct Debit and Credit Cougar Cash Purchase.

  1. Students, Staff, and Faculty are able to purchase Cougar Cash or make replenishment purchases to a current Cougar Cash Meal Plan at any dollar amount with the use of a debit or credit card via Cougar Card Connect. Cougar Cash purchased through Cougar Card Connect is not an official Meal Plan as listed in Section B and does not satisfy the mandatory meal plan requirement for residential students.
  2. Any refund request submitted for direct debit and credit Cougar Cash purchases through Cougar Card Connect may be subject to review at our discretion. Refund requests may be submitted to auxiliaryservices@uh.edu for up to five business days from the time of purchase. Requests submitted after the fifth business day from the time of purchase are not eligible for a refund. Cougar Cash replenishment purchases for a current Cougar Cash Meal Plan are non-refundable.

  Required Documents:

  1. Email receipt received at the time of purchase.
  2. Bank statement showing that funds have been deducted. The statement must show that the charges have “posted” and are not “pending.”
  3. PeopleSoft ID number.
  4. A brief explanation of the request.

• E. Cancellations

  1. Cancellations will not be granted on the basis of special dietary restrictions alone. The dining program offers diverse menu options to accommodate most diets. Reference Dining with Special Dietary Needs.
  2. Pre-move in cancellations: Full Refund. Meal plan refunds are not automatic once a student cancels a residential agreement. The students must cancel the meal plan in AccessUH or by contacting auxiliaryservices@uh.edu.
  3. Residential students who cancel their Residential Services Agreement by the 12th class day will be charged for Meal Plan and Cougar Cash usage. A daily rate charge may apply. Failure to cancel your selection or notify Auxiliary Services of pending housing changes via the meal plan petition by the 12th class day will result in the full charges remaining on your myUH account.
  4. All students who have withdrawn from the University will be required to provide official documentation from the University and submit a Meal Plan Petition and follow the process outlined below.
  5. Students that are granted a meal plan cancellation after the 12th day of classes of the current semester will be required to pay a $250 cancellation fee.
  6. Students that are requesting meal plan cancellations for a prior semester must show proof of non-enrollment for that term. Students who are granted a meal plan cancellation for a prior semester will be required to pay a $250 cancellation fee.
  7. Faculty and staff requesting a cancellation to their payroll deducted meal plans must sign and submit a meal plan close-out request form to Auxiliary Services. This form is required by UH payroll to halt recurring deductions for the faculty-staff meal plans. Due to the University’s decision to phase out the Faculty-Staff Block 5, 10, and 15 Meal Plans, faculty and staff will not be able to re-enroll into the program once their cancellations have been processed. Remaining meal blocks will stay active and available for use on the faculty/staff accounts. Remaining meal blocks are non-refundable. Staff and faculty may request a refund of remaining Cougar Cash balances if and only if they are separating from the University of Houston.

• F. Medical Accommodations

  Students who are requesting a meal plan waiver or accommodation due to medical conditions or special dietary restrictions must register with the Justin Dart, Jr. Student Accessibility Center.

  Students with allergens and special dietary restrictions are required to submit documentation to verify eligibility. UH Dining Services will make every attempt to reasonably accommodate campus diners. Documentation must indicate a substantially limited ability to eat in the on-campus dining commons. Diagnosis, limitations, and severity, along with other specific information, should be documented according to the guidelines below. Students with medically necessary dietary accommodations must meet with the Campus Dietitian as part of the meal plan petition process. In the case of missing appointments with the dietitian, students are required to reschedule before the final ruling is made.

  • 1. During the confidential session with the Campus Dietitian, foods routinely consumed and avoided as well as symptoms associated with the stated condition will be discussed. The UH Dining Services Registered Dietitian has a responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of the evaluation. Students must bring necessary medical documentation to their dietitian sessions. The dietitian, UH Dining Services Executive Chef, and UH Dining Services management team may meet with the student to determine the extent to which the student can be accommodated in the dining commons.
    2. Click here to view the Medical Accommodations for Dietary Restrictions workflow.
       
       

  *Students submitting medical accommodations should not complete the meal plan petition process. These students should register with the Justin Dart, Jr. Student Accessibility Center.

• G. Meal Plan Petitions – Process and Guidelines

  Meal Plan Petition Process

  1. Students requesting changes to their meal plan and students who are requesting a waiver of the meal plan requirement due to financial hardship or pending housing changes must submit a Meal Plan Petition. Students requesting modification or exemption from the mandatory meal plan due to religious concerns should provide a brief letter from an authoritative figure (priest, imam, rabbi, etc.) within the student’s place of worship.
  2. All petitions will be reviewed by a committee comprised of University of Houston staff members and UH Dining Services staff members.
  3. Students will be provided an update on their meal plan petition status within 15 business days after submitting their petition. At this time, students will be notified if additional review is required.
  4. Approved meal plan petitions are effective for the full academic year.
  5. Petition approvals and recommendations are a one-time exception per student. Students granted approval or are given accommodations based on recommendations from the meal plan petition committee will be required to maintain a meal plan for the next academic year if they decide to reside on campus at Cougar Place, Cougar Village 1, Cougar Village 2, Moody Towers, or The Quad (excluding The Quad Townhouses).

   Allowed Meal Plan Changes

  1. 1. Residential students of Cougar Village I, Cougar Village II, Cougar Place, Moody Towers, and The Quad (excluding The Quad Townhouses) may make one request to change to a different meal plan for which they are eligible by the Official Reporting Day (12th class day). Residential students may not cancel their meal plan or select a plan they are not eligible for unless approved through the meal plan petition process.
     2. Commuter students and residents of Bayou Oaks, Cullen Oaks, The Quad Townhouses, and University Lofts may request one change to their Meal Plan or Cougar Cash Plan by the Official Reporting Day (12th class day). Eligibility restrictions may apply for certain meal plans.

  For more information regarding Mandatory Residential and Voluntary Commuter Meal Plans, contact Auxiliary Services at (832) 842-9053.
  
  These Terms and Conditions are subject to change without notice.
  
  Updated: August 2024

• H. Meal Plans and Conditons FAQ's

  You can review the Meal Plan and Conditions FAQ's here.