Dining Plans: Terms & Conditions

• All University Housing Contract holders are required to participate in a UWM Dining and Retail Services (DRS) Dining Plan. You should select a Dining Plan after you have completed your room selection. Failure to select a Dining Plan within your Housing Portal will result in being administratively assigned to the “225” default plan.
• All University Housing Contract holders are eligible to select the “4 a Day” or “225” plans. Students with a housing assignment to Cambridge Commons Upgraded suites, RiverView and Sandburg East Tower are also eligible to select the “Supplemental” plan. Dining Plans are as follows:

2025-2026 ACADEMIC YEAR DINING PLAN RATE SCHEDULE

*Rates provided above are estimates only and are for informational purposes. You should be prepared for a 2-4% increase from the estimated rates above. The actual 2025-2026 rates are approved by the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents and will be posted online once available.

• Fees: You agree to pay UWM all applicable Dining Plan rates associated with the (i) Dining Plan you select, based on eligibility, or (ii) the default Dining Plan assigned to you.

• Dining Plan: Your Dining Plan will be available for use from your Assigned Entry Date through the end of your University Housing Contract approved Occupancy End Date.
• Use your UWM Panther ID Card to enter any open Residential Dining Café. Once inside, you can use your Dining Plan swipes under all three plans.
  • 4 A Day Plan: You have 4 swipes to use per day. Unused swipes at the end of each day do not carry to the next day. Swipes are limited to one swipe per 60-minute period, beginning at the time of the initial swipe.
  • 225 and Supplemental Plans: You have the designated number of swipes per semester to utilize. Unused swipes from the Fall semester do not carry forward to the Spring Semester.
• Dining Dollars: The Dining Plan you select will determine the amount of Dining Dollars on your UWM Panther ID Card. When you use Dining Dollars at on-campus food outlets, you receive a 5% UWM discount and purchases are tax-free. Dining Dollars can also be used at participating retail vendors, without tax exemption or UWM discount. Please visit uwm.edu/retailservices/panthercard/ for further information on Dining Dollar use, locations and Campus ID alternatives/ID replacement. Funds can be added to your Dining Dollar account through the UWM Panther Card Office or via the GET website or app in increments of $10 or more. A $2 transaction fee will be charged when adding funds via the GET app or website.
  • Restrictions:
    • Dining Dollars cannot be used in Residential Dining Cafés.
    • Dining Dollars cannot be used to purchase non-food products or alcoholic beverages.
    • Dining Dollars are not transferable or exchangeable.
• Dining Guest Passes
  • The Dining Plan you select will determine the number of Dining Guest Passes placed on your UWM Panther ID Card. Additional Dining Guest Passes can be purchased from the UWM Panther Card Office.
  • If you wish to use a Dining Guest Pass, you must register your Guest with University Housing and remain with your Guest in all University Housing locations, including at entry to the Residential Dining Cafés.
• Priority of Payments: Dining and Retail Services will use the following hierarchy of payment types for on-campus food transactions. This excludes your Dining Plan swipes, which are solely used in the Residential Dining Cafés. For all other on-campus purchases, payment will be taken in the following order: 1) Dining Dollars, as available, 2) Panther Cash, as available, 3) Credit/Debit/Cash.
  • If you wish to bypass this hierarchy (e.g. if you prefer to use your Panther Cash and not Dining Dollars), you should inform the cashier at the time of purchase.
• Continuance, Rollover and Contract Expiration
  • Continuance: For the Spring Semester all returning residents will maintain the Dining Plan they were enrolled in at the end of the Fall Semester.
    • At the beginning of Fall and Spring Semesters, your swipe balances will reset to their semesterly start rates (225 or 110).
  • Rollover: Dining Dollars and Guest Passes are available on your account at the start of each semester.
    • Any unused Guest Passes will roll over from the Fall to Spring semester in a given academic year.
    • Any unused Dining Dollars will remain on your account for the length of your student career.
    • Any unused Dining Plan swipes for the 225 and Supplemental plans will be removed at the end of each semester. For the 4 A Day plan, any unused daily swipes do not carry forward from day to day.

The Residential Dining Cafés will be open for operation as indicated below (based on the 2025-2026 UWM Academic Calendar):

• 8/26/2025 – 9/1/2025 Cambridge & Sandburg Cafés (Limited Hours)
• 9/2/2025 – 11/25/2025
• 11/30/2025 – 12/20/2025
• 1/24/2026 – 3/15/2026
• 3/20/2026 – 4/3/2026
• 4/6/2026 – 5/22/2026

UWM break periods are not included in your Dining Plan. Dates of Operation may be subject to change and will be posted on the DRS website (uwm.edu/dining)

Requests to switch Dining Plans AFTER the Contract Preference Deadline must be received no later than October 1, 2025 for Fall/Semester I, or February 15, 2026 for Spring/Semester II.

• You may select your Dining Plan in your University Housing Portal. You will have an opportunity to finalize your Dining Plan selection through June 30, 2025 (Fall entry) and December 31, 2025 (Spring-Only entry).
• Dining Plan changes made after the deadlines listed above must be submitted through use of the Dining Plan Change Form. The deadlines to change your Dining Plan to a plan with less swipes are October 1, 2025 (Fall) and February 15, 2026 (Spring). Requests to switch to a Dining Plan with less swipes submitted after the posted Fall deadline will not be effective until the Spring Semester. There is no deadline to switch to a Dining Plan with more swipes.
  • You will not be credited for Dining Dollars used prior to changing Dining Plans.
  • Unused Guest Passes will be removed from your account, as applicable, if your Dining Plan is reduced.
  • You will be charged a prorated fee for the days you were enrolled in a Dining Plan prior to your approved Dining Plan change date.
  • You may also purchase “add-on” packages to supplement your number of meal swipes at any time through the UWM Panther Card Office.
• Room Assignment Changes and Dining Plans
  • You must select an appropriate Dining Plan for your room assignment, both before and after any room assignment changes. At the time of a room assignment change, if you fail to adjust your Dining Plan, you will be assigned the default Dining Plan – the “225”. Dining Plan fees will be adjusted based on the effective date of any Dining Plan change.

University Housing contract holders are required to contract for a Dining Plan in addition to their Housing Contract. Please refer to Section F: Contract Cancellation for processes and fees.

If you are requesting to be exempt from the required Dining Plan, please refer to Section N: Reasonable Accommodations.

• Food at any on-campus restaurant and convenience store and off-campus restaurant partners (list of vendors: uwm.edu/retailservices/panthercard/#useat), and Athletic Concessions
• Laundry (the only method of payment for University Housing machines)
• WEPA on-campus printing
• Payment at University Housing Service Desks
• All Student Union services (cinema, marketing, Craft center, Info desk tickets and other items, Rec Center services
• Vending Service
• Panther Shop

• All student residents in a UWM University Housing Residence Hall are required to participate in a UWM Dining and Retail Services provided dining program.  
• UWM Students without a contract to reside in a University Housing facility are ineligible to participate in a UWM residential meal plan. 
• UWM Dining and Retail Services uses the UWM Panther ID to verify resident participation. Any person who misrepresents themselves or makes it possible for others to misrepresent their identity are in violation of this contract, are likely in violation of UWM’s Code of Conduct, and may be violating Wisconsin State Law.

• If you do not select a dining plan level, or if your dining plan selection and University Housing room assignment are incompatible, you will automatically be enrolled in the default dining plan (The ‘225’).
• UWM Residential Dining Plans are active at the first day of University Housing Move-In, pending the completion of the UWM University Housing contract, entailing: 
  • Receipt of the signed University Housing contract (including applicable permissions). 
  • Proof of payment or posting of fees to a student’s UWM PAWS (Panther Access to Web Services) account.
• Use your Meal Plan Swipes, Dining Dollars, and Dining Guest Meals by presenting your UWM – issued identification (Panther ID card or UWM electronic ID) to tap, swipe, or scan for entry to any open and operating residential dining facility.  
  • Upon entry, you (and your Guest, if applicable) use the disposable containers and washable trays to gather all the food you care to eat. 
  • Once you have chosen your food, exit the service area and enjoy. 
  • IMPORTANT – Once you exit the service area, any re-entry will require an additional swipe. Please plan accordingly. 
• Expiration (end of annual contract term) 
  • Unused swipes will expire upon expiration of this contract. 
  • Unused Dining Guest Meals will expire upon expiration of this contract. 
  • Unused Dining Dollars will remain on a student’s account for the length of their student career at UWM. 

• Dining plan levels are determined based on student usage data of residence hall dining at UWM and is verified by data from multiple peer institutions. 
  • Over 60% of students use between 125 and 225 meals per semester. 
  • While 225 swipes averages to 2.1 meals per day in a 112-day term, students often skip meals, eat out, attend events, and leave campus for periods of time throughout the academic year. 
  • 4-a-day plans are generally used for students who do not have alternative dining choices or have an elevated caloric need. 
  • When students live in the UWM Residence Halls, Dining and Retail Services has an obligation to provide adequate daily nutrition.  
  • For students with in-suite kitchen facilities, the ‘Supplemental’ plan is available, providing ½ of the semester’s allotment of meals (110 swipes) to complement independent cooking and dining lifestyles. 
• The listed plan pricing is an estimate based on the prior year rates. Dining Plan pricing will be finalized by the UW Board of Regents in June 2026. (Prices may fluctuate between 42% – 63% from these estimates.) 

2025-2026 ACADEMIC YEAR DINING PLAN RATE SCHEDULE

• Additional Swipes: Any contract holder can add bundles of $10 swipes for $100 dollars to an existing University Housing contract. Additional Swipes can be purchased at the Panther Card Office. 

• UWM residential dining plan contracts are for the FULL ACADEMIC YEAR. Contracts beginning in the Spring/Semester II term will provide services consistent with full year contracts, from January to May.
• The UWM residential meal plans will provide services on the following dates, based on the published 2026-2027 UWM Academic Calendar and past practice for Fall Move-In and break periods. 
  • Residential Dining open dates:  
    • 8/27 – 8/29 (Special Hours) 
    • 8/30 – 11/25/26 
    • 11/29 – 12/23/26 
    • 1/24 – 3/20/27 
    • 3/28 – 5/21/27 
  • UWM break periods are not included in the contracted service dates. Dates may be subject to change. 
• Disbursement 
  • On or before the start of the Fall/Semester I (for use in the Fall Semester): 
    • Your account is credited with ½ of the annual contracted Dining Dollars. 
    • Your account is credited with ½ of the annual contracted Dining Guest Passes. 
  • On or before the start of the Spring/Semester II (for use in the Spring semester): 
    • Your account is credited with the remaining ½ of annual contracted Dining Dollars. 
    • Your account is credited with the remaining ½ of annual contracted Dining Guest Passes. 
• Continuance (Fall Semester to Spring Semester) 
  • When you return in the Spring Semester, your dining plan will resume at the level you were enrolled in at the end of the Fall Semester. 
  • Swipes will reset to their initial semesterly balance at the beginning of the Spring Term.  
  • Unused Dining Dollars and Guest Meals from the Fall Semester will be added to your Spring Semester initial balance. 
  • Dining Dollars will remain active on your account beyond the contract term if you are an enrolled student at UWM. (Swipes and Dining Guest Passes expire upon contract end) 

• You can freely make changes to your requested dining plan (participation or level) prior to each semester’s UWM Housing Preferred Change Date. 
  • May 31, 2026, for students entering a contract in Fall 2026. 
  • December 31, 2027, for students entering a contract in Spring 2026. 
• Changes After the Contract Preference Deadline(s): 
  • After the Contract Preference Deadline(s) you can make changes by filling out the Dining Plan Change form, available on the UWM University Housing website.  
    • Plan reductions for the Fall/Semester I must be requested prior to October 1, 2026. 
    • Plan reductions for Spring/Semester II must be requested prior to February 28, 2027. 
    • Plans can be increased at any time. 
  • Dining Plan changes after the preferred deadline(s):  
    • You may not be able to reduce your plan level during a semester but can reduce between Fall and Spring terms.  
    • You will not be credited for Dining Dollars used prior to changing plans. 
    • You will forfeit the difference in Guest Meals, where applicable, if a plan is reduced. 
    • You will be charged a prorated fee for the days you were enrolled in a dining plan prior to their approved change date. 
  • Due to changes in housing assignment 
    • Residents must be registered to an appropriate dining plan for their room assignment, both before and after any change. Depending on the assignment change, this may require the increase of a meal plan. If the resident fails to make this change on their own, their meal plan will be made the default (The ‘225’). 
  • Due to Approved Housing Contract Cancellation  
    • Resident is responsible to pay all prorated dining plan charges through and including the actual cancellation date.  
    • Students will retain all Dining Dollars for further use on campus for the length of their student career at UWM. -or- 
    • Be credited any unused Dining Dollars minus a $20 processing fee. 
  • Due to unapproved cancellation  
    • You are responsible to pay all dining plan charges through and including the actual cancellation date.  
    • You are responsible to pay 85% of remaining dining plan charges. 
    • Students will retain all Dining Dollars for further use on campus. -or- 
    • Be credited any unused Dining Dollars minus a $20 processing fee. 
• Request for Dining Plan exemption/appeal 
  • If you are looking to cancel or appeal your Residential Dining Plan, please Contact us with more information and we will respond with a step-by-step process tailored to your specific rationale for cancellation. 

• Important: Communicate any allergy or other specific dietary needs in both your room preference information AND to the UWM Dining and Retail Services team. 
• Residents with specific dietary requirements need to submit a completed Allergy & Dietary Needs form, even if they are unsure of UWM Dining and Retail Services’ ability to accommodate their needs. 
  • Preferably, the UWM DRS team will receive Allergy & Dietary Needs forms no less than 4 weeks prior to the beginning of classes to ensure proper dialog and planning. 
  • UWM DRS will accept the Allergy & Dietary Needs forms AT ANY TIME and will initiate dialog and necessary accommodations as soon as possible to minimize service disruption. 
  • UWM Dining and Retail Services staff will reach out upon receipt of the Dietary Accommodations Form for a consultation meeting. 
• UWM Dining and Retail Services will make all reasonable accommodations for residents including alternate ingredients, meal-part substitution, and education on tools and resources empowering eligible students to better navigate food choices and service at UWM. 
• UWM DRS uses NetNutrition to track, calculate, and share operating hours, menus, dietary, nutrition, and allergen information about the food served.  
• For additional questions on dietary accommodation, please email drs-m@uwm.edu, or (414)521-5624. 

• State, local, and campus public health orders and rules may cause modifications to service(s) intended to protect the health of residents, staff, and other members of the UWM community.  
• Service modification(s) may occur with little notice and may change throughout the term of your contract. 

• By using Dining Dollars, students receive tax-free purchases and a 5% discount for on-campus food outlets and non–alcoholic beverages. 
• All UWM Housing residents receive dining dollars with their dining plan. 
• UWM students living outside of a UWM residence hall can activate their account for an initial $150, all of which is spendable. 
• Funds can be added to Dining Dollar accounts in increments of $10.00 or more at the UWM Panther Card Office or on the mobile app. (There is a $2.00 transaction fee when funds are added via the mobile app.) 
• Users access their Dining Dollars by swiping/tapping/scanning their UWM Panther ID at the point of sale. 
• Funds must be added to the account prior to use. 

• Dining Dollars cannot be used in Cambridge or Sandburg Cafés. 
• Dining Dollars are not transferable or exchangeable. 
• Dining Dollars cannot be used to purchase non-food products or alcoholic beverages. 

• Panther Cash can be used $1:$1 as a form of tender at: 
  • UWM on-Campus food outlets, WEPA Print, UWM Student Union, University Housing Main Desk, Panther Athletics concessions, Panther Shop, RESTORs, and UWM vending machines. 
• Users access their Panther Cash by swiping/tapping/scanning their UWM Panther ID at the point of sale. 
• Funds must be added to the account prior to use. 
• Users may place funds on their Panther Cash account at: 
  • Mobile app 
  • Panther Card Office 
• Using Panther Cash at UWM On-Campus food outlets automatically applies a 5% discount, and students’ purchases are tax-free.

• Panther Cash accounts are associated with the Panther Card, and the account is available immediately upon receipt of the card. 
• Panther Cash accounts remain active until the account holder ends their financial relationship with the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.  
  • Unused Panther Cash can be retrieved by the account holder in the Panther Card Office, less a $20 processing fee. 

• Cannot be used in Residential Dining Cafés. 
• Are not transferable or exchangeable with Dining Dollars or any other form of tender. 

All University housing resident contract holders and their approved University Housing Guest.

• Residents acquire Dining Guest Meals through initial plan credits or by purchasing additional passes at a residential Café cashier. 
• Dining Guest Meal holders must inform a Café cashier of the desire to use a Guest Meal prior to swiping into the service area.  
• Guests must be authorized to enter a residential facility by University Housing and be present at the point of sale for entry into the Café. 
• Both residents and guests will be given entrance into the Café.