Academic Year Meal Plan Terms & Conditions
What We Agree to Do
All-Access Plans:
We agree to give you all-access meal plan service during the fall semester of 2025 and the spring semester of 2026. Your encoded PantherCard and your contactless biometric hand scan are your keys to unlimited access to Patton, Piedmont Central and Piedmont North Dining Halls whenever they are open for meal plan service. Because of remodeling, maintenance and other things that can arise, we cannot promise that each of the three dining halls will be open all year. (If you lose your PantherCard, you may obtain another one at the PantherCard office located on the third floor of Student Center West across from the bookstore. We cannot give you a temporary card.)
If you choose a 7-day plan, you will have unlimited access seven days a week whenever the dining halls are open for meal plan service. If you choose a 5-day plan, you will have unlimited access Monday through Friday whenever the dining halls are open for meal plan service.
Meal plan options may be upgraded after your initial choice with no penalty only if the new plan has a higher dollar amount. For example, if you chose the 5-Day PantherMeals Plan + 120 PantherPoints and wanted to upgrade to a 7-day plan, you could do it without penalty. However, if you chose the 7-Day PantherMeals Plan + 120 PantherPoints, you cannot change your plan because there is no plan with a higher value. Therefore, the last day to upgrade your meal plan will be:
Fall 2025 – August 25, 2025
Spring 2026 – January 12, 2026
All-Access Plans with PantherPoints:
We agree to give you all-access meal plan service plus flexible spending points to be used in any PantherDining locations on campus. (Please note Panda Express and Saxby’s are not included.) Your PantherPoints will be accessible via your PantherCard. PantherPoints are equivalent to monetary amounts (1 PantherPoint = $1) when using them at a PantherDining location.
Any PantherPoints remaining unused at the end of the fall semester will be made available for use during the spring semester. At the end of the spring semester when academic year service concludes, the balance of the unused PantherPoints will be forfeited after the conclusion of the last date of service for the 2026 spring semester.
Vacation Meal Add-On:
Two meals per day will be provided for the periods PantherDining is not in operation in accordance with university closures for all who select the Vacation Meal Add-On. This service will only be offered and active based on the number of signups received by PantherDining at the conclusion of business hours on October 31, 2025. If an insufficient number of students select the Vacation Meal Add-On, the service will be canceled, and refunds will be credited back to the student’s account.
PantherDining Locations
Unit | Unit Type | Location |
Chick-fil-A | Retail | Petit Science Center, First Floor |
Courtyard Kitchen | Retail | Student Center East, First Floor |
Legal Grounds | Retail | College of Law, Ground Floor |
Patton Dining Hall | All-You-Care-To-Eat | Patton Hall, First Floor |
Piedmont Central Dining Hall | All-You-Care-To-Eat | Piedmont Central, First Floor |
Piedmont North Dining Hall | All-You-Care-To-Eat | Piedmont North, First Floor |
Service Dates and Times:
Dining halls will be open for their regularly scheduled service throughout the semester except for scheduled school breaks and holidays. The schedule of dining service is as follows during the 2025-2026 academic year.
First Day of Fall Service | Wednesday, August 20, 2025 |
Labor Day (Weekend Hours) | Monday, September 1, 2025 |
Thanksgiving Break (No Service) | Sunday, November 23 – Saturday, November 29, 2025 |
Last Day of Fall Service | Tuesday, December 16, 2025 |
First Day of Spring Service | Friday, January 9, 2026 |
MLK Holiday (Weekend Hours) | Monday, January 19, 2026 |
Spring Break (No Service) | Sunday, March 15 – Saturday, March 21, 2026 |
Last Day of Spring Service | Tuesday, May 5, 2026 |
What You Agree to Do
In signing and submitting the meal plan contract to PantherDining, you agree to make payment on your student account according to billing instructions published by Georgia State University. The charge for the meal plan you select will be posted to your student account. You will receive notification of the meal plan charge posting to your student account via the e-mail address you have registered with Georgia State University. It is very important for you to understand this agreement is for the FULL ACADEMIC YEAR and is not just for the fall semester. The spring semester meal plan charge for the plan you choose will be automatically transmitted to your student account in keeping with the schedule issued by Student Accounts.
You agree NOT to take food out of the dining halls unless it’s in your PantherDining-issued takeout container. If you take food out of the dining halls, we can take away your meal plan rights without giving you a refund.
You agree NOT to allow others to use your PantherCard to access any PantherDining location. If you allow unauthorized access or use, we can take away your meal plan rights without giving you a refund. Access to PantherDining facilities is only available via use of an active PantherCard. Those who do not have their PantherCard on their person will be denied entry in accordance with Georgia State University security protocols.
You agree to behave responsibly in the dining halls. If you behave irresponsibly in the dining halls, we can take away your meal plan rights without giving you a refund. If interruption of enrollment occurs as a result of university disciplinary action, no refund credits will be made to your student account after the fourth week of the semester.
PantherDining offers guests the convenience of a takeout option as an alternative to dining in the main dining area.
The Panther Pickup policy is as follows:
- All guests must be enrolled in a Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 meal plan to participate.
- You must download the Fill It Forward mobile app to participate. If you do not download the app, you will not be eligible for the Panther Pickup program.
- You must scan a QR code each time you return and pick up your reusable OZZI container.
- You must choose either to dine in the dining halls or take your meal to go. All-you-care-to-eat privileges are not valid for takeout.
- A blue takeout container for food will be provided by PantherDining. Green containers or outside containers for food are not allowed.
- All reusable containers must be emptied and rinsed before they are returned. Dirty containers will not be accepted.
- Guests are permitted one takeout container per day, resetting at midnight. The container may not be overfilled, and the lid must be able to close completely.
- Guests may only be in possession of one takeout container at any time. You cannot get a to-go meal for a fellow diner without getting prior permission due to injury/illness.
- Beverages cannot be taken out of the dining halls in containers larger than 32 oz.
- There will be no takeout available in a dining hall during special event meals; however, takeout will still be available at the other dining halls.
- Students who cannot enter the dining hall because of illness and/or injury can arrange to have a to-go meal with PantherDining. The meal plan holder can choose three (3) meals per day and PantherDining will coordinate with University Housing to deliver the meals.
- Replacement of lost containers will require the purchase of a new container for $10 using cash or debit/credit to continue.
- All containers must be returned by the end of each semester. Failure to return your container will result in a $10 late return fee.
- PantherDining reserves the right to alter or terminate Panther Pickup at any time. Abuse of Panther Pickup may lead to forfeiture of all takeout privileges.
To register for the program, please stop by the PantherDining office located at 75 Piedmont Ave., Suite 731 on the Atlanta Campus between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and the PantherDining staff will assist you with registration.
You cannot participate in the Panther Pickup program unless you have preregistered in the PantherDining office ahead of time.
Meal Plan Cancellation Policy
If you decide that you do not want to be on the meal plan, or if you do not enroll at Georgia State University, and you let us know before the first day of classes for the fall semester (August 25, 2025), you have the right to leave the meal plan. The amount charged to your student account for the meal plan will be credited in full.
If you decide to withdraw from the university, you may cancel your meal plan agreement. Refunds in the form of credit to your student account will be made based on your official withdrawal date or your last day of dining, whichever is later. No refunds will be issued after use of the meal plan for the current semester.
If you are enrolled spring semester and decide to cancel the spring semester portion of your meal plan contract, you have the right to leave the meal plan. If you cancel before the first day of classes for the spring semester (January 12, 2026), 75% of the charge to your student account will be credited.
If you graduate fall semester and/or if you are not enrolled in spring semester classes held on the Georgia State University campus (example: Study Abroad Program), you have the right to cancel the spring portion of your meal plan contract. Upon verification, the amount charged to your student account for the spring semester portion of your meal plan will be credited in full.
If a physician prescribes a special diet for you to address a health challenge and PantherDining is unable to provide the special diet, you have the right to leave the meal plan, and charges for future meals to your student account will be credited in full. Our registered dietitians are ready to help with counseling to make the meal plan work for you. You cannot leave the meal plan because of a diet that you follow for other reasons or because you have committed to eating somewhere else (like a fraternity, sorority or other social organization), so be sure the meal plan is right for you before you sign up.
Other Important Information
This contract is for the FULL 2025-2026 academic year, beginning August 20, 2025 and ending May 5, 2026 or for the remainder of the 2025-2026 academic year if entered after the beginning of the fall semester.
Signing up for a meal plan is not the same as admission to the university. You cannot participate in a meal plan unless you have a valid Georgia State University PantherCard.
This contract is severable. That means that if any part of the contract is invalid, the rest of the contract remains valid.
This information is subject to change.
Academic Meal Plan Cancellation Schedule (Fall 2025 – Spring 2026)
Cancellation forms must be received before 5 p.m. on the first day of classes for the current semester. The meal plan holder’s access to the dining halls will be terminated on the day the cancellation form is received.
REMINDER: Residents of Patton, Piedmont Central and Piedmont North are REQUIRED to maintain a 7-day meal plan and therefore cannot cancel their meal plan.
Meal Plan Semester |
Cancellation Form Received | Refund Amount |
Fall 2025 |
Before August 25, 2025 | Full Refund (Fall and Spring) |
If meal plan used between August 20-25, 2025 | $300 Administrative Fee + Daily Pro Rate | |
After August 25, 2025 | No Refund | |
Spring 2026 |
August 25, 2025 – January 8, 2026 | 75% Refund of Spring Meal Plan |
After January 9, 2026 | No Refund |
Daily Pro Rate Amount: $42