mealplan icon

What does a meal plan cost you?

For students living in the UCSB Residence Halls, the cost of your meal plan is included with your room and board. Room and Board fees are calculated using a combination of your selected Meal Plan and your room type. Please refer to the Room & Board Rates for details. Students living in the residence halls sign up for meal plans when they register for housing.

For students living in UCSB apartments or off-campus, please refer to Off Campus Meal Plan.

meal plan icon

Changing Your Meal Plan

If you reside in a UCSB Residence Hall and would like to change your meal plan, you may submit your request using our meal plan change form. Requests to increase or decrease meals may be submitted at any time and will be processed to begin the following week, whenever possible. Please note that this applies ONLY to students who live in the residence halls. Off Campus meal plan holders please visit the Off Campus Meal Plan page.

Please note: Billing transactions generated due to a meal plan change will be posted to a student’s BARC account.

CHANGE MEAL PLAN 

Approximate Rate Differences

19 meals per week vs. 14 meals per week = $54.00 less/mos.
19 meals per week vs. 10 meals per week = $97.00 less/mos.
14 meals per week vs. 10 meals per week = $43.00 less/mos.

meal plan icon

Types of Residential Meal Plans*

program details
Gaucho Platinum
  • Up to 19 swipes per week during meal periods in the four all-you-care-to-eat Dining Commons.
  • Ideal for students who want to eat most of their meals in the Dining Commons
Gaucho Gold
  • Up to 14 swipes per week during meal periods in the four all-you-care-to-eat Dining Commons.
  • If you’re always on the go, or if breakfast seems to come too early, consider this alternative plan that gives you the flexibility to purchase meals elsewhere on and off campus.
Gaucho Silver
  • Up to 10 swipes per week during meal periods in the four all-you-care-to-eat Dining Commons.
  • Do you have a job off-campus? Do you go home every weekend? Perfect for students who cannot always eat all of their meals on campus.
   
FOR MORE INFORMATION & BALANCES

*THE FINE PRINT: If you want to enter the Dining Commons after you have used all of your allotted weekly swipes, you will be billed via BARC at the guest meal rate for each excessive entry (currently $14/meal). Meal entries are re-set Monday morning and unused entries do not roll forward.