Meal Plans 101

A meal plan is a pre-paid dining package that provides you with access to dining services on campus. We offer a variety of meal plans to meet your on-campus dining needs. Check out our Meal Plan page HERE for a full list of offerings. 

Depending on your class year, where you live, or how often you eat on campus, our recommendations may vary. You can email dining@coastal.edu or give us a call at 843-349-6933 to speak to a Meal Plan Expert who can help you choose the best plan to fit your lifestyle.

You can purchase a meal plan through MyCoastalHome.

Meal plans will go live for the semester the same day that University Housing opens for the semester. Stay tuned to @CCUFoodCrew for updates!

Please stay up-to-date with CCU Food Crew on our website and social media for updated information about the last day(s) to use your meal plan and dining dollars for the semester.

You can modify all residential and commuter meal plans within two weeks after they become active. For Spring 2026, the last day to change your meal plan is January 25, 2026.

All first and second year students living on campus are required to purchase a meal plan. While a meal plan is not required for commuter students, many commuter students take advantage of the convenience and value a meal plan has to offer.

No, all dining dollars included with your meal plan expire at the end of the semester (Friday, December 12, 2025). Use dining dollars at your favorite places so they don't go to waste!

All unlimited meal plans come with five (5) guest meals per semester. If you are on a Block plan, you can use a Meal Swipe for any guest to eat that is meal swipe eligible. You may also use Dining Dollars to treat someone.

All Meal Plans (Meals & Dining Dollars) are loaded to your Coastal Carolina University ID (CINO Card), making it even easier to dine on campus. You can download your CINO Card via the Get Mobile App to add it to your digital wallet.

To change your meal plan, log into MyCoastalHome. Use your CCU username and password to log in. Click on apply for Housing option. Select the Academic Year application. In the progress timeline, click on the Meal Plan Selection step. Your current meal plan will be displayed in the drop-down box. Click the arrow in the drop-down box and select a meal plan. Click the Add Meal Plan button to save the change. Contact the housing office for additional information.

Dining dollars work like cash with the added convenience of being accessible from your CINO Card. Dining dollars are accepted at all on-campus CCU Food Crew dining locations. We also accept cash, credit/debit and CINO Cash.

You can add more dining dollars through the GET Mobile App or GET website HERE.

Dining dollars are only accepted at our on-campus dining locations. CINO cash can be used at a variety of locations both on and off-campus. Click HERE to see where CINO cash is accepted.

Dining dollars that are included with your meal plan DO NOT carry over. However, any money that you personally upload to your CINO Card will continue to carry over for as long as you are a student at CCU.

No, all Dining Dollars included with your spring 2026 Meal Plan expire at the end of the semester (Friday, May 8, 2026). All Dining Dollars included with your fall 2026 Meal Plan expire at the end of the semester (Friday, December 11, 2026). Use Dining Dollars at your favorite places so they don't go to waste!

A Meal Swipe grants you access to every all-you-care-to-eat location on campus. Additionally, Meal Swipes allow you the flexibility to purchase a set selection of items from several of our retail locations on campus.

Meal swipe eligible locations include: Hicks Dining Hall, Chauncey's Choice, UP Dining, CINO Grille, Hackler Grill, Road Rooster (food truck), POD convenience stores (grab-n-go options), and concessions. Look for the "M.S." logo at the retail locations.

Meal Swipes reset every Monday at midnight for the upcoming week.

Yes, if you are on a Block plan, you may use those toward anything that is a Meal Swipe.

To learn about which menu items are eligible for meal swipe, you can visit our Locations and Menus page HERE. By clicking on a location, you will see the meal swipe options for each location. Additionally, you will notice we use a "M.S." logo next to all items on our menus at eligible locations. 

Food lockers are secure, self-service storage units used to hold food orders for pickup. They are part of a contactless pickup system, allowing customers to retrieve their meals at their convenience without interacting directly with staff. Food lockers streamline order handoff and improve efficiency. The units are designed for short-term storage of ready-to-eat meals.

Simply place your order through the Grubhub app or kiosks at CINO Grille. You will receive a notification to your app or phone when your food is ready for pickup at the lockers. Approach the locker bank, enter your code, and your food locker door will pop open. Retrieve your food and close the locker door. 

Jimmyz Hibachi, Freshens Flip Kitchen, Oishii sushi, and Experiential Brands which offers three restaurants: The Original Hot Chicken, Inked Tacos, and Flametown Burgers.

No, there are no additional fees to use the food lockers. 

Orders that have been held in a locker for more than 20 minutes will be disposed of to ensure all food complies with the standard food safety regulations.