myChoice Meal Plan

For University Apartment & Commuter Students

The myChoice Meal Plan offers University apartment and commuter students -- who are not required to have a meal plan -- the opportunity to explore and experience the benefits, variety and convenience of dining on campus with an abridged version of the myFlex or myUnlimited Meal Plans. The myChoice Meal Plan was designed in response to students' requests to have greater flexibility to eat at retail venues. Unlike the myFlex or myUnlimitedplans, the myChoice plan does not allow additional Discount Dollars to be added and only one myChoice Plan can be purchased per semester.



SUNY Poly Students click here for your myChoice Plan.



The plan works as follows: 

  • The myChoice Meal Plan has a base cost and a balance of Discount Dollars. This base cost covers utilities, maintenance, repairs, rent, and the labor needed to support the food service program.
  • The myChoice Meal Plan allows you to use your Discount Dollars like a declining balance account on your ID card.  Discount Dollars can be used at all retail and resident dining locations for meals and beverages.  Each time you use your ID card at a dining location,  your meal plan’s Discount Dollars will get activated and the venue-specific discount (a 50% discount at campus/Sodexo retail brands and 30% discount at local/national retail brands) will be automatically calculated and the balance will be debited for your purchase. Your remaining Discount Dollars balance will appear on the register display and your receipt. Remember also your meal plan is tax free, so you will also be saving an additional 8% on all discounted sale prices. Please note that other campus funds will not activate these discounts, i.e., Munch Money, Podium, Campus Gold, F/S Dining Plan. 
 Meal Plan Discounts
50% off your purchase30% off your purchase
1844 Restaurant
Al Dente
Calypso
Corner Deli
Fresh Fruit Bar
Stocks & Stems
SubConnection
Fountain Grill
Tres Habaneros
Morris's Café
Downtown Café
 
Starbucks
Argo Tea
ETEC Café
East Café
Baba's Pizza
Jamal's Chicken 
Umai Fusion
Umai Ramen  
Umai Sushi
Nikos Café
The Halal Shack
518 Market (excluding prepackaged goods)
Sweet Shop
 


Discount Dollars Usage Guide

For example: 

    If you go to the Fountain Grill and order a burger, fries and 24 oz beverage, you will pay: 

        $12.17* without Discount Dollars (plus tax)
        $6.09* with Discount Dollars (50% discount, no tax added) 

Note: Prices on the menu boards list the current retail prices. For students on meal plans, there is signage clearly indicating what discount is offered per venue (i.e., 60%, 50% or 30%). Applicable discounts are reflected at registers. 

Meal plans are purchased per semester. The per semester pricing and details of the myChoice Meal Plan are as follows:

Plan Option

2022-2023 Price

Base CostDiscount Dollars
myChoice #1
$1,250
$550
$700
myChoice #2
$1000
$450
$550
myChoice #3
$750
$350
$400

*The base cost covers utilities, maintenance, repairs, rent and the labor needed to support the food service program.

  • Available to university apartment and commuter students of any class standing. 
  • Only one myChoice Meal Plan can be purchased per semester. 
  • Additional Discount Dollars cannot be purchased.
  • University Apartment or commuter students can change to any other myChoice Meal Plan (#1 - #3), myFlex Plan (#1 - #5), or myUnlimited Meal Plan (#1 - #2) during the add/change period.
  • Meal plans are purchased per semester. 
  • Discount Dollars activate discounts at all campus-wide retail dining venues (50% off Sodexo/in-house brands and 30% off local/regional/national brands). 
  • 518 Market and vending do not provide a discount when using Discount Dollars (use Munch Money/Podium/Campus Gold/credit) - with the exception of green mountain coffee, fruits and vegetables, sushi.
  • Discount Dollars carry over from fall semester to spring semester but expire at the end of spring semester 
  • Tax free (additional 8% savings on discounted sales price). 

Additional information:

SUNY Poly students living at UAlbany may have different meal plan requirements based upon class year and residence. Please click here for additional details and information.

  • Meal plans are activated when residence halls officially open for occupancy and end when they officially close. During times when the residence hall dining rooms are closed, but the resident halls are open, Discount Dollars and/or Munch Money can be used in retail locations. 
  • Non-freshmen students that have studied abroad, completed an internship or were off-campus for another approved reason during the previous semester and are now living in a residence hall, will automatically be assigned to the myFlex Meal Plan #2, but can change during the add/change period. 
  • If a residence hall student moves into a University apartment or off-campus, his/her meal plan will be removed unless the student notifies the ID Card office requesting the continuation of his/her meal plan. 
  • All meal plans (i.e., myUnlimited, myFlex and myChoice) and Munch Money are exempt from NYS sales tax, and therefore cannot be used to purchase guest meals, and cannot be refunded, changed or transferred after the add/drop period.

See the UAlbany Dining Meal Plan Refund/Change Policy for more information.