Two students dining together
Welcome Second-Years

Supporting your growth, fueling your success

Welcome Back! Penn Dining's cafés are places to build community, enrich the student experience, and enhance student wellness.

Reasons to get excited

  • More Flexibility for Second-Year Students
  • Quality Ingredients
  • Memorable and Meaningful Experiences
  • Convenient Options 
     

Second-Year Options

The Second-Year Dining Initiative is part of our commitment to build community on campus while working closely with the programs of the dedicated Second-Year Experience. Incorporating student feedback, we are offering a dining plan designed specifically for second-year students, bringing you variety, convenience, and value with a lower cost per swipe. In addition, second-year students can also choose either of the two first-year plans.

  • Best for:

    Smaller tailored meals and grab-n-go options.

    Second-Year 156

    • 156 swipes per semester
    • $300 Dining Dollars per semester
    • Averages to 10 meals per week
    • Priced & contracted annually, billed per semester
    $4,256
    Annual cost, billed per semester.
    Includes 312 total swipes + $600 Dining Dollars
  • Best for:

    Eating the majority of your meals at our all-you-care-to-eat locations.

    First-Year 296

    • 296 swipes per semester
    • $125 Dining Dollars per semester
    • Averages to 19 meals per week
    • Priced & contracted annually, billed per semester
    $6,330
    Annual cost, billed per semester.
    Includes 592 total swipes + $250 Dining Dollars
  • Best for:

    Eating more meals at our retail locations.

    First-Year 187

    • 187 swipes per semester
    • $400 Dining Dollars per semester
    • Averages to 12 meals per week
    • Priced & contracted annually, billed per semester
    $6,330
    Annual cost, billed per semester.
    Includes 374 total swipes + $800 Dining Dollars
Pick a Plan
Plan Benefits

Special diet? We’ve got you covered.

Penn Dining currently serves many students with food allergies or dietary needs and our registered dietitian nutritionist, Dan Connolly, is here to assist students with any dietary questions or concerns they may have.
Ingredients in bowls
Introducing our newest dining cafe

Gutmann offers a unique dining experience

The opening of Gutmann College House brings two exciting new dining options to campus. Our Quaker Kitchen lets you participate in shaping your dining experience by assisting our chefs in meal planning and preparation. Café West, the in-residence coffeeshop, offers coffee and sweet and savory treats.
New College House West Dining Cafe - Quaker Kitchen
Convenient Options

Gourmet Grocer is Penn's on-campus grocery market

Forgot to get that one ingredient you need for dinner? Gourmet Grocer, located in 1920 Commons, is a convenient place to grab those must have groceries. The market also offers fresh produce, frozen meals, organic items, and a cold and hot food bar. Why make that side dish when you can just pick it up at Gourmet Grocer?
Gourmet Grocer

Important Information

Second-Year Need to Know

Are second-years required to have a dining plan?

Second-year students are required to sign-up for one of three dining plans - either of the two First-Year Dining Plans or a specially designed second-year plan. Students sign up for their plans when they apply for their housing assignment. Students wishing to change their dining plans may do so once during the Fall Change Period, August 29 to September 19, 2023, and once during the Spring Change Period, January 18 to February 8, 2024.

When does my Dining Plan start and end?

Aug. 23 Dining Plans begin 
Aug. 29 Fall Change Period opens
Sep. 4 Labor Day - limited operations
Sep. 19 Fall Change Period ends
Oct. 12- 15 Fall Break - limited operations
Nov. 23 - 26 Thanksgiving Break - limited operations
Dec. 21 End of Fall Term - All cafes closed and Fall swipes/visits expire

What are Guest Swipes

Guest Swipes allow you to share a meal with friends and family. All first and second-year dining plans include 10 guest swipes per semester.  (The guest swipes are counted in the total semester allocation.)

Pricing & billing information

Dining plans represent contracts for the entire Academic Year, but are allocated/billed per semester.  Fall 2023 billing will begin in July 2023.  Dining plans purchased prior to July 1, 2023 will be posted to students’ bursar bills by July 2023.  After that date, charges will be posted to students’ bursar bills on a rolling weekly basis.  Spring 2024 billing will first appear on students’ bursar bills by November 2023.  Spring 2024 plans purchased after that date will be billed on a rolling weekly basis.

Have more questions?

To see all of our FAQs about Dining please click here.