How the Plan Works
Plan Options
Purchasing a Plan
Adding Points
Changing a Plan
Leftover Points
The A-La Board meal plan provides savings and easy purchasing for individuals that regularly eat twelve or more meals per week on campus.
A-La Board accounts are accessed via the Penn State id+ card. When you purchase an A-La Board meal plan, funds are deposited into your new account. Each time you visit a dining facility operated by Penn State Housing and Food Services, simply present your id+ card to the cashier, who will swipe the card through a reader. The reader will access your account, deduct the proper purchase amount, and display your new account balance.
Plan Costs
The total cost of the meal plan per semester is a combination of two basic components:
1. Base Cost: This represents the non-food costs for operating the food court (i.e. labor, supplies, maintenance, and utilities). When you purchase an A-La Board meal plan, you pay this base cost up front for the entire semester.
2. Point Cost: This represents the funds available to you for meal purchases throughout the semester. A-La Board pricing is represented by points, where each point equals one cent. With each food and beverage purchase, the A-La Board point cost will be deducted from your account.
Savings
Food Court: The price for menu items includes a base cost, as well as the actual food cost. As an A-La Board member, you have paid the base cost up front for the entire semester. To compensate for the base cost, your meals will be discounted approximately 65 percent off the cash price on most food and beverage purchases. Guests that you are paying for with your meal plan will receive a 30 percent discount on most food and beverage purchases. For certain specified items, such as retail and pre-packaged items, only a 10 percent discount is given.
Other Campuses: As an A-La Board member, you can also save at the other cash operations operated by Penn State Housing and Food Services. Your guests will save, too!
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PLAN OPTIONS
You can select from six A-La Board plans, which vary by the number of points. These points (each equaling one cent) are what you use to pay for your actual meals.
2008-2009 Rates
| Plans | No. of Points | Total Cost |
| 1 | 45,500 = | $1,650 |
| 2 | 53,000 = | $1,725 |
| 3 | 58,500 = | $1,780 |
| 4 | 67,500 = | $1,870 |
| 5 | 74,000 = | $1,935 |
| 6 | 88,500 = | $2,080 |
PURCHASING A PLAN
If you currently living on campus, the A-La Board meal plan is a part of Housing and Food Service Contract, and you do not need to submit a separate contract.
If you live off campus, you may purchase a plan using the downloadable Contract Card. Submit the card to the Housing and Food Services Office. The cost will be charged to your Bursar account (semester bill), unless you mail the Contract Card with a check made payable to The Pennsylvania State University.
When you purchase one of the six A-La Board meal plans, you must do so for an entire semester. You may change the size of your plan anytime using id+ Online during the semester until 14 days before the last day of finals. A-La Board plans are binding for the semester and balances are not refundable. If you withdraw from the University, the remainder of the points and a percentage of the base cost (based on University refund chart) will be credited to your Bursar account. An A-La Board meal plan cannot be transferred or assigned to another individual.
Printable Contract Card
Click here for a downloadable A-La Board Contract Card. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the file. If you are unable to open this file, please call or visit the Housing and Food Services Office for a contract.
If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, download it here for free.
After opening an account, you may add funds at any time.
Ways to Add Points:
- using id+ Online, with MasterCard or Visa
- at the Housing and Food Services Office, with cash, check, or MasterCard or Visa
- at any Housing and Food Services cash register, using cash
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CHANGING A PLAN
You may make changes to your meal plan anytime using id+ Online, up until 14 days before the last day of finals. A student who lowers his/her meal plan will have the difference credited to his/her student account. If you wish to increase your meal plan, it is recommend that you add points rather than purchase a larger plan. This will eliminate excess points at the end of the semester, and allow you to better manage your account.
If you have leftover points from fall semester, the points will carry over to spring semester only if you purchase a new A-La Board plan within the first two weeks of spring semester. You may purchase a smaller plan for spring. Spring meal plans may be changed after the first day of spring semester using id+ Online . Residents are required to purchase a meal plan for both fall and spring semesters. If you do not purchase another plan by the end of the second week of spring semester, any leftover points from fall will be forfeited. Leftover points do not carry over from spring semester and are forfeited.
