Pomona College offers two meal plan options, the Pomona Dining Plan and the Off-Campus Dining Plan. Both plans provide access to meals, Flex (also called Board Plus) and selected dining options across the Claremont Colleges.
Pomona Dining Plan (PDP)
The Pomona Dining Plan is assigned to students living on campus. It is a continuous plan that allows students to dine at any Pomona dining hall multiple times during operating hours.
The plan includes:
- Continuous access to Pomona dining halls during operating hours
- $200 in Flex (Board Plus) funds each semester
- Meal exchanges at the COOP Fountain
- Meal equivalency of up to $7.00 at Café 47
- Meal swipes reset every 30 minutes, allowing you to return later in the day.
- Cross-campus meals (ten) each week at other Claremont College dining halls.
Off-Campus Dining Plan
The Off-Campus Meal Plan is assigned to students who live off campus.
The plan includes:
- Cross-campus meals at other Claremont College dining halls
- $100 in Flex (Board Plus) funds each semester
- Meal exchanges per week at the COOP Fountain
- Meal equivalency of up to $7.00 at Café 47
Students living off campus may choose to upgrade to the Pomona Dining Plan if they would like continuous access to Pomona dining halls.
Using the Pomona Dining Plan
Students enrolled in the Pomona Dining Plan may enter any Pomona dining hall multiple times throughout the day during operating hours. To ensure fair and sustainable use of the continuous plan, you can use the meal plan again 30 minutes after the previous swipe. This helps ensure fair access while still allowing you to return throughout the day.
The reset period:
- Helps support fair and sustainable use of the continuous plan.
- Protects the integrity of the dining program.
- Ensures equitable access for all students.
The reset period does NOT restrict the number of times you may dine each day at Pomona Dining Halls. It simply requires a short interval between entries.
Why Pomona Encourages Dining at Pomona
Pomona's continuous plan is designed to encourage students to make Pomona dining halls their primary dining destination while providing the flexibility to dine at other Claremont Colleges when their academic schedule makes returning to Pomona impractical.
Pomona Dining Services is a self-operated program staffed by dedicated College employees. When students dine at Pomona, meal plan resources help support the dining program, including:
- High-quality food and ingredients
- Student Dining Experience
- Facility improvements
- Equipment and technology
- Competitive wages and professional development for our dining staff
When students use cross-campus meals, Pomona reimburses the host institution for those meals. This partnership provides valuable flexibility, and dining at Pomona, when possible, helps keep more resources available to improve the dining experience for the Pomona community.
Cross-Campus Dining
This added benefit is supported by Pomona College to provide convenient dining options for students whose academic schedules require them to attend classes or activities on another Claremont College campuses.
Cross-campus meals are available weekly and reset every Sunday. In the unlikely event that the ten meals allotted each week are utilized, you will have continuous access at Pomona Dining Halls if you are enrolled in the Pomona Dining Plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really have a Continuous Dining plan?
Yes. Students enrolled in the Pomona Dining Plan have continuous access to Pomona dining halls during operating hours, provided at least 30 minutes have passed between meal swipes. Students enrolled in the “Off-Campus” plan do not.
Why is there a 30-minute reset period?
The reset helps protect the integrity of the continuous plan, prevents misuse, and ensures fair access for all students while still allowing you to return throughout the day.
Can I eat at the other Claremont Colleges?
The dining programs at the other Claremont Colleges are based on traditional meal plans with designated meal periods that permit one-time access during designated meal periods. In contrast, the Pomona Dining Plan provides continuous access to Pomona Dining Halls throughout the day, allowing you to dine multiple times during operating hours.
Cross-campus meals give you the flexibility to eat at another Claremont College when your class schedule, campus activities, or other commitments make it difficult to return to Pomona for a meal. Together, these two benefits provide both the convenience of eating across the 5Cs when needed and the flexibility of continuous dining at Pomona.
Why does Pomona encourage students to eat on campus?
Pomona Dining Services is a self-operated program, which means the College directly operates and invests in its dining program. When you choose to dine at Pomona, more of your meal plan dollars stay on campus to support:
- High-quality food and ingredients
- Dining hall improvements
- New equipment and technology
- Competitive wages and professional development for dining staff
Cross-campus dining remains an important benefit, but making Pomona your primary dining location helps us continue investing in the dining experience for the entire Pomona community.
What happens if I use all of my cross-campus meals?
If you use all of your weekly cross-campus meals, you can still enjoy continuous dining at Pomona for the remainder of the week.
What is Flex/Board Plus?
Some campuses and benefits may use different names, such as “Flex” or “Board Plus.” These terms refer to stored funds that can be used at eligible locations.
How can I check my meal balance?
If you are unsure which meal plan you have or how many cross-campus meals you have left for the week, you can check by signing in to your eAccounts portal using your campus credentials.