A meal swipe refers to the swipes you use to access meals in the dining halls. Each meal swipe allows you entry into any of our dining halls, where you can enjoy a variety of meal options. If you are on a meal swipes per week plan, your number of weekly meal swipes will reset every Monday morning. Blaze plan users can use their number of meal swipes for the semester. All meal swipes are ready to use through your I-Card.

Please note Fall 2025 Resident Meal Plans are effective Thursday, August 21 through Friday, December 12th.

In addition to using meal swipes at the dining halls, meal plans offering meal exchanges allow you to use a select number of meal swipes on designated menu items at participating retail locations.

View participating locations here:

Flames Fare are dining dollars or tax-free money conveniently loaded to youri-card that students, faculty, and staff can use at any participating retail locations on campus. Flames Fare balances carry over from fall to spring semester and from spring to summer session.

Please note, Flames Fare expires at the end of Summer Session II and all unused flames fare will be forfeited.

View all locations that accept Flames Fare:

All residential meal plans offering guest passes include a set number of guest passes each semester, allowing students to treat friends, family, or visitors to a meal at either 605 Commons Dining Hall or JST Dining Hall. Guest passes do not roll over and must be used within the semester.

Students may choose to donate guest passes to the UIC Dean of Students Office to support fellow students facing food insecurity.

• Unlimited meal swipes for the semester
• $400 Flames Fare
• 50 meal exchanges
• 5 Guest Passes for the semester

• 15 meal swipes a week
• $50 Flames Fare
• 5 Guest Passes for the semester

• 160 meal swipes for the semester
• $750 flames fare
• 30 meal exchanges
• 5 guest Passes for the semester

• 160 Meal Swipes
• $450 Flames Fare

• 80 Meal Swipes
• $200 Flames Fare

• 30 Meal Swipes