Just like last school year, Howard University students returning this fall will notice another change to campus dining: new meal plans.
For the 2026-27 academic year, Howard has introduced new meal plans that change dining hall access, dining fund allocations and meal plan costs. The changes come one year after the university replaced Sodexo with Aramark Collegiate Hospitality and launched HU Hospitality, now known as Bison Hospitality.
Meal swipes provide entry into Armour J. Blackburn University Center’s Blackburn Café and Bethune Annex Café, Howard’s dining hall facilities. The new meal plans also eliminate dining dollars. Now, there are Mecca Dollars which can be used at all Howard dining locations but expire at the end of each semester. Meal Plan Bucks can be spent both on campus and at participating off-campus dining partners.
While Bison Hospitality describe the changes as an effort to provide students with greater flexibility, early student reactions suggest many are still weighing whether the new system addresses concerns voiced in previous years.
“I feel that the expansion into Howard-sponsored off-campus food is a step in the right direction,” said Kobe Williams, a sophomore honors physics major from Seattle, Washington. “The unlimited meal swipes plan is something I value but I still think there is room for improvement.”
The updated plans include four options.
The Crown Jewel ($3,578) plan provides unlimited access to Howard’s dining halls with one meal swipe allowed per hour. Students on this plan receive $100 in Mecca Dollars, $250 in Meal Plan Bucks and four guest passes.
The Mecca ($3,472) plan allows two meal swipes per day that reset weekly while including $150 in Mecca Dollars, $300 in Meal Plan Bucks and four guest passes.
The Bison ($3,341) plan includes 125 meal swipes for the semester, $200 in Mecca Dollars, $350 in Meal Plan Bucks and two guest passes. This plan is not available to freshmen.
The Yard ($3,280) is a plan focused entirely on/off campus options (such as Chick-fil-A or using Grubhub to order food) rather than dining hall access. The plan includes $750 in Mecca Dollars and $1,250 in Meal Plan Bucks and is available only to juniors and seniors.
With these new plans put into effect, Howard’s average annual standard on-campus food and meal plan will rise from its 2025-26 cost of $6,602 to $7,430 for the 2026-27 school year. This is a 12.5% increase from the previous academic year.
The restructuring appears to be more of a rebranding than a major change said Melusi Ngeleka, a sophomore double majoring in physics and mathematics from South Sioux City, Nebraska.
“The only difference is it just limits who we can bring into the dining halls and how often we can go in, which honestly can be more of a disservice to students,” said Ngeleka.
Although Ngeleka said the revised plans are a step forward, he believes the university could continue expanding dining options beyond campus and better accommodate students who eat later in the evening.
“I’d love to see more partnerships with places students already enjoy and more options available at night,” Ngeleka said.
Other students, such as Laila Jefferson, a sophomore psychology major from Prince George’s County, Maryland, welcomed the increased flexibility provided by Meal Plan Bucks.
“Sometimes I’d rather use my Meal Plan Bucks through Grubhub than make the walk to the dining hall, so having that option is really convenient,” Jefferson said.
Her reaction reflects what many students say has become increasingly important: convenience and the ability to choose where they eat rather than relying exclusively on campus dining halls.
Still, more students echoed worries about these new meal plan changes.
“We are limiting people’s options to meals altogether,” said Ebenezer Ehondor, a sophomore psychology major from Dallas.
Ehondor said he feels as though the university is prioritizing profits over addressing students’ concerns.
“I feel like the priority with meal plans should be access to dining options on campus,” he said.
While students raised concerns about access and dining options, LeVita Bassett, executive director of the Office of Auxiliary Enterprises, said the new plans were developed with flexibility in mind.
Bassett added that the university worked with Bison Hospitality to create a structure that combines dining hall access with on-and-off campus purchasing options and guest access.
“The changes were developed with Bison Hospitality to broaden student options while maintaining dependable access to campus dining services,” said Bassett in a written statement to The Hilltop.
Bassett emphasized the administration’s goal with the revised meal plans is to create a more flexible, student-centered dining program while maintaining high-quality dining services. She said the new plans expand where students can use dining funds, introduce guest passes and offer more clearly defined meal plan options based on students’ dining needs and eligibility.
While some students appreciate the flexibility of Meal Plan Bucks, others argue that broader issues, including food quality, expanded dining hall options and operating hours, remain unresolved.
The new meal plans will be put to the test as students return to campus for the fall semester.
The last day to change meal plans is Aug. 28, according to Bison Hospitality.
Copy edited by Sydney Middleton