Gone are the days of having pre-scheduled lunchroom hours in high school, as college requires working meals into already packed days with more options to choose among.
While most first or second-year students opt for an on-campus meal plan to help with the transition to college, even some third and fourth-year students find that meal plans are a convenient, cost-effective way to plan meals while avoiding the hassle and expense of grocery shopping and cooking.
To help students know what to expect from the meal plan offerings at Georgia State University, here’s a rundown of everything you need to know about dining options at GSU.
What are the meal plan options at Georgia State University?
Georgia State University offers four different meal plans for the academic year.
These include two options for 7-day access (Monday – Sunday) for three meals per day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and two options for 5-day access (Monday – Friday) for three meals per day.
In addition to choosing either a 7-day or 5-day plan, GSU students can purchase additional dining points for use at any PantherDining location on-campus, including Chick-Fil-A, Courtyard Cafe, and Legal Grounds in addition to the on-campus dorms.
From traditional dining halls to restaurants and cafés to catering services, Georgia State’s dining services meet the needs and tastes of all patrons.
How much are meal plans at Georgia State?
Meal plans at GSU, known as PantherMeals, offer a mix of all-access for all-you-can-eat dining and points for use in various on-campus dining locations.
PantherPoints are equal to dollars, such that $1 equals 1 PantherPoint, but some dining halls offer discounts to those paying with PantherPoints, making them more valuable than the cash equivalent.
The four meal plans available for GSU students are:
- All-Access 7-Day Plan + 120 PantherPoints per semester
- $4,322 for the academic year
- Two equal installments of $2,161 at the start of each semester
- Includes weekend dining
- All-Access 5-Day Plan + 120 PantherPoints per semester
- $4,210 for the academic year
- Two equal installments of $2,060 per semester
- Does not include weekend dining
- All-Access 7-Day Plan
- $4,122 for the academic year
- Two equal installments of $2,061 per semester
- Includes weekend dining
- All-Access 5-Day Plan
- $3,920 for the academic year
- Two equal installments of $1,960 per semester
- Does not include weekend dining
Students living on-campus in Patton, Piedmont Central, or Piedmont North resident halls are required to have one of the All-Access 7-Day plans, including weekend dining.
Students who live in other residence halls can choose any of the four options.
Georgia State University students who live off-campus do not have to have a meal plan with GSU but may still purchase an all-access meal plan if they would like to.
Georgia State does not offer a meal plan for commuters or students living in off-campus apartments.
Can you change your meal plan during the semester at GSU?
Students can upgrade their meal plan during the semester but cannot downgrade to a lower-cost plan.
For example, students can upgrade from an All-Access 5-day plan to an All-Access 7-day plan, but they cannot downgrade from a 7-day to a 5-day. As such, those students who opt for the top plan – the All-Access 7-Day with 120 PantherPoint – cannot change their plan during the year since any change would require a downgrade.
GSU students can cancel a meal plan entirely after the start of the semester with a partial refund, depending on the cancellation date. The refund rates for the upcoming semester are below with a 2022-2023 daily proration of $37.
- August 18, 2022 – January 5, 2023: 85% Refund
- January 6 – January 12, 2023: 85% Refund minus daily pro-rate
- January 13 – January 19, 2023: 75% Refund minus daily pro-rate
- January 20 – January 26, 2023: 50% Refund minus daily pro-rate
- January 27 – February 4, 2023: 40% Refund minus daily pro-rate
- After February 4, 2023: No Refund
PantherDining has four unlimited, all-access academic year meal plans offering convenience, variety, and a community experience with 24-hour weekday and weekend hours.
Where are the dining halls at Georgia State?
The dining halls at Georgia State University are located in the following resident halls:
- Patton Hall: 160 Edgewood Avenue NE
- Piedmont Central: 92 Piedmont Ave NE
- Piedmont North: 175 Piedmont Ave NE
These dining facilities are open 24/7 during the week but have limited hours on the weekend for those with a 7-Day meal plan.
Are there restaurants in the GSU student center?
There are four on-campus restaurants at Georgia State University, including two in the student center and two in nearby academic buildings.
The restaurant options on campus at GSU are:
- Chick-fil-A
- Located on the first floor of the Bookstore Building
- Open Monday-Thursday from 7 am-7 pm and Friday from 7 am – 5 pm
- Courtyard Cafe
- Located on the first floor of the Student Center East
- Open Monday – Thursday from 8 am – 4 pm and Friday from 8 am – 2 pm
- Legal Grounds
- Located in the lobby of the College of Law
- Open Monday – Thursday from 8 am -6 pm
- Panda Express
- Located on the first floor of Student Center East
- Open Monday – Thursday from 11 am – 5 pm
What are the closest grocery stores to GSU?
Georgia State University’s main campus in downtown Atlanta is not close to traditional grocery stores.
Some smaller convenience-style grocers are nearby, but the offerings are limited to snacks and drinks.
The closest full-scale grocery store to the Georgia State University campus is the Kroger at 800 Glenwood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30316. This store is slightly over 2 miles southeast of campus and requires a car.
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Find your next home at Georgia State
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