Meal and Prepaid Plan

Students that reside in Talge, Thatcher, and Thatcher South will automatically be enrolled in Southern’s Silver meal plan with the option of changing to a Bronze or Gold plan, representing lower and higher balance options. The meal plan allows students to purchase food from the Dining Hall, CK2, the Garden, the Kayak, Village Market Deli, and vending machines on campus. Dorm meal plan purchases are exempt from sales tax.

For all non-residence hall students the answer is provided you sign up for a meal plan. Only students on a meal plan may use their ID card at the eateries on campus. This includes the Dining Hall, CK2, the Garden, the Kayak, the Village Market Deli, and vending machines on campus. Without a meal plan you must use cash, debit, or credit cards for purchases.  

Residence hall students are automatically assigned a meal plan (see FAQ "Why was I charged for a meal plan, even though I didn't select a plan?").

You can start a meal plan at any time during the semester. However, switching between plans can only occur before fall semester and before winter semester—after that date, meal plans are locked in as selected.

This depends on your housing situation. Tennessee state law requires all retail purchases to be subject to state sales tax, with a few exceptions. An exception is granted to students who reside in an educational institution’s housing and who are on a meal plan. Therefore, if you reside in Southern-owned housing (residence hall, apartment, or house) your meal plan purchases will be exempt from Tennessee state sales tax.  

Students that reside in Talge, Thatcher, or Thatcher South are automatically assigned to the Silver Plan.  Applying the default plan ensures students can use their ID card to purchase food after arriving on campus. In addition, it allows Southern to bill a meal plan amount up front to ensure your payment plan reflects the most accurate balance possible for the semester. To change the default plan amount click on the activate plan button and make sure to select the option listed there.  Ability to change plans is available through census, (last day to add a class). 

Yes. All summer meal plans for Residence Hall students is $500 for the summer, the unused portion is fully refundable at the end of the summer.

Log in to My Access >Financial>Campus Card Charges. You can only check the balance for the current semester.

A prepaid campus account gives you the convenience of using your ID card at several locations around campus: the Village Market for groceries, Campus Shop items that are non-book related, and printing/copying around campus are the main locations. The amount you select is billed to your Student Account and paid for as you pay your bill.

The meal plan value is only usable at the Dining Hall, CK2, the Kayak, the Garden, and the Village Market Deli, and vending machines. The prepaid account can be used for Village Market groceries, Campus Shop supplies (non-books), and printing/copying services around campus.

After the semester is over we will refund any unused portion of the prepaid account.

The selection on the prepaid account locks in on the last day to add classes each semester. After that date the only refund will take place after the semester is over.

No, book purchases are charged to your account as you purchase them through the online book store, BNC (third party vendor).