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Laurier Meal Plans: Waterloo Plans and the Brantford Convenience Plan
If you live in residence on Laurier's Waterloo campus, a meal plan is mandatory. Dormitory students choose a Five-Day or Seven-Day All Access plan with unlimited Fresh Food Company visits. Apartment students get a flex-dollar plan for their own mix of campus food. Brantford residences have full kitchens, and the Convenience Plan there is a smaller, prepaid food balance. Laurier's pages show two different Waterloo price lists, so read the price note below before you budget.
Sources checked September 30, 2026. View sources
Waterloo residence plans and what they cost
All Waterloo residence students, in dormitory and apartment buildings, must take part in the meal plan. These are the figures on Laurier's dining page, which the 2026/27 Residence Agreement links for meal plan fees. Each total includes a levy that Laurier and the Students' Union put toward dining upgrades: $50 on All Access plans and $20 on the Apartment plan.
| Plan | Who it's for | Fresh Food Company | Flex dollars | Guest passes | Academic-year total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Five-Day All Access | Dormitory residents | Unlimited, Monday to Friday | $900 ($450 a term) | Three a term | $7,211.58 ($3,580.79 a term) |
| Seven-Day All Access | Dormitory residents | Unlimited, seven days a week | $700 ($350 a term) | Four a term | $7,800.12 ($3,875.06 a term) |
| Apartment-Style | Apartment residents | Not included | $1,449.84 a term | None | $2,919.68 |
- The Five-Day plan gives you more flex dollars; the Seven-Day plan gives you weekend dining hall access.
- Apartment residents can upgrade to an All Access plan by contacting the OneCard office after they get their residence assignment.
- Residence meal plans follow federal HST exemption rules, so students on a mandatory plan don't pay tax on campus food.
Two Waterloo price lists: which one to budget with
Laurier's future-students residence page shows lower Waterloo figures: $6,676.56 for the Five-Day plan, $7,220.44 for the Seven-Day plan and $2,698.54 for the Apartment plan. It also lists different flex dollars ($870 and $680) and more guest passes (five and seven). The dining page doesn't name a year, and the future-students page labels only its room fees as 2026/27.
We budget with the higher dining page figures because the 2026/27 Residence Agreement points there for meal plan fees. Check your student invoice in LORIS for the amount you're actually charged, and ask laurierfoodservices@wlu.ca if the two don't match.
Flex dollars, changes and what carries over
Flex dollars sit on your OneCard and only buy food. They work at the Fresh Food Company, Byte 75 Coffee & Social, the Terrace Food Court outlets, Starbucks, Subway, Tim Hortons, Frank's Coffee Haus and Wilf's Restaurant and Bar. The Terrace Food Court includes Union Market, a deli, Tavolino Italian, Ah So Sushi, Ah So Korea, Zoca Mexican, Pizza Pizza, Harvey's and 1911 Coffee Company.
You can change your plan until September 30 by emailing mealplanrequest@wlu.ca. After that, it's locked for the year. The plan runs from the start of fall term until 24 hours after residence move-out in April. Plans are non-refundable and non-transferable, but flex balances left on April 30 roll into the next academic year.
The Fresh Food Company is Laurier's all-you-care-to-enjoy dining hall, run by a team of chefs. It serves stone-fired pizza, stir-fry, a salad bar, deli, grill and sushi, with alternatives for allergies and food intolerances. Leave backpacks and gym bags in the lockers at the entrance, and bring your own lock.
Off campus or commuting: the Waterloo Dining Club
Any Laurier student can buy a meal plan, even if you don't live in residence. The Dining Club is the simpler option for commuters. It loads convenience dollars onto your OneCard in a separate account from any meal plan, and they never expire.
| Membership | Convenience dollars | Laurier's suggested fit | Perks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Hawk | $1,200 | About $40 a week on campus food | 50% off tea and coffee; three Fresh Food Company passes |
| Gold | $800 | About $25 a week | 50% off tea and coffee; two Fresh Food Company passes |
| Purple | $300 | About $10 a week | 50% off tea and coffee; one Fresh Food Company pass |
- Order at dining.wlu.ca, then take your receipt to the OneCard office to get the membership benefits.
- Convenience dollars also work at International News, Hawk Print and the Hawk Shop. Refunds go through the OneCard office.
Brantford: the Convenience Plan
Brantford residences are all apartments with kitchens, so you can cook for yourself. The Convenience Plan is a prepaid OneCard balance that works at partner restaurants downtown. Convenience dollars don't expire at the end of a term and stay usable after first year.
Laurier's pages disagree on whether you must buy one. The dining page says every residence student needs a mandatory meal plan or a convenience plan. Its Brantford section, and the residence application page, call the Brantford plan optional. Check your signed residence agreement or ask brantfordresidence@wlu.ca before you skip it.
| Plan | Per term | For the year |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome | $480 | $960 |
| Study | $565 | $1,130 |
| Comfort | $680 | $1,360 |
- Partner vendors listed by Laurier: Chinese Sisters, Boston Pizza, Sunset Grill, Nine North, The Works Burger Bistro, Gino's Pizza and The Belmont.
- You buy the plan by depositing funds onto your OneCard.
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Sources and updates
This independent guide summarizes the official information linked below. Availability, access rules and application cycles can change; check the relevant university page before making a decision.