Meal Plans

What is a Meal Plan?

A Meal Plan provides delicious meals, coffee, snacks, and more at 18 locations across campus. Your Meal Plan includes Meal Swipes and Bearkat Bucks, which are loaded onto your Bearkat OneCard. No need to carry additional cards or cash!

Meal Swipes

Meal Swipes give you access to any of our all-you-care-to-eat dining halls, including Old Main Market and General’s Market. You can eat your meal in the dining hall or request a to-go box when you swipe your card.

Find Food

Bearkat Bucks

Bearkat Bucks are tax-free dollars placed in a pre-paid balance account that can be used to purchase items at the dining locations on campus.

More about Bearkat Bucks

Your Options

All students living on-campus (except Bearkat Village) are required to purchase a Residential meal plan, regardless of classification. For students living off campus or at Bearkat Village, while a meal plan purchase is not required, many students take advantage of the convenience and value a meal plan has to offer and have the option of a Residential or Commuter meal plan.

When making your selection, keep in mind that meal plans are sold per semester and may only be used during the semester in which it was purchased for.

Can't decide? Find your fit with our Meal Plan Tool.

Find Your Meal Plan

*Cash Equivalency: Available to students who are on the All-Access Plan. Allows students to use a meal swipe valued at $7 at all retail locations (excluding the P.O.D.s, Starbucks and Wild Blue Sushi) during dinner hours Monday-Friday, 5pm-closed, 5 meals a week. Any total above $7 can be paid in Bearkat Bucks, cash or credit. Any amount under $7 will not be refunded. Cannot be split between transactions. Locations include Chick-Fil-A, Freebirds, Panda Express, Sammy's Shakes, Sammy's Scoops, The Brisket Burger Co., and Tenders and Fries.

How to Purchase

You can select your meal plan on MySam after you have registered for your classes, but before August 13th. Changes can be made until August 20th.

1. Login to MySam
2. On the Students page, click “Apply or Change Meal Plan” under Student Housing & Dining
3. Click “Add Meal Plan” located in the left navigation
4. Select your desired plan to the right of “Meal Plan”
5. Click “Continue”
6. Click “Submit”

Or, you can login to the Bearkat OneCard WebManager directly.

1. Go to the Bearkat OneCard WebManager
2. Click “Login”
3. Use your SHSU username & password
4. Click “Add Meal Plan” located in the left navigation
5. Select your desired plan to the right of “Meal Plan”
6. Click “Continue”
7. Click “Submit”

Checking Your Balance

You can check your Meal Swipes and Bearkat Bucks balance on your receipt after every purchase at any dining location or use the following steps to check online. Remaining balances do not roll over to the next semester so remember to check your balance before finals!

1. Login to MySam
2. On the Students page, click “Apply or Change Meal Plan” under Student Housing & Dining
3. Click “Account Balance” located in the left navigation

Or, you can login to the Bearkat OneCard WebManager directly.

1. Go to the Bearkat OneCard WebManager
2. Click “Login”
3. Use your SHSU username & password
4. Click “Account Balance” located in the left navigation

Dietary Restrictions

Our dining partner, Aramark, takes every effort to ensure your safety and satisfaction when dining with us! There are many reasons for dietary restrictions and they differ from person to person. If you have a dietary restriction, request a Special Diet Consultation to find out how we can accommodate you.