Selecting the right meal membership involves knowing your eating habits – Are you a breakfast eater? Will you be on campus during the weekends? How is your class schedule structured during meal times? Do you prefer an all-you-can-eat buffet or a grab-and-go sandwich or salad? The Dining Services team can help you navigate meal memberships so you choose the one that's best-suited to you.
2025-2026 Meal Plan Options*
| Plan Name | Meals | Dining Dollars |
Guest | Rate |
| Gold A | 19/week | 500 | 15 | $3,425 |
| Gold B | 19/week | 300 | 15 | $3,245 |
| Silver A | 14/week | 500 | 10 | $2,980 |
| Silver B | 14/week | 300 | 10 | $2,910 |
| Bronze A | 10/week | 500 | 5 | $2,610 |
| Bronze B | 10/week | 300 | 5 | $2,430 |
| Commuter | 45/term | 300 | 0 | $950 |
*Notes:
- Gold plans include unlimited guest meals for parents
- Bronze plans are reserved for upper-class students
What's Included in a Meal Membership?
Each membership comes with a combination of meals and dining dollars. Meals, often referred to as swipes or meal swipes, can be used during meal periods in PJ's Restaurant in the Student Union. A meal is deducted every time you enter PJ's. Meal exchanges, the equivalent of a meal swipe, are available during regular hours of operation at the Pitt-Stop, Pizza Pitt, Daily Grind, and Tuck Shop (Grill 27, Freshens & Tso Good). Students are able to use one meal swipe per meal period, for a maximum of four swipes per day. The four meal periods are: breakfast (7-11 a.m.), lunch (11 a.m.-4 p.m.), dinner (4-7 p.m.), and late-night (7-11 p.m.). Residential meal plans include a specific number of meals each week. Weekly meal allocations are reset every Sunday morning at approximately 2 a.m.
Dining dollars spend like cash (dollar-for-dollar) at any of the campus eateries including the Tuck Shop, the Pitt Stop, Pizza Pitt, and The Daily Grind. Students can also use their dining dollars to purchase meals in PJ's at a special rate (guest meals do not apply). The Dining Dollar amount included with each membership is for the entire semester. Other features included with residential meal memberships include:
- Meal Exchanges
For students who don't have time to have a sit-down meal in PJ's, meal exchanges offer an opportunity to purchase a meal from one of the retail locations using a swipe. This also helps students conserve their dining dollars. Meal exchanges are available during regular hours of operation at all retail locations: Pitt-Stop, Pizza Pitt, Daily Grind, and Tuck Shop (Grill 27, Freshens & Tu Taco). One meal exchange (meal swipe) can be used per meal period. Items included in an exchange vary by location and can be viewed here. - Guest Meals
All residential meal plans include a preset number of meals designated for guests. These meals can be used for friends, family, or any "guests" students wish to take to PJ's. Guest meals are allocated for the semester. If a student runs out of regular meals, they are able to utilize guest meals for themselves, however, they may not use regular swipes for guests. The gold plans (both A & B) also include an unlimited number of guest meals for parents. Guest meals are only available in PJ's and cannot be used with meal exchanges. - Rolling Dining Dollars
Dining dollars remaining on a student's accounts at the end of the fall semester will carry over to the spring semester provided the student is also enrolled in a meal plan for the spring. All dining dollars expire at the end of the spring term. Adding Dining Dollars is as simple as logging into the Johnstown Campus Housing & Dining Services task center on Pitt Passport and clicking on the "add dining dollars" link. - "Go Green!"
All students enrolled in a residential meal plan receive one free "go green" container per semester. The Go Green program provides students with a free, reusable take-out container that can be filled with their favorite items from PJs and then taken back to their room or wherever they need to be. When they want to "go green" again, they simply exchange their container for a sanitized one. It is important to note that the green container replaces the meal normally eaten in PJ’s and is not an additional meal. Students requesting a new container without returning a used one will be charged $10.
2025-2026 Walk-in Rates
Students not enrolled in a meal plan are still able to eat in PJ's restaurant, although a meal plan offers better value. Payment can be made by credit card or Mountain Cat Cash and guests will be charged the walk-in rate based on the meal period:
- Breakfast: $12.75
- Lunch/Brunch: $14.75
- Dinner: $15.75
Online Meal Plan Registration for Commuter Students
Commuter students wishing to enroll in a meal plan should:
- Log into the my.pitt.edu
- Search for Johnstown Campus Housing & Dining Services task center
- No housing deposit is required to use the services on this page
- Under the “Commuter Meal Plan” heading choose Apply for a Meal Plan
- Follow the on-screen instructions
You will receive a confirmation email once the application has been successfully submitted.