Flex, meal plans give students variety of food options

From first-years to graduate students, everyone has to eat. At USD, students are given a variety of options for food.

There are ten different meal plans for students to choose from. Based on preference, the number of meals a semester varies from 10 – 120 meals.

The amount of flex dollars also varies based on preference. Flex dollars are dollars that come out of your selected meal plan each semester. Flex dollars can be spent at dining facilities such as Papa John’s, Qdoba, Chick-fil-A, Einstein Bros Bagels, etc. What is important to know about flex dollars is that the leftover money not spent will not carry into the next semester.

First-year James Pritchard said he has meal plan Coyote 10 because it’s more flexible for him, allowing him to either eat on campus or choose to make meals off-campus.

“I chose the 10 meals a week because it was one of the cheaper plans and I make my own food occasionally.”

Some of the other meal plans that are available for all students include:

• Yote Pack 70: 70 meals/semester, $923 flex/semester
• Yote Pack 80 (default): 80 meals/semester, $796 flex/semester
• Yote Pack 120:120 meals/semester, $615 flex/semester
• Coyote 17: 17 meals/week, $344 flex/semester
• Coyote 10: 10 meals/week, $330 flex/semester

Another means of getting food is called Coyote Cash. Coyote Cash is essentially a debit account that can be used at all flex locations as well as many locations around Vermillion. Places off-campus that accept Coyote Cash include: Asian Buffet, Burger King, Café Brule, Cherry Street Grille, Little Italy’s and Mexico Viejo.

“Coyote Cash can be used at different locations on-campus as well as a few off-campus locations in Vermillion,” USD housing director Todd Tucker said. “We are constantly looking at additional locations in Vermillion that accept Coyote Cash. Recent ones are the theater and McDonald’s.”

Alex Robertson, Cherry Street Grille manager, said he likes the Coyote Cash system.

“Cherry Street Grille allows students to pay with Coyote Cash to encourage students to come and eat with us,” Robertson said.

Not only is Coyote Cash a payment plan for food, students are also able to use Coyote Cash to pay for their laundry, vending machines and printing in the library.

(Photo: The MUC convenience store allows students to purchase their items with use of flex or coyote cash. Shelby Carlson / The Volante)