A new meal plan structure at Ohio University is enabling students to swipe in more guests at campus dining halls. Previously only students with Flex residential meal plans could swipe guests into the dining halls, but beginning this semester guest swipes are being extended to the university's Traditional 14- and 20-meal plans.

According to Ohio University's Culinary Services website, students can choose from two types of meal plans, Flex and Traditional. Now, students with Traditional 14-meal plans will receive seven additional guest swipes each semester, while the 20-meal plan will come with 10 guest swipes per semester.

The Flex plans come with $450 worth of Flex points to be used as cash at campus dining locations. Guest swipes are available with all meal plans with the exception of the 10-meal option, with guest swipes only being accepted at residential dining venues.

The change was the result of a Culinary Services Development Committee meeting on campus where students raised the idea of guest swipes. The Culinary Services Development Committee meetings typically cover renovations to dining hall infrastructure rather than operational changes, but the addition of guest swipes is so far seen as an improvement to the overall meal plan structure.

The price of the meal plans has not changed as a result of the added guest swipes. However, the smallest and cheapest of the meal plans on offer, the Traditional 10-meal plan, does not allow any guest swipes.