Skip to main content
West Virginia University Dining Services
Regular Hours Summer Hours

Dining Plan Waiver Policy

Purpose

This policy establishes the guidelines and process for students requesting a Dining Plan Waiver from the mandatory University Dining Plan. This policy applies to all undergraduate residential students.

University Dining Plans are capable of accommodating a variety of diets and allergies. Because of this, Dining Plan Waivers will not generally be granted for the following:

  • Financial hardship
  • Class, sports, or employment schedules
  • Vegetarian, vegan, or organic diets
  • Lactose intolerance
  • Gluten free diets
  • Common food allergies such as milk, eggs, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, and wheat.
  • Food preferences, likes or dislikes, “clean eating,” etc.
  • Common medical diagnoses such as diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc.

Students with food allergies, medical diagnoses, or specific dietary requirements beyond those listed above should contact Dining Services to inquire about a Dining Plan Waiver. In rare cases, a student may have medical or dietary requirements that cannot be accommodated by Dining Services. In such cases, students may request a Dining Plan Waiver, relieving them of the requirement to purchase a Dining Plan. Dining Services is committed to assisting students with food allergy and specialty diet related needs and as such, employs a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist to assist with dietary modifications and diet education.

Procedures

Students requesting a Dining Plan Waiver must complete the Dining Plan Waiver Request Form. Appropriate documentation guidelines must include diagnoses and related medical concerns, as well as the reason/rationale/need for a Dining Plan Waiver from a physician. The documentation from the physician should be on letterhead, typed, dated, signed, and include the following information:

  1. A current statement of the diagnosis and date of onset
  2. Detailed information of all the medical or dietary restrictions
  3. An explanation on why the Dining Services cannot meet the students’ medical or dietary restrictions
  4. The alternative plan recommended for the student and how the student will eat throughout the year
  5. An estimate of the length of time that this treatment will be necessary.
  6. In addition to the necessary documentation, a personal meeting with WVU’s Registered Dietitian, Nutritionist (RDN) will be required. If the RDN is not available, then said student can meet with Director of Dining Services.

Failure to complete the form in its entirety or to provide the appropriate documentation could result in a delay or denial of your request. Students will receive an email notification to their mix.wvu.edu email regarding the status of their request. Dining Plan Waiver Requests will be accepted between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. during the below time frames:

  • Fall Semester: Final submission date is the second Friday in August
  • Spring Semester: Final submission date is the second Friday in January.

Dining Plan Waiver Requests submitted after this deadline will be processed the following semester. It is important to remember that a NEW Dining Plan Waiver Request form and supporting documentation needs to be submitted at the start of each fall semester. If the specific medical or dietary needs of the student cannot be met by Dining Services, and the appropriate medical professionals within WVU have reviewed medical documentation and deem Dinging Services unable to meet the student’s nutritional needs, a Dining Plan Waiver will be granted. If a Dining Plan Waiver request is granted, a credit will be issued to the student’s account.

If a modification is not appropriate, students will need to apply with the Office of Accessibility Services. You can then go through their interactive process for consideration of a dining plan waiver. For more information, go to accessibilityservices.wvu.edu.

Dining Plan Waiver Request Form

Note:

  • Vegetarianism is not normally considered a valid reason for a Dining Plan Waiver. Vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free dietary requirements are carefully considered by our chefs in menu and recipe planning, and healthy vegetarian items are offered each meal period.
  • Financial need is not an allowable reason for a Dining Plan Waiver. Dining Services and Auxiliary Services cannot make decisions about financial need. All financial inquires can be to the Financial Aid Office.
  • While every Dining Plan Waiver Request and corresponding medical related diagnosis(es) are subject to approval and vary based on type, breadth, and severity of diagnoses, some appropriate Dining Plan Waiver Requests may include current or previous cancer diagnosis that impact meeting nutritional needs, eating disorder diagnosis, feeding disorders, some autoimmune disorders, and related mental health diagnoses that impact feeding abilities, etc.