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Cornell University

Cornell Dining

If You're Thinking of Joining a Fraternity or Sorority

Each year, quite a few students decide to join a Cornell-recognized Sorority & Fraternity Life (SFL) chapter.  Some of these chapters require their own meal plan for members not living in the chapter’s house. For members of these SFL chapters, we offer students living in on-campus housing the opportunity to reduce their Cornell Dining meal plan and opt in to the SFL Supplemental plan by the spring semester deadline of February 7, 2024. In addition, this plan is available to all SFL members living off campus.

Dining Plan Information for Chapters with Houses

Many of our Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Council (PHC) sororities and fraternities have physical houses. Some of these organizations require student participation in the house meal plan for members, even those not living in the chapter’s house their first year.

For members of these Sorority & Fraternity Life (SFL) chapters, we offer the opportunity to enroll in the Cornell Dining Supplemental Plan meal plan. Students currently living on campus may reduce their existing Cornell Dining meal plan and opt in to the SFL Supplemental Plan by the spring semester deadline of February 7, 2024. SFL members living on campus are eligible for this plan only if their chapter is Cornell recognized and if their chapter requires a meal plan offering a minimum of 7 meals per week for out-of-house members. 

On-campus housing includes North and South Campus Residence Halls, the West Campus House System, Program Houses, McGraw Place Residences, and the Townhouse Apartments.  

Students currently living off campus, who join a sorority or fraternity also may enroll in the SFL Supplemental Plan by February 7, 2024 as well. 

SFL Supplemental (aka. Bear Supplemental): 

  •  $1,992.25 per semester; $3,984.50 per year 
  • 127 meals per semester during designated service periods in the ten residential dining rooms (Additional charges apply for Shabbat, holiday, and special meals at 104West!) 
  • $500 in Big Red Bucks each semester 

Second Year Housing Selection Process for Sorority and Fraternity Housing

Cornell has a 2-year residential requirement for our first-year and second-year students, including a required meal plan. For the first year of residency, first-year and transfer students are assigned to university residence halls. In the second year of residency, in addition to living in university residence halls, students are permitted to live in approved, university-affiliated housing, including qualified sorority and fraternity properties.  

If a student decides to participate in recruitment and accept a bid, they will need to work with their organization to determine if they will be living in-house. If living in-house with their sorority or fraternity, students will need to affirm that arrangement in the Housing portal March 4 through March 7. Students who will not be living in-house will go through the General Room Selection process beginning March 11 to select qualified second-year housing that complies with the two-year residential requirement. 

Please note, if a student joins a sorority or fraternity in the fall or spring of their sophomore year, students are not able to move out of their current on-campus living arrangement mid-year. 

For more information about the two-year residential policy, visit our Residential Policy page.