Meal Exemptions and Special Diet Information

Qualifications for Meal Exemption

Since Moody Bible Institute offers a tuition-paid education (Chicago), we are not able to make the meal plan an optional element for the on-campus student experience. Also, the community and fellowship that exists within the Student Dining Room (SDR) is impossible to duplicate in any other setting. We would strongly encourage those who are not required to use the meal plan to still participate in the SDR meals.

We do our best to provide a variety of food options on a daily basis that will give students with varying dietary needs several options to choose from at every meal. However, we do recognize that there may be medical conditions that require a special diet that cannot be reasonably accommodated in our Student Dining Room.

• Specialized diets due to medical conditions will be considered case-by-case.
• Non-medical reasons such as schedule conflicts and financial distress will not be approved for exemption/reduction.

Available Accommodations to Dietary Needs

Currently we have many options available at every meal for the following dietary needs:

• Vegetarian
• Dairy Free
• Gluten Free (Must complete the Dietary Accommodations Application. To ensure enough food is readily available for all who need it, only those registered will be allowed to use the Gluten Free area).

Necessary Paperwork

In order to be considered for a dietary accommodation to the Moody Meal Plan, please complete and return the Dietary Accommodations Application according to the instructions below. All applications will be reviewed by the Student Resource Center prior to a decision regarding approval. Email diningservices@moody.edu or Allen.Hammond@moody.edu to request an application. 

• The student is to complete the summary page and provide basic information concerning the nature of the request.
• The 5-Day Diet Journal is a reference created by the student to show the previous week’s worth of food eaten.
• The Medical Practitioner Form is to be filled out and signed by a licensed medical practitioner to describe the medical condition that would preclude the student from being able to eat the food offered in the Student Dining Room. The form should include information regarding what food the student should and/or should not eat and a recommended diet plan.
• The Medical Documentation Cover Sheet is to list any attached medical documentation and test results that support the request.

Due Dates

• Applications will not be considered for the current semester if received after the fourth week of classes.
  • July 1, first payment-plan payment due. Requests must be submitted with sufficient documentation a minimum of two weeks prior to this date to be considered. Requests submitted later will not be considered until the next billing cycle and any late fees will apply. 
  • August 1, full payment due (those not on payment plan). Requests must be submitted with sufficient documentation a minimum of two weeks prior to this date to be considered. Requests submitted later will not be considered until the next billing cycle and any late fees will apply. 
• Reapplication for the exemption/reduction is necessary on a yearly basis every summer, unless otherwise approved.

Please send to:

Associated Fees 

Any student granted full exemption from the meal plan will still be responsible to pay $885 per semester as an overhead fee. This fee covers the basic costs of running the Moody food program and is allocated within Moody’s budget to come from each on-campus resident. (Exact amount will be determined on a yearly basis - $885 is the amount for the 2023-2024 academic year.)