At the University of West Florida (UWF), all First-Time-In-College (FTIC) Students living in University Housing are required to participate in the mandatory meal plan during their first two semesters on campus. Dining Services provides well-balanced meal plans offering a variety of food options to students at each meal. By making wise choices, students can maintain a well-balanced and healthy diet. Requests to be waived from mandatory meal plans can be made by students with documented medical conditions or disabilities if their dietary needs cannot be reasonably accommodated by Dining Services. Please note that meal plan waiver requests will only be considered for those who demonstrate that a meal plan cannot, in any way, satisfy their dietary needs, and provide appropriate supporting documentation as set forth below. It is the responsibility of the student to provide all of the required documentation, meet with designated staff members and obtain all required approvals.

Requesting a Waiver Based on Disability, Medical Condition or Special Dietary Needs

Important things for students to keep in mind:

• The deadline for submitting exemptions request is by the 15th day of the semester.
• Outcome of exemption requests will be provided via the student's UWF email address.
• Requests received after the deadline will not be considered until the following semester.
• Please note that students have an obligation to pay for the meal plan until the exemption request is approved.
• Students are responsible for all meal charges up to the date the exemption is approved.
• If an exemption request is made after the meal charge has been placed on the student's account, the student is responsible for all payments and associated deadlines. It is recommended that students pay for the meal plan. In the event that the request is approved, a refund will be processed from the date of approval.
• Exemptions are only granted when Dining Services is not able to meet the dietary needs of the student in any respect.

Required Information:

• Name
• UWF ID#
• UWF Student E-mail Address
• Phone Number
• Exemption Request Period: Fall or Spring
• Academic Year:
• Exemption request based on
  • Disability
  • Allergy
  • Medical Condition
• Personal Statement
  • Written statement which details why the student requires an exemption from the meal plan. Must be clear about any food restrictions, allergies or medical conditions which impact the student's daily food consumption. The statement should also include how the student will obtain, store, and prepare food in lieu of using dining services.
• Medical Documentation
  • A letter on letterhead from a medical doctor indicating the nature of the medical condition and why such medical condition prevents the student from fulfilling dietary needs through a meal plan. In the event of food intolerance/allergies, the doctor must state specifically
    which food(s) the student cannot consume.
  • A specific diet the student is required to follow for the documented medical condition. This includes a sample menu for meals/snacks for 3 days, foods the student has to avoid, and foods the student is able to eat. This diet plan should be provided from the student's medical
    doctor.
  • Any other medical documentation that supports the waiver request.

Review Process:

Step 1: All of the information detailed above is provided to the Director of Dining Services for review. Please allow up to 10 business days for the information to be reviewed. The student will then be asked to meet with the Director of Dining Services to discuss the dining options currently available to accommodate specific dietary needs. Recommendations regarding the student's request will then be shared with the University.

Step 2: After meeting with the Director of Dining Services, and if a reasonable accommodation is not possible, the student may ask the SAR office to review the request for a waiver from the mandatory meal plan. The student should email the SAR office (sar@uwf.edu) all of the information provided to Dining Services. In the email, the student should confirm that they met with the Director of Dining Services, explain the details of the meeting, and explain why a reasonable accommodation was not possible.

Step 3: SAR staff will review the documentation to determine if the student's disability/medical condition warrants a waiver from the mandatory meal plan. Please note that SAR staff may need to meet with the student and may request additional information prior to the decision.

Step 4: It usually takes approximately 10 business days from receipt of the waiver request to obtain a final decision. The student will receive notification of the decision (approved or denied) via the UWF email. If approved, SAR staff will write a letter of support to the Director of Dining Services regarding the Meal Plan Waiver. Any student who does not agree with the decision from SAR should follow the SAR Formal Complaint Procedure.