Student Life

Housing

Program participants will be housed at RISD during the first year and at Brown during the second year. In the following years, students can live on either campus or off-campus (with permission), according to individual preference and availability.

Dining

First Year BRDD students live at RISD in the First-Year Quad and have the Dining allotment associated with the RISD Residential Launch Experience. First-year students have unlimited access to The Met, which is also conveniently located in The Quad.  In addition, students have 5 café credits per week, which may be used in the Portfolio Café, Jolly Roger Café or Watermark Café. Students are also issued 225 Dining points per semester for use in any Dining venue. This allotment also includes a one-time $50 risdbucks credit, for use in campus vending machines, all dining venues, campus stores, and laundry machines.  Also included are 3 guest meal credits per semester.  Dining values reset on January 19, 2024.

Second Year BRDD students are required to be either on a Brown Meal Plan or the Brown/RISD Flex plan.

Students living at RISD must adhere to RISD’s meal plan participation requirements based upon housing types. Alternatively, students in their second through fifth years of the program may choose to participate in the Dual Degree Meal Plan. Students in their third through fifth year living at Brown or off campus are not required to participate in a meal plan.

The Dual Degree Meal Plan splits meals and declining balance points between Brown and RISD and makes meals and points on both campuses available during Wintersession. Students on the Dual Degree Meal Plan will be billed through Brown and cannot transfer meals or points from one school to another. However, students may add points to either plan directly.  Students wishing to purchase additional points at Brown can do so by contacting Brown Dining.  Students wishing to purchase additional points at RISD should log onto the risdbucks.com portal.

Dual Degree Meal Plan

The Dual Degree Flex meal plan is available to Dual Degree students in years 2-5 only.  Eligible students will receive information about the cost and distribution of meals and points at each institution in the winter prior to housing selection for the subsequent year.  The Dual Degree Flex meal plan contract is in effect for the entire academic year and it is billed by semester. Once a student has chosen the Dual Degree Flex meal plan, changes can only be made within the Dual Degree Flex A or B plan structure. There is a $10 service fee for making changes to the meal plan after the semester begins. It is not permitted to cancel the meal plan mid-year.

Meal plans follow terms and conditions associated with each school, they can be found here:

For questions about the Dual Degree Flex meal plan or to sign up for this plan, BRDD students should contact Brown Dining