Welcome to NIU. Home of the Huskies, as well as umpteen choices of places to buy your meals.

Don’t let the confusion set in just yet. There is an easy way to distinguish between Dining Dollars and Huskie Bucks.

While Dining Dollars are limited to the residence halls’ dining services, Huskie Bucks are the alternative.

There are 30 establishments total, both on and off campus, at which Huskie Bucks are accepted.

Emerging in 1998 as merely a means for students to do their laundry, Kathe Shinham, associate vice president of Finance and Facilities, said Huskie Bucks have grown into a very beneficial and popular commodity among students.

“Before 1998, students had to buy tokens to do their laundry,” Shinham said. “In 1998, we signed a contract with a new company which replaced all of the washers and dryers and furnished the laundry rooms with appropriate furniture. We also hooked up the machines with the OneCard, which was a big improvement and a lot easier than buying the tokens.”

Shinham said it is well worth getting Huskie Bucks.

“It’s like a debit card that students can use and eat without carrying cash,” Shinham said.

Places that accept Huskie Bucks, besides the dining halls and laundry rooms, are the Annex, the Corner Store, the Trident, all of the establishments at the Holmes Student Center, McDonald’s, Pita Pete’s, the Hot Spot, Shelly’s, Subway, Cuisine of India, Las Margaritas, Pagliai’s Pizza and the Chesapeke Bagel Bakery.

Huskie Bucks also can be taken over the phone as well when students call in orders at these food establishments.