Food and Financial Resources

If you are a student who is struggling with finances, unaware of how to access resources, or don’t have enough time to buy and cook your food, the resources below may be helpful.

Looking to donate meals? Students on a meal plan can donate meal swipes online by completing this form. If you have an ‘Any’ or ‘Block’ meal plan you can donate up to 6 ‘Guest Meals’ per semester. 

Contact the Food Security Action Team if you have any questions or recommendations about food resources.

  • Undergraduate Emergency Support Fund – for undergraduate students who need help covering unforeseen, essential expenses such as food, winter clothing, or an emergency trip home, please complete this request form.
  • Graduate Student Short-Term Emergency Fund – open to any graduate student experiencing a one-time, non-recurring financial emergency, including unexpected and unavoidable expenses, when they have exhausted all other resources.
  • The Student Experience Fund (for Sloan students) – for master’s degree students at Sloan (EMBA, LGO, MBA, MBan, MFin, MSMS, SFMBA) with limited financial resources to assist with the cost of social events that are integral to the Sloan experience and access to food resources for those with food insecurity. Log in and apply for funds from the Student Experience Fund using this form.

Student Financial Services (SFS) – provides financial aid and customer service to all MIT students. They collect payments, coordinate student employment, and advise on financial literacy.

MIT has many financial resources to make life more affordable and help students navigate financial ups and downs:

Accessing Resources MIT (ARM) Coalition – Alleviating financial hardship for our highest need students and directing them to appropriate campus resources. If you need financial assistance or aren’t sure if you are an arm-eligible student, please reach out to arm-coalition@mit.edu.

Jobs at MIT – All students, regardless of their financial need, may work during the academic year—and most of our students do. There are opportunities on campus in labs, department offices, and centers as well as in the community.

How to Budget – Student Financial Services created a guide on how to budget your finances including this helpful Budgeting Worksheet.

Find more resources to manage your financial wellbeing on the Purpose pillar page.

Check out this list of quick and easy recipes for students including the MIT Cookbook and Daily Table Recipe for MIT Students.

  • Separating Nutrition Fact from Fiction – This healthy selfie micro-lesson shares methods that students can use to determine if a nutrition claim or recommendation is legitimate.
  • How to Cook Smarter – This micro-lesson from MIT Physical Education & Wellness demonstrates the best ways to cook foods to maximize nutrient content while enhancing flavor.
  • Eating Healthfully – Check out the resources Community Wellness provides that can help you practice healthful and mindful eating, which means paying attention to what you eat and making smart choices.

Find more information on how you can prioritize your physical wellbeing on the Body Pillar page.

Looking to donate meals? Students on a meal plan can donate meal swipes online by completing this form. If you have an ‘Any’ or ‘Block’ meal plan you can donate up to 6 ‘Guest Meals’ per semester. 

Contact the Food Security Action Team if you have any questions or recommendations about food resources.

Featured local grocers:

  • Daily Tablea nonprofit community grocer dedicated to providing fresh, tasty, convenient and nutritious food to communities at prices everyone can afford
  • Brothers – Grocery store in Kendall Square featuring high-end grab and go food as well as grocery essentials
  • H Mart – Asian grocery store chain supplying imported packaged foods & housewares plus ready-to-serve meals
  • Trader Joe’s – Retail grocery chain offering lots of frozen and boxed foods as well as some produce
  • Market Basket – Large grocery store near MIT with a variety of foods from across the world at low costs

See the Full list of local businesses accepting TechCASH

Free MIT shuttles to off campus grocers:

Visit the MIT Facilities page for the most up to date information about MIT shuttle services.

For other tips to prioritize your wellbeing visit doingwell.mit.edu.

You shouldn’t have to think about where to turn to ask for help. Just ask.

ask.mit.edu