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.
- Undergraduate students who wish to receive donated meal swipes can talk to a Dean in Student Support Services or complete the Meal Request Form
- Graduate students looking for food resources can submit the Grad Student Food Resources Form
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.
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.
- Email: sfs@mit.edu
- Call: 617.258.8600
MIT has many financial resources to make life more affordable and help students navigate financial ups and downs:
- Financial Support for Undergraduate Students in Need – Includes information to help make life as a student more affordable, assist in covering unforeseen essential expenses, and accessing enough food to sustain an active, healthy lifestyle.
- Financial Support for Graduate Students – MIT provides financial assistance programs and grants to graduate students experiencing financial hardships arising from a variety of circumstances.
- Financial Support for Graduate Students with Children – Provides information and overviews of available resources and grants like the Families Food Grant, Grant for Graduate Student with Children, and more.
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.
- Cook for Yourself Community Kitchens Guide – Descriptions of the communities, what supplies are provided in each kitchen, and how residents can access them.
- College Cooking with the Bite Knights: Basic Skills – Cooking in your on campus residence can be a daunting task. The Bite Knight’s cooking series teaches you basic skills and recipes that you can use for the rest of your life!
- How to Cook Smarter – Check out this micro lesson from MIT Physical Education & Wellness on how to cook easy and nutrient dense meals.
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.
- Undergraduate students who wish to receive donated meal swipes can talk to a Dean in Student Support Services or complete the Meal Request Form
- Graduate students looking for food resources can submit the Grad Student Food Resources Form
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 student guide to food @ MIT – An undergraduate student guide to food at MIT
- Graduate student guide to food @ MIT – A graduate student guide to food at MIT
- Dining at MIT for graduate students – A guide to the options and resources available for graduate students from MIT Dining Services
- MIT food and grocery map – Explore locations in the Greater Boston area to learn where to access food and groceries
- Cook for Yourself Community Kitchens Guide – Descriptions of the communities, what supplies are provided in each kitchen, and how residents can access them
Featured local grocers:
Check out the email sent to on-campus residents on April 18 for information about the new free Daily Table grocery delivery option available through May 26 during the W20 closure. If you have questions about this delivery option, please email foodstuff@mit.edu.
Division of Student Life
- Daily Table – a 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:
- Shuttle to Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market, and Daily Table
- Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from 11:30am to 4:30pm during the academic year
- Live schedule updates
- Shuttle route map and schedule (PDF)
- Shuttle to Costco and Target in Everett, MA
- Specific Sundays from 11:00am to 3:00pm during the academic year
- View real-time schedule
- Shuttle route map and schedule (PDF)
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.