The Hidden Hunger Crisis on Massachusetts Campuses

Massachusetts is home to some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the world, yet behind the iconic buildings and academic prestige, food insecurity is reshaping the student experience. Recent data reveals that one in three college students in the Commonwealth faces food insecurity, with many skipping meals, rationing groceries, or choosing between food and textbooks.

These numbers expose a deeper inequity. Student hunger is not the result of personal budgeting failures but of systems that were never designed for today’s college realities. The problem lies not only in the cost of higher education, but in the barriers that prevent students from accessing the federal nutrition programs meant to support them.

An Overlooked Population in the Fight Against Hunger

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is one of the nation’s most effective anti-hunger tools, yet many college students are shut out due to outdated rules created decades ago. Students who work part-time, receive financial aid, or support dependents often find themselves denied or confused by complex eligibility requirements. According to the Government Accountability Office, of the roughly 3.3 million students nationwide who meet SNAP criteria, more than two-thirds are not receiving the benefits they qualify for, leaving an estimated 2.2 million young people without critical assistance.

Temporary COVID-era waivers expanded student eligibility, but when they expired, many lost access even as the cost of living continued to rise. In Massachusetts, agencies like the Department of Higher Education and the Department of Transitional Assistance have taken important steps to clarify SNAP eligibility at public institutions. Still, gaps remain, especially at private universities and community colleges, where resources and awareness vary dramatically.

For many students, these barriers create a hunger crisis hidden in plain sight. Food insecurity forces students to juggle coursework, jobs, and financial stress while navigating basic survival. The burden falls disproportionately on first-generation, low-income, and students of color, deepening inequities in who can succeed and graduate.

[S]olving student food insecurity requires more than one-time food distributions. It demands structural change.

What Works: A Network of Support on the Ground

Amid these challenges, organizations across Massachusetts are demonstrating what real support looks like when policy meets students where they are. Link Health, a Boston-based nonprofit, partners with community health centers and colleges to connect students and patients to federal benefit programs, such as SNAP, WIC, and Lifeline. Their model has helped distribute nearly six million dollars in cash assistance benefits and is straightforward. It meets people in the places where they already seek help—clinics, student centers, community events, and online—and guides them through the enrollment process.

For college students, this means embedding outreach directly into campus life. Link Health has partnered with institutions like Simmons University, placed informational materials across Boston-area campuses, and trained student navigators who understand their peers’ experiences and help them complete applications. This approach closes the gap between eligibility and access, ensuring students aren’t left to navigate confusing paperwork alone.

Other organizations are also working to address student hunger. The Greater Boston Food Bank’s College Food Insecurity Initiative provides grants and technical assistance to help campuses build and sustain food access programs. Student-led groups like MassPIRG Students have mobilized peers to advocate for the Hunger Free Campus Initiative, which encourages colleges to strengthen SNAP outreach and basic needs support. Together, these efforts form a statewide network tackling the issue from policy, advocacy, and direct service angles.

Their collective impact underscores a key lesson: solving student food insecurity requires more than one-time food distributions. It demands structural change, coordinated outreach, and systems that make benefits accessible rather than burdensome.

When students have access to the nutrition they need, they don’t just stay in school, they thrive.

Empowering Students Through Access

Ensuring students have access to federal benefits is ultimately about dignity and empowerment. Food insecurity affects academic performance, mental health, and overall well-being. When students learn they qualify for programs like SNAP or WIC, the impact is not only financial; it restores a sense of stability and control.

Empowerment begins with awareness. Many young adults entering college are unfamiliar with nutritional assistance programs or assume they are ineligible. Integrating outreach into campus wellness initiatives, using peer ambassadors, and partnering with organizations like Link Health or the Boston Public Health Commission can help close this information gap.

Reducing stigma is equally important. Normalizing benefit use as a tool for success, not a marker of neediness, encourages students to seek support early. Simple steps, like including SNAP information in financial aid materials or first-year orientation, can signal that applying for benefits is a responsible and routine option.

The Path Forward

The college hunger crisis is solvable. Massachusetts has the infrastructure and partnerships needed to lead the nation in addressing food insecurity. What’s required now is sustained investment in benefits navigation and outreach across all campuses, continued simplification of eligibility processes, and a statewide commitment to treating student hunger as a pressing public health issue.

When students have access to the nutrition they need, they don’t just stay in school, they thrive. Hunger doesn’t belong on campus. Massachusetts has the power to ensure that no student has to learn on an empty stomach.

The views expressed here are the authors’ own and do not necessarily represent the views of Public Health Post or Boston University School of Public Health.