Success at Cornell is measured not only in grades, research or leadership, but also in the ability for students to show up each day ready to learn and thrive. That readiness depends on something fundamental: access to healthy, reliable meals. Without it, academic focus falters, stress rises and the barriers to success increase.
As October marks Emotional Health Awareness Month and prelim season intensifies, it’s important to recognize the link between food access and student wellbeing — and the campus resources available to help.
Food insecurity is often invisible. Many students quietly balance coursework and campus life while experiencing the stress of limited resources which can lead to low energy, increased fatigue, trouble concentrating, and mood disruptions. But that’s where campus resources and support programs come in.
Cornell Dining and Cornell Health work in collaboration to change this experience by providing quick and reliable access through resources like Unlimited and other meal plan options, the Cornell Food Pantry, Swipe Out Hunger, direct and custom consultation services with on-campus Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, and more.
Each of these programs helps students establish an individualized approach to their health, wellness and nutrition. Support can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. Rather, it must be tailored to students' preferences, available resources, and academic demands.
Recently, campus efforts have expanded with programs like Meals on the Move and expanded dining hours — making it easier for students with demanding schedules to prioritize nourishment. By extending operation hours, Cornell Dining was able to serve over 161,000 meals between September 2024 and August 2025, and over 10,400 meals were provided from September 2024 to September 2025 as part of the Meals on the Move program.
This program and campus offerings through the Anabel’s Grocery course support other established resources like Swipe Out Hunger which allows peers to support one another directly through donated meal swipes (1381 donated so far this year), reinforcing a sense of community care. The Cornell Food Pantry provides groceries and essentials without barriers or stigma. Cornell Health's Registered Dietitian Nutritionists provide nutrition counseling for students — undergraduate, graduate and professional — seeking information and guidance about their dietary needs and practices, and students who need (or want) to adhere to a special diet. Together, these efforts create an ecosystem of support where no student has to face food insecurity alone.
These measures are not just about filling plates — they are about improving student success. Research shows that students with consistent access to nutritious food perform better academically, are more engaged and are better equipped to manage stress. By maintaining its commitment to making food access easier, Cornell is actively reducing invisible barriers that can derail student potential.
But the work cannot stop here. As food insecurity continues to affect campuses nationwide, we continue to invest in and expand resources, and we look to our campus to keep raising awareness of these resources. Students should know these programs exist, feel encouraged to use them, and trust that their community stands behind them.
Regular access to food and balanced eating is not a luxury — it is a necessity. When we all support access to food, we support access to opportunity — and we strengthen Cornell as a whole.
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Paul Muscente is the Director of Cornell Dining. He can be reached at pm89@cornell.edu.
Lauren Nickerson is the Director of Clinical Nutrition Cornell Health. She can be reached at len35@cornell.edu.
