It’s hard to study on an empty stomach. In 2024, a whopping one in four students at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities reported experiencing food insecurity in the previous 12 months, according to the College Student Health Survey.

And when food insecurity is linked to negative effects on students’ mental health, physical health and academic performance, it can turn into more than a short-term problem.

Enter the Nutritious U Food Pantry. Here students can choose from a variety of nonperishable and fresh groceries, including a variety of allergen-free, vegetarian/vegan and culturally appropriate foods, and take what they need — no questions asked.

The fall semester of 2025 was Nutritious U’s busiest time ever on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus — with 10,251 visits, a 62% increase over the fall 2024 semester. Most students who visited did so one or two times during the semester. Students receive about 10 pounds of food on a typical visit.

To better meet demand, the Nutritious U Food Pantry has launched a new partnership with Second Harvest Heartland and the University of Minnesota Foundation that will allow for expanded hours and better fresh food availability while also helping to streamline operational costs. Similar partnerships will be launched between regional food shelves and the Morris, Duluth, Crookston and Rochester campuses later this year.

“The more that we’re open, the more people we are able to serve,” says Michelle Trumpy, MPH, RD, of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus’ Boynton Health, which runs the Nutritious U program. “Students can focus on their educational goals and staying in school instead of worrying about getting enough to eat.”

And students say the support means the world to them.

Now that the Nutritious U Food Pantry is doubling the amount of time it’s open, Trumpy says she wouldn’t be surprised if visits also doubled.

Gifts from donors help to keep the shelves stocked and students focused on school — not on where their next meal is coming from.

“We’re serving the purpose of being here when people need it,” says health promotion specialist Karin Onarheim, MSW, LISW, “which may not be every week, but maybe when people need an extra hand.”

Your gift of $50 can fund five student visits to the Nutritious U Food Pantry. Make your gift today to Nutritious U, or help to support students across the University of Minnesota system with a gift to the Maroon and Gold Scholars Fund.