By Cameron Crossett
The University of Maryland is experiencing a surge in food insecurity among its student population amid rising food costs. The demand for help with food needs has dramatically intensified this fall, especially among graduate students and off-campus undergraduates, according to Larry Tumlin, the campus pantry staff manager and spokesman for the UMD campus food pantry.
Nationwide, the pressure is growing as well—the Consumer Price Index for food rose 3% over the past 12 months and increased another 0.3% in September alone, making groceries increasingly difficult for students to afford.
Tumlin, who oversees UMD Campus Pantry operations, said the pantry recorded over 4,000 visits in October and nearly 5,000 in November, more than double the visits from the same time last year. Graduate students, he said, make up a large portion of the pantry visitors.
“Graduate students are often facing financial crises, especially those supporting families or living on limited stipends,” Tumlin said.
Vimbai Chivaura, a graduate student majoring in business analytics, visits the pantry regularly and said that the food she receives makes a significant difference in her weekly finances.
“I usually get beans, rice, meat and vegetables. I try to pass through once a week, usually Thursdays or Fridays,” Chivaura, who shares a two-bedroom apartment with three others to keep expenses manageable, said.
Tumlin said that the recent challenges worsened because the federal government shutdown disrupted the distribution of SNAP benefits.
The federal government shutdown affected roughly 41.7 million people in 22.4 million households who relied on SNAP, and left about 42 million beneficiaries facing potential delays or suspended payments.
Bart Hipple, associate director of marketing and communications for Campus Dining Services, said a 2018 survey conducted by the INNOVO Scholars group found that 20% of respondents reported experiencing food insecurity. Only on-campus students participated in the survey.
Hipple noted that Campus Dining Services currently supports approximately 9,750 resident dining plans in addition to numerous connector dining plans.
Hipple said the university has made major strides in reducing food insecurity among undergraduate students living on campus since launching “Anytime Dining” in 2016. The system allows unlimited entry into dining halls from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
“Previously, students were using a point-based system, and when points ran out, resident students could find themselves without access to food,” Hipple said. “‘Anytime Dining’ changed that. There’s really no way for a student living on campus with an anytime plan to experience food insecurity.”
Students living off campus often do not have meal plans and instead rely heavily on the campus pantry, Tumlin said.
The pantry depends on community donations, partnerships and support through the Capital Area Food Bank to keep stocks shelved, according to Tumlin. He added that donations have increased this fall, partly due to emails sent out by President Darryll Pines, but more help is needed to keep up with demand.
The university works with the Food Recovery Network– founded at UMD and now a national organization – to collect uneaten food from dining halls each night and deliver it to the campus pantry and local shelters.
Even with strong partnerships and expanding services, Hipple said one of the biggest challenges is simply ensuring students know where to turn.
“Awareness is our biggest hurdle,” he said. “We want students to know these resources exist without overwhelming them.”
Featured Image: Inside the UMD Campus Pantry during November 2025. Photo by Miller Rogers-Tetrick.