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Basic needs include, but are not limited to, food, housing, clothing, childcare, mental health, financial resources, and transportation. At some point in a college student's educational journey, they may face challenges in accessing adequate amounts of food, housing, financial, or other resources. This is called basic needs insecurity; millions of college students experience it yearly.

To ensure that basic needs are met for all Rutgers students, on-campus resources and those available in the surrounding community include: food, housing, and utility assistance; emergency aid; mental, physical, and spiritual wellness; internet and technology; child care resources; and faculty and staff resources.

Food and housing insecurity, as well as homelessness, often carry a significant stigma. If someone confides in you about facing these challenges, it's important to respond with compassion and understanding. You can refer them to the Offices of the Dean of Students or the Basic Needs Center at the College Ave Student Center. Students seeking assistance can also complete online forms for emergency grants, textbook/technology assistance, or housing insecurity. Additionally, you can suggest other available resources. Remember, your support and kindness can make a profound difference in someone's life.

We encourage you to also reach out to the Offices of the Dean of Students to share these concerns.

Rutgers Dining Services operates four dining halls and over a dozen retail operations on the New Brunswick/Piscataway campus. Visit our Places to Eat page to access hours of operation, menus, and more!

• The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, commonly referred to as FERPA or the Buckley amendment, is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of a student’s educational record. FERPA applies to all educational agencies or institutions that receive federal funding for any program administered by the Secretary of Education. FERPA also applies to private entities that contract to perform services for the University that it would otherwise undertake to perform on its own; in such cases, the private entity must observe the same FERPA protections applicable to the University.
• At Rutgers University, records, including progress, deficiencies, and grades may be released to parents only if they have been given access by the student, regardless of the age or tax status of the student. Students who wish to waive parts of this policy and allow their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) to have more access to their information may do so via myGuest.

Who We Are: Our goal is to educate the college population about nutrition and provide the necessary tools to adopt healthy eating habits. The team consists of nutritional sciences undergrads under the guidance of Dr. Peggy Policastro, RDN.

Read One: The team writes weekly Eating 101 Nutrition Newsletters that can be found within the dining halls and in electronic form on our website and social media platforms.

Stop By: Throughout the academic year, The Healthy Dining Team hosts creative and interactive nutrition booths at the dining halls. Do you have a nutrition question? Visit our nutrition booths or connect with us on social media. We can be found on Facebook (RU Healthy Dining Team, Instagram (@ru_hdt), or email us at nutrition@dining.rutgers.edu.

Honors College students have access to a deep network of support at the Honors College to help them be as successful as possible. Staff and faculty are available to connect directly for student appointments. For details on how to contact Honors College staff and meet during office hours, please visit the Honors College Student Resources.

Have a question about meal plans on campus? Get them answered here. Meal plans range from 50 to 285 meals per semester and are available to any student, faculty, or staff that would like to take advantage of what Rutgers Dining has to offer.

Dining Services employs nutrition specialists/registered dietitians to assist students with specialized dietary needs. Students requiring a specialized diet for medical needs such as celiac disease or food allergies can schedule a meeting with a nutritionist to discuss an individualized nutrition care plan.

Dining Services will work with students who have dietary restrictions to ensure a medically appropriate and nutritionally sound diet. Complete the Medical and Dietary Consideration Form and submit by emailing the form to nutrition@dining.rutgers.edu to initiate a professional review of your nutritional and dietary concerns.

For general nutrition questions regarding food in the campus dining halls, contact one of our nutrition specialists.

• Residence Life Main Office
  • Phone: (848) 932-4371
  • Address: 90 Davidson Road (Davidson Hall D), Piscataway, NJ 08854
  • Email: resident@rutgers.edu
• Busch Campus
  • Phone: (848) 445-2561
  • Address: 55 Bevier Road (Buell Apartments), Piscataway, NJ 08854
  • Email: buschreslife@echo.rutgers.edu
• College Avenue Campus
  • Phone: (848) 932-7209
  • Address: 590 George Street (Clothier Hall), New Brunswick, NJ 08901
  • Email: collegeavereslife@echo.rutgers.edu
• Cook/Douglass Campus
  • Phone: (848) 932-9363
  • Address: 45 Biel Road West (PAL Building), New Brunswick, NJ 08901
  • Email: cookdouglassreslife@echo.rutgers.edu
• Livingston Campus
  • Phone: (848) 445-4086
  • Address: 70 Joyce Kilmer Avenue (Lynton South Tower), Piscataway, NJ 08854
  • Email: livingstonreslife@echo.rutgers.edu