The Access Fund can fund things in the following three categories: Basic Needs, Power of Experience, and Maximize Cornell. Each area is outlined below:

Basic Needs: This category focuses on the winter clothing needed for the Ithaca campus. We are partnering with the Cornell Store to support our students. Below are the items available through the application;

• Cold Weather Coat
• Cold Weather Hat
• Cold Weather Gloves

Power of Experience: This category focuses on access to experiential learning outside of the classroom. We value the learning that occurs through various high impact practices and are partnering with multiple campus offices to support our students. This supplemental funding is available throughout the calendar year. 

Below are the types of experiences that we support;

• Experiential Opportunities Abroad
• Research (at Cornell or elsewhere)
• Internships
• Conference Attendance/Presentations
• Creative Artistic Projects
• Community Engagement
• Program-related Project Teams
• Undergraduate Thesis
• Other Professional Development Experiences

Approved applicants will receive funding up to $1,500. The application for this funding has multiple parts and approved students are required to submit post-experience items.

Maximize Cornell: This category recognizes the specific student needs that are relevant to the overall student experience at Cornell University. We are partnering with several offices and student organizations to further support our students. Below are the items available through the application;

• Gym Memberships (Available to first-semester students ONLY)
• Temporary Laptop Replacement 
• Temporary Cell phone Replacement
• Career Readiness Attire 
• Graduation/Commencement related expenses

The Access Fund supports needs in three categories: Basic Needs, Power of Experience, and Maximize Cornell. Students must submit a separate application for each area from which they are requesting support.

Undergraduate applicants must submit their 2026-27 Financial Aid Summary as documentation of family income. Graduate and professional students must provide comparable documentation. All applications include short-answer responses. Power of Experience applications also require a resume, confirmation of the experience, an alternative plan, and a proposed budget.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis on the 15th of each month starting in September 2026 and concluding in April 2027. Decisions will be sent to applicants’ Cornell email, questions may be directed to FGLIEmpowerment@cornell.edu.

Approved applicants for the Basic Needs functional area will receive an email from the Cornell Store and may pick up their items there. 

Power of Experience approved applications will receive funds via PaymentWorks, and ACH if available. 

Maximize Cornell approved applicants will receive the benefit based on their individual application.

The First-Generation & Low-Income (FGLI) Student Support office works alongside campus partners to help connect students with resources and support. We value hearing directly from students about their experiences and needs, which helps us identify gaps and strengthen available support.

If you have questions, need help navigating resources, or would like to share feedback, please reach out to FGLIEmpowerment@cornell.edu. We are here to listen, help you explore available options, and connect you with the appropriate campus resources.