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Cornell University

Student & Campus Life

Support and Resources

 

Woman posing at outdoor tabling party.

Cornell University offers a vast number of resources to aid in student success and thriving. First-Generation & Low-Income (FGLI) Student Support empowers students to navigate and access essential resources for short-term relief and long-term planning to address their basic needs. We also post regularly about on- and off-campus resources through our Instagram and Campus Groups Newsletter. 

For more support and resources, we encourage you to visit the rest of The Centers for Student Equity, Empowerment, and Belonging (The Centers).

See below the resources and programs offered through our campus and community partners.

Food Security

  • Cornell Food Pantry: A free and confidential option for all Cornell students, staff, and faculty facing food insecurity. The Food Pantry provides fresh produce, frozen goods, shelf-stable food items, personal care items, baby formula, and more! They are located at 109 McGraw Place on west campus.

    Visit mealplan.scl.cornell.edu/foodpantry to enroll in the Food Pantry program.
  • Swipe Out Hunger: A collaborative program between the non-profit Swipe Out Hunger, Cornell Dining, and FGLI Student Support to provide free meal swipes to undergraduate and graduate students facing food insecurity. Additionally, any student can donate 1 of their bonus meals to help support their peers.

    Enroll in Swipe Out Hunger to receive meal swipes.
    Donate your 1 bonus meal to Swipe Out Hunger
  • Cornell Meals on the Move: A pilot program at Cornell Dining that allows students with an on-campus meal plan to order their boxed lunches online ahead of time and pick them up at designated pick-up locations on campus Monday through Friday. Boxed lunches include an entree, a fruit, a bag of chips, and a bottle of water. Entrees include a sandwich, a wrap, a salad, or a grain bowl.

    Order your Meal on the Move today.
  • Anabel’s Grocery: A Center for Transformative Action initiative to provide a student-run and non-profit grocery store offering discounted and affordable local groceries on central campus. Anabel’s Grocery takes SNAP. They are located in Anabel Taylor Hall, room 127.
  • The Free Food Fridge “Freedge”: A collaborative initiative between Anabel’s Grocery, Basic Needs Coalition, Food Recovery Network, Cornell Progressives, and Dilmun Hill Student Farm, a free food fridge that anyone can visit, no questions asked. These fresh meals are from recent leftover food from campus events. The “Freedge” is located in Anabel Taylor Hal,l room 120.

    Volunteer, donate, or inquire by contacting cornellfreefoodfridge@gmail.com
  • Tompkins County 211 Food Resources*: A regularly updated map and calendar of hot meals, food pantries, and food cabinets across Tompkins County.

    Click here to see the map and calendars.

    *This website is not managed by Cornell or Cornell Employees. Information is subject to change.
  • The Buy Local Program (Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County): A community-based initiative that evolved out of expressed interest to sustain local agriculture and build a stronger local food system in Tompkins and surrounding counties.

    Click here to see local Farmers Markets.
  • Mutual Aid Tompkins County’s Food Cabinets*: A community-based initiative to provide donated fresh and non-perishable items across Tompkins County. 

    Click here to see a map of mutual aid food cabinets across Tompkins County.

    *This website is not managed by Cornell or Cornell Employees. Information is subject to change.
  • SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)*: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal program that the state and local agencies administer to help buy healthy food for you and your family when money is tight. SNAP issues electronic benefits that can be used like cash to purchase food.
    This website is not managed by Cornell or Cornell Employees. Information is subject to change.

    Enroll in SNAP today.
    Receive SNAP enrollment assistance from Catholic Charities of Tompkins County here.

    *This website is not managed by Cornell or Cornell Employees. Information is subject to change.
  • WIC (Women, Infants and Children Program)*: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a public health nutrition program that helps ensure mothers and children stay healthy. WIC provides free, healthy foods and personalized nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to other services.

    Enroll in WIC today.

    *This website is not managed by Cornell or Cornell Employees. Information is subject to change.

Finances

  • The Access Fund: A non-emergency fund that is alumni/donor-funded and provides financial support for Cornell students with low-income status. Students with undocumented/DACA status who are low-income can also apply for the Access Fund.
    • Undergraduate low-income students can be awarded up to $500 per academic year (fall & spring semesters only; not summer).
    • Graduate low-income students can be awarded up to $300 per academic year (fall & spring semesters only; not summer).

Learn more and apply to the Access Fund.

  • FGLI Student Support’s Funding Resource Guide: A regularly updated list of funding across the Cornell campus to support transformative experiences. Funding includes emergency funding, scholarships, travel expenses, research funding, and more.

To add your school’s funding to this spreadsheet, please contact us at fgliempowerment@cornell.edu. 

  • Emergency Funding: If you have unexpected costs for an emergency, the Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment administers three separate emergency funds: (1) the CU Emergency Fund, (2) the Students Helping Student Fund, and (3) DACA Renewal Fee Emergency Funds. 

    For questions about your financial aid package or any of these funds, Schedule an appointment with a Financial Aid Counselor. 

    Learn more about the undocumented/DACAmented student experience.

    Looking to earn extra money and build skills? Review postings for available student jobs across campus here. If you are interested in working for FGLI Student Support as a Peer Navigator, please follow our Instagram where we link the Workday application.

Academic Support

Learning Strategies Center
(607) 255-6310
420 Computing and Communications Center
The LSC is the central academic support unit for undergraduates at Cornell University and provides students with tutoring and supplemental courses in Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Mathematics, and Physics. Assistance in improving general study skills is available through semester-long courses, workshops, individual consultations, and website resources.

The Math Support Center 
(607) 255-4658
256 Malott Hall
The Department of Mathematics provides free student-led tutoring for all math courses.

Writing Workshop
(607) 255-6349
174 Rockefeller Hall
The Writing Workshop is the John S. Knight Institute's home for writing support and services. Our team of writing specialists provides diverse types of writing support for students and faculty, including writing assessments, coursework, and tutoring.

IT @ Cornell
(607) 255-5500
121 Cornell Computing Center

Colleges and Schools

Housing

Cornell offers a variety of resources for on-and off-campus housing needs. 

  • If you have an urgent housing crisis and need an immediate housing solution, call Cornell University Dispatch at 607-255-1111 and request to be connected to the Administrator on-Call.
  • If you would like to live on campus, Cornell offers a range of housing options beyond traditional residential dorms. Browse expansive on-campus housing options and learn more about the multiple community centers where you can get a bite, find a place to study, work out, or just hang out with friends.
  • For those who are considering off-campus housing, we encourage you to get answers to your questions about leases, landlord disputes, renter’s insurance, or other off-campus housing issues by contacting the Office of Off-Campus Living. Off-Campus Living provides housing assistance, education, and referral services to the Cornell community that lives off-campus. They are committed to providing information and services that result in informed housing decisions.
  • It is also important to consider the legal implications of signing a lease. Ithaca Tenants Union offers many resources, including the Tenants Legal Hotline. Call 607-301-1560 for free legal advice about housing law violations in Tompkins County.

Health and Wellness

Cornell requires quality health insurance for all students. Student Health Benefits provides the information you need. 

  • Students who are eligible for NYS Medicaid are encouraged to discuss their options with a Student Health Benefit professional by emailing hp-medicaid@cornell.edu.
  • Need guidance or advice about a physical or mental health concern? Cornell Health can help. Or, call 607-255-5155 to speak with a health care provider 24/7 if you need guidance or advice about a physical or mental health concern. For emergencies, call 911.
  • Your mental health and emotional well-being are just as important as your physical health. Find a multitude of resources or connect with a Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) counselor to support your mental health at Cornell. Check out programs like Let’s Talk drop-in sessions and Let’s Meditate virtual sessions.

Here are additional campus-wide Mental Health Resources.