Access Fund

The Access Fund is administered in collaboration with Cornell’s First-Generation & Low-Income (FGLI) Student Support and is intended to provide funding to support students with low-income. The funds are made possible through the generous contributions of our alums and donors and are available based on donations and student usage. To ensure the Access Fund serves the needs of as many students with low-income as possible, we must occasionally institute changes to distribution. This includes, and is not limited to, changing the dollar amount allocated to each student, closing the Access Fund when requests have reached the budgeted capacity, and rejecting requests that do not meet the stated requirements.  

The Access Fund is NOT intended to serve as an emergency fund. 

We encourage you to please review the following resources for possible assistance with your request for emergency relief. Eligibility is pre-determined by Financial Aid & Student Employment guidelines. 
 
CU Emergency Funds 
Funding Resource Guide 
Financial Support for Graduate Student  

Who qualifies for the Access Fund? 

The Access Fund provides enrolled full-time undergraduate, graduate, and professional Cornell students who qualify as low-income based on their financial aid package to help mitigate on-campus barriers, access necessities, and assist with unexpected expenses not covered through financial aid, health insurance, or other university resources. 

• Undergraduate students who are enrolled full-time and qualify as low-income based on their financial aid package may receive up to $500 per academic year (Fall and Spring semesters only).
• Graduate and professional students who are enrolled full-time at the Ithaca Campus and qualify may receive up to $300 per academic year (Fall and Spring semesters only). 

What is the review process? 

After submission, all applications are reviewed within 14 business days. If it meets the guidelines of the Access Fund, undergraduate applications are submitted to the Office of Financial Aid and graduate applications are submitted to the Business Service Center for disbursement/reimbursement. Applicants will be notified via email of the status of their application within 14 business days upon receipt of the application. Approved applicants can then expect funds to be disbursed or reimbursed within 14 business days of approval. 

If the application is not complete or is pending further documentation, applicants will be notified via email within 14 business days. Access Fund requests must meet the application guidelines to be processed and submitted for disbursement. If an application does not meet the guidelines of the Access Fund, the student may be referred to additional resources, including financial aid, to explore other options. Please review the information carefully prior to submitting an application for the Access Fund. 

What can you get funding for? 

The total amount awarded per year is allocated into the categories listed below, the sum total of which cannot exceed the limit per academic year. Please see the FAQs below for more information. 

• Transformative Academic Experiences
  • Professional Attire – Up to $100. Includes suit, business attire, briefcase, backpack, or computer bag. Will not be approved for casual clothing, tuxedos, gowns, printed material such as business cards, jewelry or accessories, perfumes or fragrances, purses, handbags, etc.
  • Conference Registration ONLY – Up to $500 for undergraduate students; up to $300 for graduate and professional students.  Does not include any classes, exams, coursework, certificates, etc.
• Travel
  • Travel Support for Summer Experiential Learning – Up to $500 for undergraduate students; up to $300 for graduate and professional students. This includes summer internships and summer research relating to your academic studies that is not otherwise covered by financial aid. Application must include a letter of acceptance for the summer internship or summer research opportunity. Will not be approved forany classes, coursework, Cornell Global Learning travel, etc.
  • Travel to Attend a Funeral of a Family Member – Up to $500 for undergraduate students; up to $300 for graduate and professional students. Application must include a flight itinerary, clearly showing the student’s name and destination for the ticket.
• Laptop Repair – Up to $200. Application must include a written quote/estimate from the repair facility.
• Cornell Fitness Center (CFC) Basic Gym Membership – Up to $165. Receipt must clearly show the student’s name and netID.
• Omniride Bus Pass (Ithaca campus only; price pro-rates monthly) – Up to $200
• Winter GearSet – $150. Applicants will receive an individualized survey to selecta winter coat, a winter hat, a winter scarf, AND a pair of winter gloves from the Cornell Store. Please select one (1) item from each category. Applicants will be notified when items are available for pick-up from the Cornell Store. There will be no exchange of funds. There will be no reimbursement provided through the Access Fund for purchasing these items elsewhere. 
• Winter Boots ONLY – Up to $50.
• Sudden Catastrophic Medical, Vision, or Dental Cost (not covered by health insurance) – Up to $500 for undergraduate students;$300 for graduate and professional students. Please DO NOT upload private health information to this Access Fund application. Follow the instructions below.

1. Students must first submit claims to their insurance plan, and have a statement (called an 'Explanation of Benefits', or EOB) from their insurance plan
2. Receipts from the provider and/or insurance EOBs for uncovered health care costs must then be submitted to Cornell Health using the Cornell Health patient portal, myCornellHealth
   1. From the Home Screen, click on “Messages”  
   2. Then “New message;” then “Send message or attachment to Health Records”  
   3. In the subject line, please indicate "Attn: Cornell Health Billing
3. Once Cornell Health reviews and validates the receipts/EOBs, they will notify the Access Fund team who will either forward your request for disbursement or contact for additional information.
4. Student Health Plan (SHP) enrollees should contact Cornell’s Student Health Benefits (studentbenefits@cornell.edu)  with any questions about SHP coverage and benefits before submitting an application. 
    

Frequently Asked Questions 

What type of expenses may be funded? 
This is not an exhaustive list, but expenses may include the following below: 

• Basic Cornell Fitness Center membership 

• Student OmniRide bus pass 

• Unexpected medical, vision or dental expenses not covered by insurance 

• Professional interview attire 

• Winter coat, winter boots, winter gloves, winter hat, and winter scarf 

• Laptop repairs 

• New backpack 

• Virtual professional or academic conference registration 

• Summer internship or summer research experience 

• Transportation costs to attend a funeral of a family member. 

What type of expenses may not be funded? 
This is not an exhaustive list, but expenses not covered include the following below 

• Tuition, university fees, or late fees  

• Federal or private student loans 

• Rent, mortgage, and utility expenses 

• Parking tickets 

• Cornell ID replacement 

• Credit card debt 

• Hotel costs 

• Storage 

• Fees associated with graduate school, textbooks, academic/classroom supplies, or other academic expenses calculated into the cost of attendance as part of the student’s financial aid package 

• General travel 

• Furniture 

• Brand new laptops 

• Meal plan or groceries or food/beverages. If you are local and need support for groceries, we encourage you to visit the following to learn more about  

  • Cornell Food Pantry 

  • Swipe Out Hunger 

  • Cornell Meals on the Move 

  • The Free Food Fridge in Anabel Taylor Hall rm 102 

  • Anabel’s Grocery in Anabel Taylor Hall rm 127 

  • Tompkins County 211 Food Resources 

  • The Buy Local Program (Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County) 

  • Mutual Aid Tompkin County’s Food Cabinets 

  • SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) 

  • WIC (Women, Infants and Children Program) 

What is the process and how will students be notified? 
To apply for grants through the Access Fund, students must submit an application using the link below.  Applications should be submitted at least four weeks or 30 business days before the funds are needed. The application will be reviewed and if approved, the student will be notified by e-mail within 14 business days after receipt of notification. If the application is not approved, the student will be notified through campus groups within 14 business days upon receipt of application. Depending on the situation, the student may be referred to additional resources including financial aid to explore more options. 

How are funds received? 
The fastest way to receive your funds is to set up an ACH Authorization Form for direct deposit. If you do not have direct deposit, a physical check will be mailed to your address on file. Note, the Business Service Center cannot mail checks to international addresses. If you have an international address on file, your check will be held until you set up direct deposit, update your address to a US address, or your application is archived.  

Are funds guaranteed? 
While it is our goal to support the needs of our students with low-income, the Access Fund is made possible through the generous monetary gifts of our alumni and donors. The resources are budgeted based on annual contributions. Therefore, the amount of money we are able to approve is based on the amount of available funds.

Contact Information 

The Access Fund is administered by the Office of the Dean of Students through the Office of First-Generation and Low-Income Student Support. If you have any questions or would like to refer a student, please email us at  accessfund@cornell.edu 
 

Donate to the Access Fund 

To make a gift in support of the Access Fund,  please visit our online giving page.