Employee Assembly

The Office of the Assemblies now closes daily from 12:15p to 1p.

What is the Emergency Grant Fund?
The Cornell University Employee Assembly Emergency Grant Fund is a program offering financial assistance administered by the Emergency Grant Fund Committee of the Employee Assembly. The Fund was established in 2001 to assist employees experiencing financial hardship due to non-medical catastrophic events beyond their control. These awards are intended to assist with immediate, essential expenses and are subject to state and federal taxes.

Who is eligible to receive a grant?
Employees must be a full-time or part-time staff member in a regular non-academic position. Employee must be post-probation and in officially good standing. There is no guarantee that an eligible employee will receive a grant. The maximum amount awarded will be $1,000 and must be reported as taxable income. Grants are awarded based on funds available.

Employees may be eligible for a second grant two years after a previous grant was awarded. Due to limited funds, priority may be given to employees who have not used the Emergency Grant Fund previously.

What are the criteria for eligibility?
Two criteria must be met for an eligible employee to qualify for a grant. The applicant must have insufficient resources to deal with the immediate consequences of a disastrous or catastrophic event.

• Awards will be made on the basis of demonstrated financial need.
• An event will be considered a disaster or catastrophe if it is sudden, unanticipated, or accidental. Examples include, but are not limited to, disasters such as fires and floods.

What are some examples of catastrophic events that would qualify an emergency grant?

• An employee loses his/her home to a fire.
• An employee loses his/her home to other disasters such as flood, tornado, or hurricane.

What are some examples that do not qualify for an emergency grant fund?

• An employee’s relative lost their home to a fire or disaster.
• An employee is hurt on the job, his worker’s compensation case is controverted, and he is behind on his bills.
• An employee is on disability and needs money to help pay for her electric bill.

How do I apply for a grant?
Contact the Employee Assistance Program to set up an appointment with an EAP counselor. The counselor will go over the application and discuss other resources or options that may be available. If the application falls within the Emergency Grant Fund guidelines, the counselor will pass on the request to a review committee convened by the Employee Assembly.

How confidential is this process?
No names will be presented by the EAP counselor to the emergency grant fund committee members. Every effort will be made to preserve an applicant’s privacy.

When will I be notified if I am eligible to receive a grant?
The EAP office will notify applicants by phone of approval or denial within 10 business days from receipt of the application. If a request is approved, the check will be sent by certified mail. If a request is denied, applicants may have the opportunity to reapply. For questions, contact Employee Assistance Program.

Note that this fund may be insufficient in the case of widespread natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes or tornadoes.