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Working at Cornell

Navigating Personal Finances and Debt

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Resources to support you and your family as you manage personal financial challenges.

 

 

What To Know

Financial stress can take a toll on your health, performance at work, and relationships. 

There are resources at Cornell to support your financial well-being during times of crisis, as well as to help you with financial planning to be prepared for the future.

Related: Navigating health challenges

Resources In Times Of Crisis

  • Financial advisors can be helpful in analyzing how to balance paying your immediate bills with saving for the future. All of our retirement savings vendors offer free one-on-one consultations on campus to help manage unexpected expenses.
  • Emergency CARE Fund (Cornellians Aiding & Responding to Employees) offers financial assistance to faculty and staff who have experienced a non-recurring sudden or emergency-related financial hardship due to an unforeseen or unavoidable event. Financial hardships can include catastrophic events, individuals experiencing domestic violence, etc.
  • Free Mental Health Counseling  Dealing with debt and financial crisis can be stressful. Take advantage of free, confidential counseling to support your well-being as you navigate financial challenges.
    • Cornell’s Faculty & Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) at 607-255-2673 provides free and confidential guidance, resources and support to benefits-eligible employees and their partners, including retirees and Cornell employees working in NYC and Geneva, NY. 
    • In addition to FSAP, eni Confidential Counseling Services provides services at no cost to endowed and contract college faculty, staff and retiree. To reach a Confidential Counselor 24/7, call the toll-free number at 1-800-327-2255.

Help With Financial Planning

Ways to Save

  • Employee Perks Employees can take advantage of special discounts offered to Cornell on a variety of goods and services.
  • Cornell Transportation Services  As a Cornell employee, you can ride TCAT buses for free Monday-Friday on campus and between Cornell Tompkins-based facilities where routes are available (a $150 value).  Employees can also choose to forego parking on campus to receive free, unlimited TCAT travel within Tompkins County.  To learn more, go to transportation benefits.

Planning Assistance

  • On your own: Cornell Benefit Services has assembled Financial planning tools and webcasts that you can access at your convenience, including programs emphasizing early/mid-career financial planning.
  • Financial advisors Cornell’s retirement savings vendors offer free one-on-one consultations to help think through your savings and retirement goals and develop a personal plan.
  • Long-Term Care Insurance Long-term care insurance covers the costs associated with extended long-term care due to a chronic disease or long-lasting disability. Coverage is available to all benefits-eligible employees, their spouses/domestic partners, parents/parents-in-law, grandparents/grandparents-in-law and retirees and their spouses/domestic partners. You may enroll in long-term care insurance at any time.
  • First Time Home Buyers (Clearpoint counseling)

Financial Assistance

Parenting

  • Adoption Assistance Program  Reimburses eligible employees for qualified adoption expenses.
  • Cornell Child Care Grant Program Provides grants to eligible employees to be used on qualifying child care expenses (annual application period in September).
  • Dependent Care Reimbursement Account (Flexible Spending Account):  This benefit helps you reduce your out-of-pocket expenses by taking advantage of a tax break when paying for dependent care services covered under the program.
  • Faculty Dependent Care Travel Fund Offers tenure track and tenured faculty grants to reimburse dependent-care expenses incurred while traveling for work.

Education

  • Educational Funding for you and your family: From tuition reimbursement for employees to scholarships for children, Cornell offers a wealth of financial assistance for education.