Office of the Assemblies

Dear Jung,

Thank you for submitting SA Resolution 15: Allowing International Students Financial Aid for Extenuating Circumstances, requesting that the Office of Financial Aid create an emergency aid pool for international students. I appreciate the Student Assembly’s concern for helping international students who may face emergency situations.

Cornell’s Office of Financial Aid would be able to manage a fund to provide emergency support for international students facing extenuating financial circumstances, if the resources become available for such a fund.  We are uncertain whether there is donor interest to achieve this worthwhile goal, but I have asked Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Development, Fred Van Sickle, to include an International Undergraduate Student Emergency Assistance Fund among the fundraising alternatives that his office supports, and to make an effort to identify resources for this fund.  

If there is enough donor interest to establish and support such a fund, the Office of Financial Aid will administer it and will be happy to provide periodic updates to the International Students Union and the Student Assembly with summary statistics regarding how the fund has been deployed, including how many international students with extenuating circumstances have been assisted.  We will let you know if and when funds have been raised to be able to launch an International Undergraduate Student Emergency Assistance Fund.

Thank you again for your interest in supporting international undergraduate students.

Sincerely,

Martha E. Pollack

President, Cornell University

300 Day Hall

Ithaca, NY 14853

Tel: 607-255-5201

www.cornell.edu