Budget Frequently Asked Questions

When do I use a budget transfer form and when do I use an expenditure transfer form?

Answer:
Budget transfers reallocate budget between organizations that share a common fund.
(e.g.  Fund Code = 000100     Org Code = 66000      Prog Code = 50
and   Fund Code = 000100     Org Code = 67000      Prog Code = 60)

Budget transfers cannot be processed between two different fund codes.
(e.g.  Fund Code = 000100     Org Code = 66000      Prog Code = 60
and   Fund Code = 001050     Org Code = 66000      Prog Code = 60)

Expenditure transfers are correcting entries and should not be used to resolve budget overdrafts. An expenditure transfer is used to move an expense erroneously posted to a particular FOAPAL into the correct FOAPAL.

How much money do I have?

Answer:
It is important to note that within the Institutions financial system, available cash does not directly authorize the ability to spend. The ability to spend is determined by the Available Budget Balance for the account. This information can be viewed on-line in Banner Finance by using the "Budget Status by Account Query."

What is FOAPAL?

Answer:
A FOAPAL is an acronym used to identify the components of a programs account number:
F = Fund (Separates cash from other programs)
O = Organization (Separates budget and transactions between organizations or departments)
A = Account (Details individual transactions, e.g. office supplies vs. in-state travel)
P = Program (Identifies the relationship of the program with the University, e.g. instruction vs. academic support)
A = Activity (Identifies transactions associated with predefined activities - not required)
L = Location (Identifies transactions associated with predefined location - not required)