A budgeting handbook for academic administrators and faculty is presented. Economic and political influences on budgeting are considered, along with sources of funds for public and private colleges, and the chronology of the budget process. Multiyear summaries of the budget process in different types of colleges are included. Some major policy issues facing public colleges and state officials are identified, and the use of analytical tools and financial reporting to alter budget outcomes is addressed. A hypothetical college is used to introduce fund accounting, and six budgeting approaches are summarized. Additional topics include: how participants can influence the budget process, the relationship of the capital budget to the annual operating budget, sources of flexibility in the budget process, budget planning for reallocation and retrenchment, policy issues for endowment management, cost analysis procedures, the instructional workload matrix, enrollment forecasting, the nature of indirect costs associated with sponsored programs, and a range of mathematical models used in budgeting. Appendices include strategies for increasing revenue and decreasing expenditures, and documents of the American Association of University Professors and the National Association of College and University Business Officers. (SW)

Rev. ed. of: College & university budgeting, 2005.

An accessible handbook for anyone who needs to understand a university budget—perfect for the non-finance higher ed professional. To understand how universities function, it is critical to understand how their budgets work. In this useful volume, Dean O. Smith provides a concise explanation of university budgets—why they're important, how they are prepared, what information they provide, and how they are monitored. Translating technical jargon into layman's terms, How University Budgets Work emphasizes practical matters and best practices. Writing for a non-specialist audience, Smith covers major aspects of university budgets ranging from their preparation and alignment with strategic plans to their implementation at the departmental level. Offering time-tested advice from his many years in higher administration, he also touches on • expenditure monitoring • projections • allocations • revenue • incentives • financial reserves • end-of-year accounting The companion book to the more rigorous University Finances, also by Smith, How University Budgets Work is a unique introductory guide for the extended academic community. Ultimately, this logical, accessible book provides a working knowledge of how university budgets are produced and implemented, one that enables faculty members and administrators to become more effective in their roles within the university.

This book will help new administrators (department chairs, directors, deans) understand and become more proficient in their financial management role within the institution. Highly accessible, practitioners will be able to put the book's guidance to immediate use in their work. It is also grounded in the latest knowledge base and filled with examples from across all types of institutions, so that it makes an ideal text for a courses in graduate programs in higher education leadership and administration. Specifically, the book: • provides an understanding of the basics of budgeting and fiscal management in higher education • defines the elements of a budget, the budget cycle, and the steps for creating a budget • suggests ways of avoiding common pitfalls and problems of managing budgets • contains effective strategies for dealing with loss of resources • includes end-of-chapter reflection questions and an expanded glossary of terms Written in plain language this volume provides practical approaches to many complex problems in fiscal management. This new edition of the book contains new information in every chapter reflecting both the most recent developments in higher education and feedback from readers of the earlier edition. The information on the current higher education financial environment has been updated, and the case studies have been revised. Readers will be introduced to Bowen's theory of resources and expenses as an important way to understand budgetary decision making in colleges and universities. Special attention is paid to the use of restricted funds, the budget implications of faculty appointments and the challenges caused by personnel policies for staff. In addition, greater attention is given to development and implementation of repair and replacement programs in auxiliary enterprises. The challenges that arise when budget problems are postponed are also discussed. The volume contains a number of suggestions for practitioners with new budgeting and fiscal responsibilities.

How do university finances really work? From flagship public research universities to small, private liberal arts colleges, there are few aspects of these institutions associated with more confusion, myths or lack of understanding than how they fund themselves and function in the business of higher education. Using simple, approachable explanations supported by clear illustrations, this book takes the reader on an engaging and enlightening tour of how the money flows. How does the university really pay for itself? Why do tuition and fees rise so fast? Why do universities lose money on research? Do most donations go to athletics? Grounded in hard data, original analyses, and the practical experience of a seasoned administrator, this book provides refreshingly clear answers and comprehensive insights for anyone on or off campus who is interested in the business of the university: how it earns its money, how it spends it, and how it all works.

Developing budgets that meet economic constraints and instructional expectations is challenging. This valuable resource is for administrators who want to enhance their instructional, technical, and managerial skills as visionaries, planning coordinators, and budgeting managers.

Budgets in the United States follow rules of presentation and use terms that make sense to few outside the world of government finance. Moreover, practices vary widely among the thousands of governments in the country, between federal, state, and local levels. Understanding Government Budgets offers detailed explanations of each of the different types of information found in budgets, featuring annotated examples from both state and local budgets, as well as the budget of the federal government. It stresses that the choices made about format and organization influence the story a budget tells about government. The goal of the book is to make the format of budgets and the information they contain accessible and understandable, helping users make better sense of government and its performance. Perfect for undergraduate or graduate level courses in budgeting and public administration, Understanding Government Budgets also makes a useful guide to budgets for the average citizen with an interest in how government operates or journalists writing about it.

Every parent wants the best for their child. That’s why they send them to college! But most parents struggle to pay for school and end up turning to student loans. That’s why the majority of graduates walk away with $35,000 in student loan debt and no clue what that debt will really cost them.1 Student loan debt doesn’t open doors for young adults—it closes them. They postpone getting married and starting a family. That debt even takes away their freedom to pursue their dreams. But there is a different way. Going to college without student loans is possible! In Debt-Free Degree, Anthony ONeal teaches parents how to get their child through school without debt, even if they haven’t saved for it. He also shows parents: *How to prepare their child for college *Which classes to take in high school *How and when to take the ACT and SAT *The right way to do college visits *How to choose a major A college education is supposed to prepare a graduate for their future, not rob them of their paycheck and freedom for decades. Debt-Free Degree shows parents how to pay cash for college and set their child up to succeed for life.

An essential and comprehensive guide to university finances. In University Finances, higher education expert Dean O. Smith • demystifies basic accounting procedures, budgets, debt financing, and financial statements • explores more unusual financial topics, such as methods for calculating fringe benefit rates, bond refunding costs, and indirect cost allocations • shows that the use of university wealth is highly restricted by donors, bondholders, government regulators, and others • answers nuanced questions, like "How are USDA formula funds calculated?" and "Why does the university pursue more and more research funding when it loses money on every grant?" • illustrates financial calculations using realistic examples Some of these explanations are unavailable in print or online to anyone but a handful of professional accountants. Rigorous, detailed, and wide-ranging, University Finances is a unique and powerful resource.

An accessible handbook for anyone who needs to understand a university budget—perfect for the non-finance higher ed professional. To understand how universities function, it is critical to understand how their budgets work. In this useful volume, Dean O. Smith provides a concise explanation of university budgets—why they're important, how they are prepared, what information they provide, and how they are monitored. Translating technical jargon into layman's terms, How University Budgets Work emphasizes practical matters and best practices. Writing for a non-specialist audience, Smith covers major aspects of university budgets ranging from their preparation and alignment with strategic plans to their implementation at the departmental level. Offering time-tested advice from his many years in higher administration, he also touches on • expenditure monitoring • projections • allocations • revenue • incentives • financial reserves • end-of-year accounting The companion book to the more rigorous University Finances, also by Smith, How University Budgets Work is a unique introductory guide for the extended academic community. Ultimately, this logical, accessible book provides a working knowledge of how university budgets are produced and implemented, one that enables faculty members and administrators to become more effective in their roles within the university.