Budget Transfers
Overview
Budget transfers are used to move available budget dollars within an index or to a different index-account combination.
Budget transfers should be submitted in anticipation of incurred or upcoming commitments or expenditures so that the budget actually reflects the plans and spending of the department.
To submit a transfer, please fill out the excel-based Budget Transfer Form. The completed form should be emailed to budget@tc.columbia.edu.
- When transferring funds out of an index/account, please ensure that there is sufficient budget remaining to cover existing and anticipated expenditures and encumbrances.
- All transfers are assumed as temporary unless clearly specified as permanent on the top right corner of the transfer form.
- The Explanation/Comments section is required to be completed and must adequately explain the nature/intent of the transfer.
- The transfer request must be approved by the index Responsible Person (RP) or Budget Administrator (BA) from where budgeted funds are being moved out of.
Permanent transfers will only be accepted up until the community close of the prior fiscal year. These transfers will become part of the subsequent year's preliminary budget. Any transfers submitted after the community close will be treated as temporary and any budget reallocations should be reflected during the annual budgeting process.
FY'24 Community Close: 09/09/24
Please expect the Budget Transfer Form to be processed within 72 hours of receipt. If a budget transfer requires clarification, the Office of Budget and Planning will reach out for additional information and this may delay the processing time.
Important:
- For the transfer of actual revenue or expenses, please use the Revenue/Expense Transfer Form.
- Any questions relating to 5xxxxx indices should be directed to the Office of Grants and Contracts.
- The following list of Full Time and Part Time salary accounts require a fringe benefit allocation on account 6891.
Please refer to the E-Class chart for more detailed Employee Class and Account information.6111 - Salaries - Professorial
6119 - Summer Salaries - Professorial
6121 - FT Instructors Exempt
6161 - Salaries - FT Lecturer
6169 - Summer Salaries-FT Lecturer
6122 - PT Instructors Exempt
6129 - Summer Salaries - Instructors
6132 - PT Adjunct Professor Exempt
6139 - Summer Salaries Visit. & Adj. Profs.
6142 - Community Teacher
6149 - Summer Salaries Community Teacher
6152 - PT Fee Based Instructor Exempt
6159 - Summer Salaries – Instr Fee Based
6211 - FT Professional Exempt
6213 - FT Professional Non-Exempt
6216 - FT Prof Non-Exempt Overtime
6311 - FT Secretarial & Clerical Services
6321 - FT Custodial (707) Salaries
6326 - FT Custodial (707) Overtime
6331 - FT Security Salaries
6341 - FT Custodial Salaries (32BJ)
6346 - FT Custodial (32BJ) Overtime
6242 - Part Time Professional Exempt
6244 - PT Professional Non-Exempt
6252 - Temporary Professional Exempt
6254 - Temporary Professional Non-Exempt
6312 - PT Secretarial & Clerical Services
6316 - Secretarial (2110) Overtime
6336 - Security (707) Overtime
6412 - Administrative Fellows Part-Time
6419 - Administrative Fellows – Summer
6422 - TA/RA - Part-Time
6429 - TA/RA - Summer
6432 - PT Professional Students
6442 - Doctoral Research Fellow-Part-Time
6452 - Temporary Prof. Non-Exempt Student
6462 - Course Assistants - P/T Exempt
6469 - Course Assistants - Summer
6521 - Discretionary Allowance
6531 - Resident Assistants
6541 - Housing Allowances
6551 - Cell Phone Supplement
6571 - One Time Payment
9113 - Summer Budget Pool
PL6000 - FT Salary Budget Pool
- Fringe Benefits are charged to account 6891 and should always be included when submitting transfers related to salaries.
- Any transfer of instructional salary savings to non-instructional salary accounts require approval of the Office of the Provost.
- Any transfer of non-instructional salary savings is reviewed by the Office of Budget and Planning on a case by case basis.
- Any transfer from a 6xxx account to a 7xxx (See Salary Savings)
- Revenues above and beyond the budget can be transferred to cover associated incremental expenses.
- For Continuing Professional Studies (CPS), Online Academic Offerrings, and Center for International Foreign Language Teaching Education (CIFLTE), revenue transfers require approval of the Office of Academic Planning.
- All other revenue transfers within the Provost's area must be approved by the Office of the Provost.
- Revenue transfers in other VP areas will be reviewed by the Office of Budget and Planning on a case by case basis.
- Budget transfers from an operating index (1xxxxx) to a designated (2xxxxx) or restricted (6xxxxx) index are not permissible.
- Transfers from a 78xx (Scholarship and Financial Aid) account to a non-78xx account are not permissible.
- Each department is provided with an operating budget at the start of the fiscal year in accordance with what was approved by the Board of Trustees. Any requests for additional funding with the Academic Departments or Academic Affairs Administration should be routed directly to the Office of the Provost.
- Budgeted funds allocated to a course fee index cannot be transferred to any other index. In the event a transfer of this nature goes through, the Office of Budget and Planning will reverse it once it has been made aware. If this results in a year-end NSF situation, the subsequent fiscal year will be charged.
- Allocations made within a course fee index may be changed, even if it does not align with the processes listed above. Course fee indices utilize temporary funding and allocations can be adjusted as the needed usage of funds comes to light.
NSF occurs when there are not enough funds in the OTPS account pool to cover a purchase requisition or check request submitted for processing. The Office of Budget and Planning will notify departments when an NSF situation occurs.
A budget transfer must be submitted to transfer funds, as appropriate.
As part of the College’s year-end process, NSFs are checked regularly and departments are promptly notified of the need to submit a budget transfer. Given the quick turnaround of our closing process, budget transfers will need to be submitted expeditiously as outlined by our communication (generally within 24 hours). Any NSF not resolved in that time frame will be charged against the subsequent fiscal year’s budget.