Two accounting strategies for classifying college or university endowment losses are compared: reduction of permanently restricted net assets and reduction of unrestricted net assets. The approaches differ in their effects on classification of net assets only when capital losses on endowment investments bring the fund below the level required in…

Discussed the use of depreciation through an expense account and the development of financial policy designed to assist school management. (RK)

This booklet provides guidelines to help school business officials develop sound procedures for keeping proper accounts of and managing the money raised and spent in the course of conducting student activity programs. The booklet notes the roles of the administrators and activity advisers related to management of the student activity fund, then…

Discusses the collection department established at Arizona State University three years ago as a test unit for collection of delinquent National Defense Loans. (Author/PG)

This booklet on the finance of education is designed for nonfinancial administrators and trustees of institutions of higher education. It is meant to familiarize such educational officers with basic concepts, ideas, terminology, and practices in the financial realm. No attempt is made to present analytical details, economic elaborations, or…

This guide to zero base budgeting (ZBB) offers information intended to be useful to those implementing this system in schools. Beginning with an explanation of zero base budgeting, the paper then enumerates the advantages of such a system. Zero base budgeting design is then explained as well as the assumptions that underlie the system. Suggested…

This manual specifies in detail the new budget and accounting system for California Community Colleges, utilizing an activity-centered approach to expenditure reporting which describes real resource requirements, their costs, and relative use in each of the 37 discrete activities comprising community college operations. The system is designed to…

Outlines a procedure that accomplishes the major goals of an accounting system in a manner a small school district can handle. (Author/MLF)

A basic look at zero base budgeting and some of the reasons for its use in education. (Author)

A request is made that once a school district has been awarded the "Certificate for Conformance" for compliance with accounting standards, the Certificate should remain with the district and be revoked only for cause. (Author/MLF)

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) has two major distinctions: national recognition for determining Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for state and local governments, including school districts, and its commitment to due process. This article urges GASB's 11,500 constituents to participate fully by responding to discussion…

The Single Audit Act of 1984 requires most school districts receiving over $25,000 in federal funds to undergo financial audits. This article highlights requirements for selecting certified public accountants to perform the audit and suggests factors to be considered before drafting a contract or letter of engagement. A sample letter is included.…

Hartford school administrators converted from a program budget to a school-based budget in one year. (MLF)

Argues that school officials throughout the United States must adopt standardized school accounting procedures and terminology to permit meaningful comparison of educational expenditure and cost data and to provide an equitable basis for the distribution of federal educational aid. (JG)

This report is the result of an audit of selected financial management practices of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany for the period April 1, 1992 through July 31, 1994. The audit addressed the following practices: cash, payroll, purchasing, revenue accounting, accounts receivable, and computer contingency plans. The report…