This is an introduction to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s annual budget cycle.
At the University of Nebraska, the fiscal year runs from July 1st through June 30th.
Throughout the fiscal year, UNL departments actively manage their current fiscal year’s budgets in the Budget Control System also known as BCS.
In February and March, in preparation for the upcoming fiscal year, Departments verify all aspects of their current budget,
because the current permanent budget will provide the structure for their next fiscal year’s budget.
From April through June, the Budget Office and campus departments prepare the new budget in the Budget Prep System.
In May, the Budget Office calculates and loads the approved raise pool into Budget Prep and new salary rates become effective July 1st.
During July and August, the Budget Office finalizes the non-salary lines of the new budget.
The finalized budget is moved from the Budget Prep system into SAP in August.
There are three data management systems used to transact and analyze budget information.
All three are accessed through the Firefly portal, but are identified on separate tabs.
BCS is located on the tab labeled “Budget.” University departments use BCS throughout the year to maintain their budget,
for example to review or adjust budget attributes and balances.
The Budget Preparation system, located on the tab labeled “Budget Prep,”
is used to make the changes to permanent budget for the new fiscal year.
SAP is located on the “SAP Logon” tab. It is the official “source of record” for all financial and budget data.
SAP reports may be used to assist managerial decision making.
Under the “Reporting” tab reports are available to review data from the transactional systems.
Throughout the fiscal year, which begins July 1st, a department utilizes BCS to manage their permanent budget.
When February rolls around, the campus begins to plan for their next fiscal year.
This is when validation of permanent budget is performed.
It is important to thoroughly review and validate the current year’s permanent budget prior to April 1st.
On April 1st, a copy of the current permanent budget is transferred from BCS to Budget Prep.
While the campus is beginning to develop the next fiscal year budget in Budget Prep,
they continue to manage the current year’s permanent budget in BCS.
Meanwhile, the salary data that was copied from the current permanent budget is used to develop the raise pool.
The raise pool is developed by multiplying the total perm budget of all filled positions by the rate in the approved salary guidelines.
In May the Budget Office calculates and loads the approved raise pool into Budget Prep and the departments distribute the raise pool.
The new salary rates created in Budget Prep are copied over to the SAP HR module.
New salary rates are uploaded from Budget Prep to SAP in two groups.
Biweekly and monthly salaries are uploaded into SAP in late June. Faculty salaries are uploaded into SAP in mid-July.
In August, the budget is uploaded into BCS and SAP, becoming the new fiscal year’s permanent budget.
UNL’s Budget Office staff is available to assist you with your department’s budget and financial needs.
If you have questions about the budget process or about the data management systems, please contact us.