FOAPALs In Detail

​

Carin Bullis, Director of Budget

September 23, 2022

DRAFT

Chart of Accounts�(COA)

FSU

FSU

DRAFT

What is a FOAPAL?

• Banner Finance accounting string required to record a financial transaction.
• Acronym used for the primary chart of account elements for classification, budgeting, recording and reporting.
• 6 Segments in length –but we use 5

DRAFT

FOAPAL Structure for Chart 1

XXX - XXXX - XXX - XXXX - XXX - XX

​

Fund Account Activity

Organization Program Location

DRAFT

F: Fund

• Fund accounting emphasizes accountability (not profitability) to help ensure the financial resources are used for their intended purposes and in compliance with applicable regulations, guidelines, and restriction.
• Each Fund has a different purpose, depending on the source of the monies

DRAFT

Fund = Source

xxx-xxxx-xxx-xxxx-xxx-xx

• Defines the source of the funding (does not include all)

C = State Appropriated Maintenance

D = State Appropriated Contracts or Grants

E = Endowment Funds or Economic Grants

F = Federal Aid, Contracts, or Grants

P= Private Gifts, Grants, or Contracts

T = Trust Funds -revenue generated by activities, fees, sales, etc...

• Starts with a Letter followed by numbers
• Cannot move budget across funds/sources
• Cannot increase the budget in fund T65 after BOT approval

Examples:

T65-1210-E23-0000-D01

F13-3700-CC5-0000-D04

DRAFT

Commonly Used Fund Codes

• C81 –State appropriation for Salaries Only
• F13 –Federal Work Study
• T10 -SOGCE
• T22 –Housing Authority
• T65 – Trust Fund Day Operations
• T65P – Trust Fund Salaries Only
• T67 –Foundation or Other Outside Agency
• T67A7 –Foundation Payroll

​

DRAFT

Financial Services: Budget page

https://www.fitchburgstate.edu/resources/faculty-and-staff/financial-services/budget

DRAFT

FOAPAL Structure for Chart 1

XXX - XXXX - XXX - XXXX - XXX - XX

​

Fund Account Activity

Organization Program Location

DRAFT

O: Organization

• The Organization segment is 4 characters in length and follows a hierarchy to reflect relationships among divisions
• Similar to an Organization Chart
• Operating departments have 4 numbers
• Grants have a letter + 3 numbers
• Banner controls security by the Org Code

DRAFT

Organization = Department

xxx-xxxx-xxx-xxxx-xxx-xx

​

Organizational Hierarchy

• 1000’s = Academic related departments
• 2000’s = Capital Planning & Maintenance
• 3000’s = Student Affairs -clubs, health, athletics, police...
• 4000’s = Finance or Information Technologies related
• 5000’s = Development related
• 6000’s = President/University related -trustees, HR, IR

DRAFT

FOAPAL Structure for Chart 1

XXX - XXXX - XXX - XXXX - XXX - XX

​

Fund Account Activity

Organization Program Location

DRAFT

A: Account

• The Account segment is the 3^rd segment in the FOAPAL and 3-6 characters in length
• Determines how transactions are categorized and where they appear in reports and statements
• Can be a revenue OR an expense

DRAFT

Account = Revenue or Expense

xxx-xxxx-xxx-xxxx-xxx-xx

• Revenue accounts begin with a number (4 digits)
• Expenses accounts begin with a letter
• Non-Grants budget expenditures in a control group called “Pools” -a combination of resources
• Budget Pools = Letter + “00”
• Only Grants are budgeted at the expense level
• Purpose to minimize transfers
• Budget transfers occur between “Pools” only
• Expense transfers occur between expense level

7199 -Misc Rev

CC5, E01, J56, U03

E00, F00, G00, J00, U00

DRAFT

BUDGET POOLS Example

*Payroll Only

*Payroll Only

DRAFT

FOAPAL Structure for Chart 1

XXX - XXXX -XXX - XXXX - XXX - XX

​

Fund Account Activity

Organization Program Location

DRAFT

P: Program

• The Program segment is the 4^th segment in the FOAPAL
• 4 characters in length
• Can be used to track programs or special funding separate from regular operating funds

DRAFT

Program Codes

xxx-xxxx-xxx-xxxx-xxx-xx

• Original Budget = 0000
• Used to carve out funds for special programs within existing budget
• Creative naming (4) letters, numbers, or both
• Examples: CVID used in 2021 by all, 1XSF used for Strategic Funding
• Can transfer budget between department’s program code
• Cannot transfer budget to/from 1XSF or other special funds given to your department
• Payroll CANNOT use –only “0000”

​

DRAFT

Program Codes for Payroll

• Please notify Budget Office first
• Option 1 –Budget will manually change
• Option 2 –Journal entry made after expense
• Don’t forget to move Payroll Tax!

​

**Note: See Making Sense of Payroll Expenses training for more info

DRAFT

FOAPAL Structure for Chart 1

XXX - XXXX -XXX - XXXX - XXX - XX

​

Fund Account Activity

Organization Program Location

DRAFT

Activity Codes

xxx-xxxx-xxx-xxxx-xxx-xx

• Classifies transaction to determine where they appear on reports/statements
• Only for Expenses and Revenue
• Not needed for budget transfers
• Defaults automatically

DRAFT

DRAFT

FOAPAL Structure for Chart 1

XXX - XXXX - XXX - XXXX - XXX - XX

​

Fund Account Activity

Organization Program Location

DRAFT

Helpful Resources

• Financial Services Web Page
• Budget Office Staff
• Sheila Boudreau, ext. 3128, sboudr17@fitchburgstate.edu
• Carin Bullis, ext. 3479, cbullis@fitchburgstate.edu
• Christian Estrella, ext. 3583, cestrell@fitchburgstate.edu

DRAFT

1. Chart
2. Fund
3. Organization
4. Account
5. Program
6. Activity
7. Location

​

1. Defines the purpose of an expense or revenue
2. Refers to one of three operating ledgers
3. Represents a department or unit
4. Used to track special funding
5. Identifies the source in a financial transaction
6. We do not use at FSU
7. Classifies a transaction and determines where they appear in reports and statements

​

QUIZ TIME!!!

DRAFT