CFO Division FAQs

Wires may be requested as a form of payment to an approved UF supplier and with an approved voucher. Wires paid in USD are processed by Disbursements and instructions can be found on the Disbursements webpage at https://www.fa.ufl.edu/directives/payments-and-cancellations/

Wire payments in a Foreign currency or that require an intermediary bank are processed by Banking and Merchant Services (BMS) by submitting the UF Bank Wires form to investments@ad.ufl.edu. The amount field on the Bank Wires form should be the amount of the foreign currency you wish to send. The voucher is the equivalent amount of USD. Send an email to Special Payments at payments@admin.ufl.edu with “Bank Wire Voucher” as the subject line to prevent the payment from being sent twice. Banking and Merchant Services will notify Disbursements and have the voucher amount corrected at the time of the foreign wire being issued. The Bank Wires form can be found on the Banking and Merchant Services webpage at https://www.fa.ufl.edu/departments/banking-merchant-services/forms-resources/

Our department is the liaison for external auditors.  Contact us by submitting a ticket to the Finance Hub contact form and we can provide assistance in compiling information, coordinating responses, etc.

Responsibility Center Management (RCM), commonly known as incentive-based budgeting, is a management philosophy designed to align budget allocations with university goals and objectives by decentralizing several components of the University’s budget authority. The goal is to delegate aspects of the University’s operational authority to colleges, divisions, and other units, allowing them to align their goals with the University’s central mission: Teaching, Research and Scholarship, and Service.

These decentralized models result in increased transparency and empower local leadership to make data-driven decisions.

In an incentive-based budget model a framework is created to direct funding to the units generating the revenue, then charges are assessed to cover the unit’s share of centrally borne expenditures like administrative and common service and support.

In RCM models, revenues, based on customized activities or drivers (e.g., credit hours instructed), are allocated directly to the unit generating those activities. Units that do not generate revenues are funded by a overhead allocation fund, which is a determined contribution from each revenue-generating unit to fund University support activities (e.g., IT). An RCM model also leverages a subvention fund which allocates a strategic pool of resources to the University leadership to fund key institutional priorities. It is important to note that in UF’s RCM model, the allocation methodology stops at the school/college level meaning it is the Dean’s discretion as to how funds are allocated within a particular unit.

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At the time, because of the Great Recession, the University was forced to take ongoing expense reductions. This inhibited the university from achieving many of the former President’s Strategic Work Plan goals. Leadership determined that UF “must grow through aggressive management of nontraditional, entrepreneurial growth.” Specifically, UF wanted to make the shift because of:

• Decreasing and uncertain state support
• Increasing self-reliance
• Having the ability to further promote innovative and entrepreneurial activities
  that are financially viable
• Giving campus units the tools needed to diversify and generate new revenue sources

UF undertook a review of the RCM model in 2016 In an effort to ensure UF’s budgeting process meets the needs of the university. The scope of the review was to identify what was working with the budget model as well as how it might be improved in the areas of revenue and
expense allocation. Specially the goals of this review were to:

• Ensure the model was incentivizing the right activities
• Simplify the model
• Increase predictability
• Align model with University strategic goals
• Provide clarity
• Create dedicated Provost strategic fund

The effort resulted in several key enhancements including simplifying allocation methodologies, reducing the complexity of overhead assessments by standardizing model tax rates, the establishment of a Provost strategic fund. The comprehensive report can be found here.

Modern budget philosophy within higher education continues to evolve much like the industry as a whole. Best-practice has proven that universities who operate within an RCM budgeting framework can benefit from modest modifications to the budget model every 4-5 years. As universities continue to mold to the environments around them, it is important to ensure funding practices are aligned with an institution’s strategic priorities. Further, model mechanics that may have made sense in theory (e.g., step-down costing) may not be feasible in day-to-day practice or may be unnecessarily cumbersome. Thus, convening a thorough review of the budget model on a regular 5-year basis can ensure the model continues to allocate resources appropriately across the institution and ensure long-term model understanding and sustainability.

The 2021 review of UF’s Budget Model resulted in over 50 potential enhancement opportunities. Through the engagement’s governance process, those opportunities were narrowed down to 7 near-term enhancements. The intended outcomes of these enhancements are detailed below and are being developed over the course of this academic year.

Component units will largely be unaffected by this effort. Specifically, no funding or process changes will occur within component units because of this effort. However, as part of the all-funds enhancement, UF will need to understand the comprehensive financial picture of each component unit to incorporate that view within UF’s all-funds model. Specific leaders of these component units have already been identified and engaged to assist with this ongoing effort. All questions related to component unit funding and other unit-specific operations, should be directed to the leadership team of that component unit.

The University has selected Workday Adaptive Planning as new tool to replace the current Hyperion budget tool. While that effort is not an explicit enhancement coming out this engagement, it is directly tied to the work that is being completed as a part of this effort. The decisions and outcomes made through this process will be incorporated into the new tool’s infrastructure. More details as to the timeline, process, and intended outcomes of this effort will be made available as progress is made.

There are five primary avenues for campus involvement and input:

1. Working Group – The Working Group is charged with leading the modifications to the RCM budget model. The Working Group is made up of a diverse set of campus members from several colleges and roles. One of the jobs of each Working Group member is to solicit feedback from his/her constituents so that their opinions can be considered throughout this engagement.
2. Implementation Teams – Each Implementation Team will be directly involved in carrying out each of the previously listed enhancements. These groups are made up of a broad array of campus constituents and each group has at least one member who is an academic dean. Updates from these meetings will be published as needed.
3. Deans – Deans are actively involved in this process and are engaged by project leadership on a regular basis. They should be able to provide ongoing updates to their specific colleges as needed as the engagement progresses and may drive change at the local college level.
4. Unit Budget Officers – Staring in the late Fall timeframe, the CFO’s office will re-establish a roundtable of unit business officers to discuss engagement updates, provide an avenue for feedback, and outline the necessary steps needed to implement each enhancement.
5. Open Forums – In the Spring, the CFO’s office will work to schedule a series of open forums where campus can learn about initiative progress and ask any relevant questions. These campus forums will be either in-person or online and will be recorded and open to all UF employees. More details regarding time and location will be made available closer to the date.

Please submit all questions, comments, and feedback here. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

Typically loans are disbursed prior to the drop/add date and scholarships (Bright Futures) and grants are disbursed after the drop/add date. Bright Futures is applied to a student’s account after the end of drop/add and may not be disbursed to all students at the same time.

To view what your aid has paid for, log into your ONE.UF. Then, select “View my Account” under the Campus Finances (Bursar) section. Once you are on your homepage, choose the Payment History tab. This will show the dates of financial aid disbursement(s). Select the date for disbursement amounts to see what was paid and any amount refunded.

There are several reasons that charges may still be on your account after financial aid was applied:

1. Charges exceeded amount of financial aid disbursed.
2. Your aid type does not cover certain charges.
3. Student/Parent Plus loan permission was not granted for Federal Title IV aid to pay charges other than tuition, housing, and books.
4. You may have a Veterans or Merit deferment, which allows financial aid to be refunded without paying tuition and fees.

UF requires all refunds be delivered via direct deposit to your checking account listed in your ONE.UF account. To enter or review your direct deposit information, log into ONE.UF, select View My Account > Related Links > Sign Up For Direct Deposit.

Any student who received a student loan(s) and/or Federal TEACH Grant while attending the University of Florida must complete an Exit Counseling session(s). This counseling is designed to assist students with understanding their rights and responsibilities that applies to their loan or Federal TEACH Grant award.

A student must complete Exit Counseling upon withdrawing, dropping below half-time enrollment or graduating from their program of study at the University of Florida. Graduating students will receive an exit counseling requirement notice via email for Federal Direct/Grad PLUS loans/TEACH Grant recipients and/or letter notification for all other loans prior to commencement.

Federal Perkins, Federal Health Professions, and Institutional loan borrowers: The repayment schedule will be provided online at the time you access exit counseling.

Federal Direct/Grad PLUS loan borrowers will receive repayment information directly from their Direct Loan Servicer. Students who drop below half-time enrollment or withdraw from the University of Florida and have not completed the online Exit Counseling will be mailed an exit counseling requirement letter and/or packet.

After Exit Counseling has been completed, the exit counseling hold will be removed from the student’s record within 48 hours.

Exit Counseling is mandated by Federal regulations. The counseling session(s) will cover important information you should know about your loan(s) and TEACH Grant obligations. Note: Those who do not complete Exit Counseling will have their official transcript, diploma, and other University services placed on hold until this requirement is completed.

• Loan Repayment Plan
• Repayment Options
• Deferment and Forbearance Options
• Cancellation Options
• Loan Consolidation
• Loan Rehabilitation
• Debt Management
• Prepayment
• Consequences of Default on loan and service obligation
• Service obligation for TEACH Grant recipients

For your convenience, Exit Counseling is provided online at the following websites.

• Federal Direct/Grad PLUS Loans and Federal TEACH Grants: StudentAid.gov
• Federal Perkins/Federal Health Professions/UF Institutional Loans: www.ecsi.net

Anyone on the Deposit Control team.  Contact us through tmhelp@admin.ufl.edu or call (352) 392-9057.

ONLY Banking & Merchant Services-Deposit Control can delete a deposit. Please contact our office at (352) 392-9057 or tmhelp@admin.ufl.edu and request us to delete the deposit. Include the Deposit Unit and ID.

Navigate in my UFL to: Main Menu>Accounts Receivable>Payment>Direct Journal Payment> Modify Accounting Entries

• Enter the Deposit Unit and ID
• Click on Search.
• Deselect the Complete box
• Click OK when the warning box is prompted
• Click Save

Navigate to Accounts Receivable>Payment>Direct Journal Payment>Create Accounting Entries

• Click the Delete button (“X” next to the lightning bolt icon) 
• Click Save 

Navigate to Accounts Receivable>Payments>Online Payments>Regular Deposit 

• Select the Totals control tab 
• Change the Accounting Date to the desired date.
• Click the Payments tab 
• Click the Save button 
• Click the Apply Payments link 
• Click the Create button (lightning bolt) 
• Click the Complete box 
• Click the Save button 

Support documentation is required to be uploaded electronically to the departmental deposit when it is entered in myUFL. Documents should support the purpose of the deposit and the fund and account code used in the Chartfield string. A good rule of thumb is to ask “What would help someone else understand this deposit?” Examples of uploaded documents would be an invoice, sales receipt, statement, cash expense refund form, check log, remittance advice, EFT addendum, etc.

• Cash and Check deposits accounting date is determined by the day the deposits are received by the bank.
• Credit Card accounting date is determined by the settlement date.
• ACH/Wires accounting is determined by the date on the addendum.

We budget check all deposits daily, which updates your available balance in Commitment Control.

Refunds related to expenses should always be deposited to the same ChartField from which the original expense was paid. Enter the original voucher number, expense report number, or journal ID number in the reference field of the Journal Reference Information Tab when making the deposit. Banking & Merchant Services must verify the ChartField information on the original expense against the ChartFields in the deposit.

None of the plans pay 100% of tuition and fees. Listed below are fees that are not covered by any of the Prepaid Plans and must be paid by the published payment deadline for each term to avoid the assessment of a $100.00 late payment fee:

• transportation access fee
• technology fees
• test fees
• material & supply fees
• distance learning fees
• equipment fees
• repeat surcharge
• excess hour surcharge

Students participating in the Florida Prepaid College Program who are also expecting to receive financial aid will have the Florida Prepaid applied first to tuition and applicable fees. Financial aid received will be disbursed and applied to outstanding charges, which may include tuition and fees not covered by the Florida Prepaid Program.

The Florida Prepaid billed amount will show prior to the first week of classes. Review your Tuition Statement as it should show as “Billed to Sponsor.” Please contact us at (352) 392-9545 if it does not show on your Tuition Statement.

We are happy to perform process walk-throughs, reviews of a specific process, general information about internal controls, or specialized training for your department.  To request, submit a ticket to the Finance Hub contact form.

The following questions can be used to determine if a control is well-designed:

• Does it help ensure funding, regardless of the source, is properly used?
• Does it detect and/or prevent errors in a timely manner?
• Does it reduce the risk of fraud, errors, waste or abuse?
• Does it contribute to record and reporting accuracy?
• Does it assist in meeting sponsored project performance deadlines for outcome reporting?
• Does it foster confidence that funds are safeguarded and spent appropriately?

Internal controls should be designed to meet three goals: effective and efficient operations, reliable reporting and compliance with laws, regulations and grant objectives.  To accomplish this, ensure that the five components of internal control are addressed:

1. Control Environment: Leadership sets a top down expectation
2. Risk Assessment: Identify and analyze internal and external risks associated with the process
3. Control Activities: Policies and procedures that establish the control
4. Communication: People understand their role, the control, and the information necessary for the process is shared appropriately
5. Monitoring: There is a strategy for regular monitoring and testing to ensure the control for the process is taking place

Key areas include separation of duties, authorization and approvals, security of assets, and review and reconciliation.  Visit the Standard Control Procedures website for more information about key areas to consider when designing your controls.

Log into ONE.UF, select “View My Account” under the Campus Finances (Bursar) section, then select Make a Payment.

• Pay with electronic check (ACH) with no service fee. Enter your checking account number and routing number.
• Pay by debit or credit card. Accepted cards include American Express, MasterCard, Discover, or Visa.  A 2.75 % non-refundable service charge is added to the balance paid on all online credit card transactions. For international credit cards, the non-refundable service charge will be 4.25%.
• The International Payment option is a wire transfer that offers a foreign currency exchange rate.

Payments can be submitted in person with a personal check, cashier’s check or money order inside our office during 9:00am to 4:30pm or at the Drop Box located outside of our office.

Ensure that your payment is made payable to the University of Florida and includes the following information:
Address, phone number, UFID

Yes, but the card transaction is run as credit which includes a service fee. Please see payment options above for additional information.

No, payments are applied to the oldest debt due on the account. You cannot specify the payment to pay a specific charge.

Online payments are applied within 15 minutes after selecting the Submit Payment button. Checks put in our drop box are applied the next business day.

• On ONE.UF, pop-up blockers may need to be disabled or turned off. For browser-related issues, please click here.
• A returned payment (insufficient funds, closed account) will prevent future online payments until the charge has been satisfied with a money order or cashier’s check, payable to the University of Florida.
• Administrative holds may also prevent online payments. Please contact the department list under the Actions Items > Holds.

The oldest debt showing under Charges Due. Payments cannot be applied to specific charges.

Yes, starting Fall 2024 the University Bursar’s Office will offer a 4-equal payments installment plan for eligible current term students. Eligible charges will be displayed on the student’s One.UF Campus Finances page under Charges Due. Please view your Campus Finances Account on One.UF to see eligibility and access enrollment. Payment plan enrollments will be charged a non-refundable fee of $15 at time of enrollment. For additional information regarding payment plans, please visit our payment options page here.

Click this link for instructions on how to accept Credit Card payments via e-Commerce (Internet) or click this link for instructions on how to accept Credit Card Payments via Swiping Machines. Or, contact us at 352-392-9057 or at Treasury-creditcards@ad.ufl.edu.

For technical, hardware and troubleshooting support concerning PAX terminals contact:

service@bluefin.com or 1-(800) 675-6573

If they should determine that your unit needs to be replaced call Payment Card Operations at (352) 392-9057 to get a quote and to order a replacement machine.

Contact the Privacy Office as well as Banking & Merchant Services.

Privacy Office:
Email: privacy@ufl.edu
Phone: (352) 294-8720
Fax: (352) 627-9052

Mailing Address:
PO Box 103175
Gainesville, FL 32610-3175

Physical Address:
3007 SW Williston Road
Gainesville, FL 32608

Banking & Merchant Services:
Email: tmhelp@admin.ufl.edu
Phone: (352) 392-9057
Physical Address: Criser Hall, Room S-113

Agents of the University are no longer allowed to process credit card transactions on University-owned devices on behalf of customers.  The customer must make the online payment using the customer’s own device.

Contact Banking & Merchant Services, Payment Card Operations:

• Phone: (352) 392-9057
• Email: tmhelp@admin.ufl.edu

Annual training is required for personnel processing credit cards in one of the following categories:

• Has access to cardholder data
• Fiscal officer of account in which credit card payments are credited and/or their delegate
• Handles credit card payments as part of their regular job duties.

Contact Banking & Merchant Services, Payment Card Operations:

• Phone: (352) 392-9057
• Email: tmhelp@admin.ufl.edu

Download the eCommerce Credit Card Refund, complete, sign, and send to Banking & Merchant Services Payment Card Operations for processing.

PCI DSS is the result of a collaboration of the major credit card associations to establish a single data security standard designed to protect sensitive cardholder information. Any entity that stores, processes or transmits cardholder data (including credit and debit cards) must comply with PCI DSS requirements.

PCI DSS requirements are defined by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC). Visit the PSCI SSC website for more information.

Cardholder data is any personally identifiable data associated with a cardholder. This could be an account number, expiration date, name, address, social security number, etc. When required for business purposes, the following information may be stored:

• Primary Account Number (PAN)
• Cardholder Name*
• Service Code*
• Expiration Date*

*Any of these elements being stored in conjunction with the primary account number must be protected in accordance with PCI DSS requirements. The following information may never be stored subsequent to authorization:

• Full Magnetic Stripe
• Card Validation Code (CVC2/CVV2)
• PIN/PIN Block

Yes. Merely using a third-party company does not exclude a company from PCI compliance. It may cut down on risk exposure and consequently reduce the effort to validate compliance. However, it does not mean the company can ignore PCI.

The payment brands may fine an acquiring bank $5,000 to $100,000 per month for PCI compliance violations. The banks will most likely pass this fine on downstream until it eventually hits the merchant. Furthermore,

• Non-compliance can result in fines and remedial efforts that could easily exceed $1 million. Costs include fines, forensic exams, cardholder notifications, setup of a call center, credit monitoring and more costly compliance requirements. The costs would be the responsibility of the merchant.
• Fraud and identity theft are a risk to customers (students, faculty/staff and general public) if a department is non-compliant.
• Breach of cardholder information can result in negative publicity and damage to UF’s reputation.
• The bank will also most likely either terminate your relationship or increase transaction fees.

If you electronically store cardholder data post authorization or if your processing systems have any internet connectivity, a quarterly scan by a PCI SSC Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV) is required.

This is not an audit, nor does it substitute for an audit! The purpose of our reviews is to provide, in a consultative manner, an objective evaluation of internal controls in the area and alert relevant employees to potential risks.  A review is a proactive approach to monitoring internal controls and provide the opportunity to mitigate those risks before weaknesses are identified in an audit. A review helps answer the question “are we doing what we think we are doing?”

Quality assurance and internal control reviews are selected using a risk assessment based on several variables, e.g., funding levels, complexity of transactions, etc.

You will receive an e-mail and/or a call from the Internal Controls, Anti-Fraud, and Advisory Services department to let you know you were selected, find out the appropriate contacts throughout the review, and set up a time to meet.

No special preparation is needed.  The goal of our review is to obtain an understanding of your work processes and internal controls, while being as minimally disruptive to your normal work as possible.  We will work with your team throughout the process to coordinate walk-throughs or request information if needed.

Each department leader will receive a report that details conclusions and, if applicable, recommendations related to the various areas reviewed.  We will have a meeting at the end of the review to discuss the report and are always available to provide consultation on potential improvements that might mitigate compliance risk.

We are always happy to provide proactive reviews and consultations with departments, regardless of the funding source.  This could include a high-level process review, general evaluation of controls, reviews focused on specific processes, or other consultations to help your department.  Please reach out to us by submitting a ticket to the Finance Hub contact form.

As part of UF’s focus on data-driven decision-making, the Radical Financial Transparency (RFT) initiative leverages robust data analysis to enable greater understanding of how UF spends its limited resources. The goals of this work include enhancing transparency and visibility into how University resources are deployed, provide insights for and improve communication between unit leaders and University leadership, and enabling more strategic prioritization and investment decisions.

Eleven units were selected to participate in the pilot phase of this initiative: College of Dentistry; College of Design, Construction, and Planning; College of Education; College of Nursing; College of Veterinary Medicine; Facilities; Harn Museum of Art; Information Technology; Legal/OGC; Office of the CFO; University Libraries.

All other academic, administrative, and auxiliary units across UF will participate in the second phase of this initiative, which is taking place between July-December 2024. Unit leadership will receive an invitation from the Office of the CFO requesting their participation towards the end of June.

Data sources have been collected from central units (e.g. UFHR, UF Budget Office) to cover a wide range of operational, financial, and academic figures. Leveraging central data sources enables us to have a “single source of truth” and compare metrics more consistently.

The Radical Financial Transparency work is designed to cover a range of metrics to understand resource use across financial, operational, and academic metrics. Please note that all analyses may not be relevant or applicable to each unit reviewed, and some analyses are limited by data availability.

Unit leaders will be engaged to help the RFT team validate data and refine analyses. Since central data sources are being used, we are not expecting unit leaders to provide their own data to feed into these analyses, but rather to validate the central data inputs that are being used. As those who are closest to the operations of the unit, unit leaders will also provide context and additional detail to ensure any nuance is properly noted.

The first step of this initiative is to leverage data outputs to understand the current-state operations and resource usage at UF. As part of Phase 2 of this work, additional analyses will be performed and data will be used to drive conversation with unit leaders to understand opportunities for greater resource efficiency or investment opportunities across UF.

Please contact Sean Lonergan for more information.

Types of holds include:

• Financial – When a charge is not paid by the due date, a financial hold (negative service indicator) will appear on your account. Past due charges must be satisfied to receive university services.
• Exit Counseling – Loan borrowers separating from the University, applying for graduation or dropping below half time status are required to complete an online counseling session.
• Administrative – A department may place a hold on an account due to an unresolved issue or action to be completed.

A hold placed on the student’s record may prevent the receipt of grades, transcripts, diploma, admission to athletic events and registration will be denied for future terms. Holds are viewable in ONE.UF on the Action Items card, Holds tab.

For current tuition and fees rates, please click here.

Tuition and fees were not paid in full by the established deadline date.

University Bursar (UB) serves as the central billing office for departments and maintains the record in ONE.UF. These charges may be viewed on your account in ONE.UF; select the Campus Finances (Bursar) card > View Account Summary > Charges Due.

Go to your ONE.UF.EDU account under the Bursar Card (Campus Finances) and you can view the due date for your upcoming charges.

The payment term date reflects the term in which the payment was made. For example if you made a payment in July for Fall housing charge, it will show a payment term date of Summer.

Your charge will show within 48 business hours after completing the contract. If this charge does not show after 48 business hours, please contact the Housing Office at (352) 392-2171.

Log in at ONE.UF, select the Campus Finances (Bursar) section and select View 1098-T from Related Links.

I’ve graduated and I no longer have access to ONE.UF.  How can I get my 1098-T?   

If your access to ONE.UF has lapsed, you can restore it. Try the Self-Service Reset or call the UF Computing Help Desk at (352) 392-HELP (4357). You will be asked for your UFID number. 

The IRS Form 1098-T is an information form filed with the Internal Revenue Service reporting qualified tuition and related expenses amounts paid in the calendar year. The information on this tax form is to assist you in claiming your educational tax credit on your federal income tax return. The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 allows students (or taxpayers claiming students as dependents) to claim certain qualified tuition and fee payments for the American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit. Claiming education tax benefits is a voluntary decision for those who may qualify.

Per IRS regulations, the qualified tuition payments in Box 1 do not include payments for either the student health fee or the transportation access fee, which are mandatory per credit hour fees at the university.

Login at ONE.UF, select the Campus Finances (Bursar) card > View Account Summary >  Payment History. Enter the calendar year dates and enter.

• A valid social security number was not provided to the Registrar
• Non-credit program courses for which no academic credit is offered.
• Students whose qualified tuition and related expenses are entirely waived.