Frequently Asked Questions
- How much is the annual budget of the University (or system)?
The Total FY 2013 SIU Budget is nearly $880.9 million, while SIUE’s Total FY 2013 Budget is $272.2 million. For additional details, please refer to the SIU FY13 Budget Book, which is posted on the SIU website at: http://www.siue.edu/budget/pdf/FY-2013-Budget-Book.pdf
- What are the major sources of funding for the University?
The state operating budget consists primarily of tuition revenue and state appropriation. The primary sources of funding for the non-state budgets include fee revenue, sales of goods and services, and grants and contracts.
- How is the budget allocated within SIUE?
The FY13 SIUE Budget for all funds totals $272.2 million. The budget is developed by major fund groups which are:
| Income Fund and State Appropriations | $146.3 million |
| Grants and Contracts | 40.3 million |
| Indirect Cost Recovery | 2.2 million |
| Revenue Bond Operations | 45.2 million |
| Self-Supporting Activities | 38.2 million |
| Total | $272.2 million |
The budget is sometimes broken out into two categories, the state budget, which includes “Income Fund and State Appropriations,” and the non-state budget, which includes the sum of all other fund categories.
- What has happened to the budget during the last decade?
Budget reductions occurring earlier in the decade followed by years of relatively flat funding have resulted in a shift towards the “privatization” of public education, meaning that more responsibility for the costs are absorbed by the students. For example, this year’s state appropriation budget is more than $13 million less in absolute dollars than our FY02 appropriation budget. In FY02, state appropriation accounted for nearly 72 percent of SIUE’s state operating budget, while in FY13, the state appropriation accounts for approximately 41 percent of the state operating budget. This analysis does not include support the State provides for health insurance, retirement, etc.
- What is meant by the use of the term “cash flow situation?”
The situation faced by SIUE, as well as other Illinois public universities, is a cash flow situation rather than a budget situation. A budget situation would mean that the University has been notified by the State that our FY 2013 state appropriation budget has been reduced, which, up to this point, has not yet occurred. A cash flow situation means that the State has delayed appropriation payments to the University. In other words, even though the State owes SIUE the money, they have not paid it to us, yet we still have to pay our bills.
- If we are having trouble meeting payroll, why don’t we use the money going toward Athletics (or Housing or the Student Fitness Center)?
Certain activities, such as the Student Fitness Center and University Housing, are funded by fees and charges, and those funds can only be used to pay expenses directly related to those activities. Therefore, funds in those units could not be used to meet payroll for employees in other units.
- Based on the current budget do you expect to reduce salaries?
There are currently no plans to reduce salaries.
- What is the process if budget cuts need to made?
Budget cuts for FY13 will follow the established policies and procedures which can be found on the SIUE website at http://www.siue.edu/policies/5a2.shtml
- Are there plans to begin layoffs or furloughing workers?
There are currently no plans to furlough or layoff workers. Our goal will be to deal with cuts through attrition, but what actually happens depends on the allocation we receive for FY13 from the State.
