The general premise of this method is based on the assumption that expenditures incurred in the previous year will be the starting point of estimates for the new fiscal year. However, cases where expenditures may be less (i.e. due to decreases in enrollments, or other factors) may require a budget reduction from the current year base. Accordingly, UCF’s colleges and divisions start each fiscal year with the prior year base budget (including approved carry forward resources), to which incremental resources from tuition revenue and/or state appropriations are added or subtracted following our established budgeting process.

The focus of UCF’s budgeting process has been to distribute incremental tuition and/or other state funding, as available via the following allocation methodologies.

College Budget Model

Implemented in July 2017, UCF’s College Budget Model focuses on the academic enterprise by providing incremental tuition funding, as available, to support changes in undergraduate and graduate instructional workload, reward performance, and fund provost-directed strategic investments.

Objectives of the model are to align resources to support workload/growth, support decentralized decision making, improve transparency and predictability, incentivize performance to achieve strategic goals, and provide cross subsidies, as needed.

Continuation of the College Budget Model each year is strictly contingent upon availability of incremental performance or other state funding to support university commitments and needs.

Student Success Investment Model (SSIM)

Implemented in fall 2018, this model supports targeted investments to directly impact student success in three key areas of strategic emphasis. Continuation of the SSIM each year is strictly contingent upon availability of incremental performance or other state funding to support university commitments and needs.

Exceptional Funding Request (EFR) Process

State-appropriated funding for performance, emerging preeminence or preeminence, and other general and special allocations enable UCF leadership to provide resources in accordance with applicable Florida Statutes and BOG guidelines to address strategic needs and priorities towards the attainment of our mission and goals. This may include funding for high-priority, university-wide “off-the-top” initiatives, such as faculty and staff salary increases, awards and promotions, campus safety and security initiatives, etc.

Academic and administrative units can request funding from these resources to manage significant unforeseeable challenges or strategic opportunities that are not sustainable with the unit’s own financial resources. UCF’s Exceptional Funding Request (EFR) Process was established to provide a framework to evaluate such requests, and ensure that mindful planning and assessment of resources is occurring at every level of the organization.

Ability to support new strategic initiatives each year is strictly contingent upon availability of incremental performance or other state funding to support university commitments and needs.