Definitions

Self-supporting Fund
A self-supporting fund is an activity managed as a business-like operation, with the objective of generating sufficient revenues from sales to finance the associated costs. A self-supporting activity generates sales revenue by providing products or services to customers. "Customers" may include other University units, the general public, employees, and students.

Depreciation
Depreciation is a method of allocating equipment cost over its estimated useful life. When capitalized equipment (that is, equipment that costs $5,000 or more and will last more than one year) is used in a self-supporting operation, your rate can include the annual depreciation but not the original cost of acquisition. Including depreciation in the rate charged to customers allows for recovery of equipment cost over its useful life.

Contact Property Accounting for assistance to ensure that your self-supporting equipment is correctly coded in Banner Fixed Assets. Properly recording equipment in Banner Fixed Assets determines your annual depreciation costs associated with equipment. Property Accounting will help you generate detailed depreciation reports to use when calculating rates.

Agency Fund
Agency funds are comprised of resources that do not belong to the University. This classification is used to account for resources held by the University as the custodian or fiscal agent for others, including student organizations.

Last Updated: January 1, 2013 | Approved: Senior Associate Vice President for Business and Finance | Effective: January 2013