Stratus Budgeting Information
Stratus is the financial system that Towson University uses for budget, accounting, accounts payable and procurement. Stratus provides online, up-to-the-minute access to data. The system can be accessed from anywhere the Internet is available. Stratus Budgeting can assist users in working with budgets.
A Budget Monitor can be established in Stratus to help users quickly see their cost center's financial status. There are a number of views that can be set up with Budget Monitor, displaying your customized request, The Budget Monitor Tips and Tricks can provide useful tips when setting it up. A short is available, as well as training guide explaining how to set up a Budget Monitor.
Budgets are loaded at the "child," or Stratus account, level. Child budgets are then rolled up to a parent level, which is where budget checking occurs. Budgets are never loaded directly to a parent, and are thus never transferred out of—or into. Our list of parent and child accounts with definitions is a helpful resource for understanding how budgets roll up.
Chart of Accounts Crosswalk (excel)
Budget transfers should only be performed in order to adjust a cost center's spending plan and cover over expenditures. Budget transfers should not be done to move an expense. Expenses should always stay in the department with which they belong.
Budget transfers from a state support cost center (cost center starting with a one or a two) to any other type of cost center (self support, auxiliary, agency etc) are not allowed. State support cost centers can only transfer budget to another state support cost center (Parent/Child accounts (may not include all)). Step by step directions are provided on how to complete a budget transfer.
If you are transferring between sources, you must contact the University Budget Office to process your request via the Transfer of Revenue Request Form. This form should be used when transferring budgets in the circumstances listed in the table below.
| Transfer from: | Transfer to: |
|---|---|
| Self support | Self support |
| Self support | State support |
| Self support | Auxiliary support |
| Auxiliary support | Auxiliary support |
| Auxiliary support | State support |
Self Support Department Guide
A self support cost center is funded solely on self-generated revenues and does not receive any state appropriations. All expenses incurred by the cost center must be covered by the revenue generated in that fiscal year. Our Self Support Cost Center Guide Book (PDF) provides more context about budgeting for these cost center.
Changing a Budget
When requesting to make a change to your overall budget for either a self support or auxiliary cost center, fill out the self support or auxiliary budget amendment form (XLSX) and submit to the University Budget Office (UBO AT_TOWSON).