Understanding Funding Understanding the Challenge
Understanding Costs
Stony Brook University is a large and complex organization composed of multiple parts. The graph above is our best attempt to simplify and clarify accounting and financial requirements that can be somewhat difficult to understand. This geographic chart shows the financial statements vs. operating budget in terms of Stony Brook’s costs. This graph shows SBU’s costs in FY20 and FY21 (bolded).
These charts compare the breakdown of costs across the entire organization by division between the actual costs during the 2019/20 financial year and the budgeted expenses for 2020/21.
These charts show the breakdown of costs across the entire organization by expense. Salary and Wages accounts for the majority at 57%. The category Other accounts for 11% of the FY21 Operating Budget that includes, but is not limited to: license fees, mail and messenger services, printing and graphics, advertising and promotional expenses, general and administrative expenses, and telephone expenses.
The following three sections show the breakdown of costs by division in the academic
and research operations, including breakouts of the Stony Brook Foundation Support
and University Administration. The largest area is Academic Affairs, followed by Research
and Health Sciences/School of Medicine.
We anticipated operating expenses outpacing revenue in this fiscal year. As a result, we do not expect to set aside funds to our reserves as we were able to do last year.
Stony Brook Foundation support is budgeted at the same level as in prior years. Annually, the SBF provides $41.1 million of support to the operating budget through various arrangements. The SBF support reflected above includes external philanthropic support but does not include the $18.9 million we have categorized as SBF Agency funds elsewhere. “Agency Funds” represent pass-through funds owned by the university and invested by the Stony Brook Foundation on SBU’s behalf.
The University Administration category includes much of the general operating costs for the university as a whole, for example in 2020/21, $33.8 million for Utilities and $35.5 million for Facilities, Operations & Safety. University Administration, Diversity and Legal Compliance represent 3.9 % ($6.6 million) of the $171.4 million anticipated expenses. Due to an anticipated change in the mix of resident and nonresident (international) students, an additional $8.1 million (3.7%) of student aid is budgeted for FY21 compared to $54.7 million in FY20 actuals.
This chart shows academic and research operations by expense. Salary & Wages account for 65% of the FY21 budget, followed by Contractual Services (8.4%) and Student Aid (8.3%), comparable to the same actual expenses in FY20.
As noted above, we anticipated operating expenses outpacing revenue in this fiscal year. As a result, we do not expect to set aside funds to our reserves as we were able to do last year.
This chart shows hospital and clinic practice operations by expense. Salary & Wages account for 54.3% of the FY21 budget, followed by Clinical Practice Supplies (21.3%) and Contractual Services (9.7%).
Note: Data has been updated as of May 28, 2021.