Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board votes to explore switching grant awards from advance payments to reimbursements
Summary
Staff proposed moving grant awards to a reimbursement model to improve controls and align with state practice; universities said they normally budget for that and board voted to explore implementing reimbursement in FY28.
Board staff proposed changing the grant award process from large, advance February payments reconciled at fiscal year end to a reimbursement model that would pay expenses as they are incurred and reconciled.
The executive director said the current process—paying a lump check in February and reconciling at the end of June—can create back‑end surprises and weaker controls. "I think that that's a a better system, and I'd I think I just think there's better controls there," staff said, explaining that the change would require more administrative work for program staff but align the board with common state practice.
University representatives raised concerns that reimbursement requires recipients to have cash flow to pay expenses up front; program staff said they had discussed the shift with universities and those institutions generally budget for reimbursement arrangements. The board voted to pursue exploring a move to reimbursement for fiscal year 2028 and directed staff to return with implementation details.
Board members asked staff to consider implementation timelines and controls (direct deposit, contacts at university finance offices) before making a final change.
