Skip to main content

Business Office

Student Organization Financial Procedures

Student organizations are voluntary associations of MTSU students, legally separate entities from the University. Student organizations are student-initiated and student-run as per Policy 560.

Because student organizations are separate legal entities from MTSU, we encourage all student organizations to establish an EIN with the IRS. The organization must complete an SS4 form on the IRS website to request the number.

As separate entities, student organizations are not eligible to use MTSU’s sales and use tax exemption to make purchases.

If you have any questions regarding Student Organization Procedures and off-campus accounts, contact the Student Organizations Office:

Student Organizations and Service Office

Student Union 330

(615)-898-5812

As per Policy 560 Section VII:

  • Each organization must maintain a financial system that documents the receipt and disbursement of funds.
  • Each organization must designate an officer responsible for the collection and disbursement of funds and maintenance of books and records. The organization must maintain appropriate records for audit purposes and must supply financial records to MTSU representatives upon request.
  • Financial reporting is required annually during re-registration on the Student Organization Finance Report form.
  • The Director of Student Organizations and Service and/or Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs may require an organization to submit interim financial reports and supporting financial records.

Both fund types require the student organization to maintain proper documentation of their expenditures. 
Agency Funds:

An Agency fund allows the organization to utilize the University’s accounting processes. You cannot link your account to applications like Venmo or CashApp when using an Agency fund. Organization representatives may obtain fund balance information by e-mailing Accounting Services.

You must submit the Agency Funds Signature Card form to set up an Agency Fund. Upon approval, the Office of Business and Finance will e-mail the account index to the organization’s responsible persons. You must reference this number on all financial documents and reports.

Off-Campus Bank Accounts:

Off-campus bank accounts allow more flexibility in conducting transactions but do not utilize the University’s accounting processes.

The student organization is responsible for setting up an off-campus bank account. Financial institutions typically require a taxpayer identification number to establish an account. Once the bank account has been created, you must submit an ACH form to set up automatic payment. Organizations must also ensure that the Business Office has an updated W-9 Form. Students should work with the Student Organizations and Services office to ensure that information regarding their off-campus account has been documented.

Student Organizations Office

Student Union 330

(615)-898-5812

THIS ONLY APPLIES IF YOUR ORGANIZATION HAS AN AGENCY ACCOUNT

Organizations should deposit funds at the Business Office Cashier Windows in the Student Services and Admissions Center. When making deposits, a student organization should complete a Department Deposit Form. Please note the account index (e.g., 080XXX) and account code 29300 on the document, so the cashier can appropriately record the deposit.

In order to initiate a payment request from the agency fund, please go to the Student Organization Payment Authorization.

Detailed instructions are listed for each section of the form below:

Payee/Vendor Name and M# (Provide EIN with W-9 if no M#)

On the form, please enter the name of the person or entity that you are paying/reimbursing in the Payee/Vendor Name box.  If the payee is a student or a faculty/staff member, the M# is required.  If you wish to make a payment to a non-MTSU person or vendor for goods or services (ex: t-shirts, food, registration fees, etc.), the form will require a set of 9 characters for either an M Number or the recipient’s tax identification number.

If you request payment to a non-MTSU person or vendor, please know that a W-9 is required.  The form will not be rejected if the vendor has already been established in MTSU’s financial system (Banner) with a current W-9.  If the vendor is not set up in the financial system, Accounting Services will reject the form and list the reason for rejection as missing a W-9.  The form must be submitted again with the EIN listed on the W-9, and the W-9 will need to be attached.

Prepared By and Email

This information is dictated by the person who is originating/completing the form.

Please choose the appropriate payment type:

For the approvals to flow correctly, you must choose the radio button that says Payment from an Agency Fund.  If you are requesting reimbursement and don’t choose the radio button for the agency fund, the form will not route correctly and will be rejected.

By selecting “Payment from an Agency Fund”, the form will allow fields for multiple approvers.

Please respond to the question “Who is filling out the form?”

  • If a current approver for your organization is requesting reimbursement and preparing the form, he or she cannot sign for his or her own reimbursement and must choose “Other.” If “Other” is selected, the form will bring up fields for two other approvers for your organization. 
  • If a current approver is preparing the form for a different Payee, the approver should choose “Student Approver” or “Advisor Approver.”         

When Student Approver or Advisor Approver is chosen, fields for the other approver will be provided.

  • If the payee is the advisor for the organization, he or she will need to choose “Other” and complete the Advisor fields with his or her chair/supervisor’s name and email address.

Approvers listed on the form are checked each time against the Agency Funds Signature Card on file.  If the approvers listed are not the ones listed on the Agency Funds Signature Card, the form will be rejected. Approvers may be updated on a new Agency Funds Signature Card.

Address

List the address for the Payee/Vendor.

If the address does not match the address associated with the M# in the financial system (Banner), the form will be rejected.

Please remember that apartment numbers should be included when entering the address.

It is the student/employee’s responsibility to keep Pipeline up to date with any personal information changes.

Special Handling Instructions

Please see examples of what could be considered special handling:

An organization member wants to pick up a check and hand deliver it to the vendor for items being purchased. This arrangement should be avoided to the maximum extent possible.

The vendor is a national organization, and a list of members needs to be mailed with the check.

The check is needed by a specific date.

If the payee is a student and no special handling instructions have been listed, the check will be mailed to the address provided.   If the payee is a student and special handling instructions state that the student or a representative will pick up the check, the check must be picked up within one weekIf the requested check has not been picked up within one week, the check will be mailed to the payee’s address.

If a check to a student is returned because of an incorrect address, the student will need to come to Cope 103 to pick up the check. Prior to receiving the check, the student will update his or her mailing address and then fill out an ACH Payment Enrollment Authorization form (using SSO credentials) for direct deposit for future reimbursement.

If the payee is an MTSU employee, payment will be made via ACH and reimbursement will go directly to the payee’s bank account.

PAYMENT DESCRIPTION

List a description of why the payment is needed.

BANNER INDEX NUMBER

This is the 080XXX for your student organization.

EXPENSE ACCOUNT CODE

Please enter 29300 unless instructed otherwise in the future.

AMOUNT APPROVED FOR PAYMENT

This is the total of the reimbursement.  If the amount listed on the form is more than the balance in the organization’s agency fund, the form will be rejected noting that funds need to be deposited before a payment request may be made.

Please attach any supporting documentation (if applicable)

Below the payment and accounting fields are three “Choose File” buttons for attaching supporting documentation. Accounting Services strongly encourages each organization to provide support for each payment.  Supporting documentation helps organization treasurers, bookkeepers, and organization leaders better identify payments as needed.  Organizations may contact Ben Jones or Nina Endsley in Accounting Services if they need to review payment support for previous transactions.

If the payment is to a non-MTSU person or vendor, please attach an invoice by selecting one of the “Choose File” buttons.

If a W-9 must be attached, please attach that W-9 by selecting one of the “Choose File” buttons.

As student or faculty representatives change, please complete a new Agency Funds Signature Card.

Please note that MTSU faculty advisors may only serve in an advisory capacity for student organizations that have agency custodial funds, and MTSU may not exert financial control over student organization activities. If MTSU exerts financial control over the organization’s activities, the agency custodial fund must be terminated, and an MTSU fund should be utilized for the financial transactions.

Contact Information

Email:

boffice@mtsu.edu

Address:

Cope Administration Building,
Room #103
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN 37132