Upcoming Deadlines
- Friday, 2/20 - Submit completed and approved Org Tree change requests
- Friday, 2/20 - Submit Course Materials & Services Fee (CMSF) proposals
- Friday, 2/27 - Update SSGPDP fee websites
- Friday, 3/6 - Queue commitments for Q3 requests
- Tuesday, 3/24 - Submit Form A templates
Federal Updates
Please be aware of two resources regarding the evolving federal policy shifts: the UCOP Federal updates page and the UC Berkeley Federal updates page, which will be updated regularly as new information becomes available.
Budget Process
Budget process update
We are working with the Chancellor and EVCP to finalize the FY27 budget assumptions. We expect to communicate the budget assumptions at the end of February.
Form A templates are due Tuesday, March 24
Form A helps plan campus support for faculty appointments. The form documents anticipated changes in permanently budgeted state-funded faculty for a division's Forecast and Operating Budget. Form A templates are now in your Divisional Folders under the FY2026-27 Budget Process folder. Please download, review, and upload your completed Form A to the same folder by March 24, 2026. Once you have uploaded your division’s completed Form A, please email the Financial Planning & Analysis team at dfl_concierge@berkeley.edu to let them know you completed it.
CalPlanning availability
The planning tools CalPlan and HCP are unavailable for edits while we make updates to the system for the budget process. While the planning tools are down, we will actualize the Forecast and update central transfers for FY26 and FY27. We will also load updated UCPath HCM data for planners to review and selectively copy to HCP. The CalRptg and HCPRptg reporting applications will continue to be available to run reports and Smart View queries.
Action Items
Submit completed and approved Org Tree change requests by Friday, February 20
To submit an Org Change request, please access the Organizational Tree Change Request Portal. For Org Tree changes to be processed in February, please complete your org change request form in the portal as early as possible to allow time for the Org Tree Change Committee to review and route for all required approvals by the February 20 deadline. Please review the Org Tree Change Request Portal Job Aid for more information on how to get started. Contact dfl_concierge@berkeley.edu with questions.
Submit Course Materials and Services Fee (CMSF) proposals by Friday, February 20
The call for proposals for Course Materials and Services Fees (CMSF) for FY2026-27 has been released. The proposal form to establish a new CMSF or to increase an existing CMSF, relevant campus policies, and guidance on completing the form are available on the Course Materials and Services Fees page. Completed proposals must be submitted to studentfees@berkeley.edu by Friday, February 20. Final recommendations and approvals will be made in the spring. Please share this call widely with department leaders in your units. Contact studentfees@berkeley.edu with any questions.
Update SSGPDP fee websites by Friday, February 27
UCOP has notified the campus that School Certifying Officials (SCO), responsible for validating benefits for veterans and military-affiliated students, are facing challenges in this task for students enrolled in Self-Supporting Graduate Professional Degree Programs (SSGPDPs). This difficulty arises because some SSGPDP websites do not provide a transparent breakdown of their fees. Specifically, Veterans Affairs needs to know the fee amount that covers the cost of the educational program alone, as opposed to any additional services (e.g., campus-based fees, student health insurance, and/or student services fees).
Please review and update your SSGPDP program fee webpages to ensure that you clearly distinguish core educational program fees (i.e., tuition) from additional costs by Friday, February 27. As an example, the Berkeley Law LL.M Tuition & Fees page clearly illustrates the distinction between tuition and other fees as required by this new mandate. Please reach out to studentfees@berkeley.edu with any questions.
Queue commitments for Q3 requests by Friday, March 6
Please complete the commitment queue form by Friday, March 6, for commitments to be funded in the third quarter of FY2025-26. Please note that the following commitments do not need to be queued: Budget Decisions; EVCP TAS; Star Awards; Bear Grants; both Productivity Suite and Campus Data Network assessments and endowment payouts for rotating chairs. Commitments are processed quarterly. You only need to use one commitment queue Google Form to submit your funding requests for both faculty and non-faculty commitments. Faculty commitments are defined for this purpose as Start-up; Retention; ASMD; and Chancellor's Professorships. Chancellor’s Professorships are those that are offered via start-up or retention in lieu of an actual chair - until one can be found, and are funded by central resources. For more information on queueing commitments and required documentation, please visit the Commitments page. Please note that if you are working remotely, you must log in through VPN for these forms to work. Please email dfl_concierge@berkeley.edu with questions.
Informational Updates
FY2025 Uniform Guidance Audit Update
After several months of hard work on the full-scope FY2025 Uniform Guidance audit, we are happy to confirm that this important review is nearing completion. Contracts and Grants Accounting and the Controller’s Office would like to express profound gratitude and sincere thanks to the Principal Investigators, Research Administrators, Departmental Managers, HR, Supply Chain Management, IT, and all other campus offices and administrators that participated in gathering the required documentation and for their hard work on helping us with presenting our processes and internal controls in the best light possible. While the final audit report is not yet complete, we are confident that our hard work and collaborative efforts, which greatly facilitated a smooth audit process, will pay off.
The insights gained from this process are invaluable, and we look forward to our future cooperation and efforts to further strengthen our contracts and grants compliance and operational efficiency.
Mileage reimbursement rate changing, per IRS guidelines
The university’s mileage reimbursement rate for expenses incurred in connection with the business use of a private automobile was updated for all expense reports submitted on or after January 29, 2026, for expenses incurred on or after January 1, 2026, in accordance with the Internal Revenue Service standard mileage rates. The reimbursement rate for the use of a private automobile for university business travel was increased from 70 cents a mile to 72.5 cents a mile. The campus reimbursement system and UC Travel Policy BFB-G-28: Travel Regulations have been revised to include this information. If you have questions, please contact travel@berkeley.edu.
Cal Answers Training
The Cal Answers website hosts self-service learning resources, including a complete course on basic navigation, short videos, job aids, wiki documentation, and a list of frequently asked questions.
CalPlanning and Smart View Training
We have an abundance of self-study materials that you can explore at your own pace and on your own schedule. Please consult the CalPlanning training web page for more information on upcoming class schedules and to access all self-study materials. We will add schedules and links to enroll in Instructor-led classes that will resume after curtailment.
Changes to the DFL in Your Division
If the DFL role in your division is changing, email fpa@berkeley.edu to ensure our website, communications, and training plans are updated.
DFL Weekly Updates Page
As a reminder, these updates are regularly posted to the DFL Weekly Updates page so you can reference past updates at any time. Additionally, the Operational Deadlines page provides an overview of deliverables by quarter.
Thank you,
Office of the Vice Chancellor of Finance