UNL Business Centers and financial staff are responsible for completing the Cost Center Request form when a new cost center is needed to track financial activity related to a specific project or purpose. The cost center request form has built-in logic that will guide you through questions and appropriate next steps. When you complete the form, it will automatically route to Accounting and you will receive additional information once the cost center has been created. To access the Cost Center Request/Update form, you will need to be logged into TrueYou.
For questions, email Accounting at Accounting@unl.edu.
Gather Information then Complete the Form
1. Gather information about the intended use of the cost center
If the cost center will be used to charge any University of Nebraska entity, you will instead need to complete a Service Center Request form. The first few questions on the cost center request form will guide you to an appropriate decision.
2. Understand the purpose of the cost center
Identify the type of cost center needed based on the cost center numbering scheme. Gather information about the funding source and who (sub-program and department) is responsible for the funding.
State Aided Funds
Cost centers for UNL state-aided funds start with 21. The last four digits indicate the area of use for those funds.
Note: When creating a name for some state-aided fund cost centers, the name must include specific words as shown below. The name of a cost center cannot include commas, quotation marks or semi-colons.
| Type of State-Aided Fund | Smart Numbering of Last Four Digits | Name Must Include |
|---|---|---|
| Facilities & Administration | 4000-4999 | F&A |
| Programs of Excellence | 5100-5199 City Campus 5200-5299 IANR | POE |
| Distance Education | 5700-5799 | Dist Ed |
| Differential Tuition | 5800-5899 | Diff |
| Nebraska Research Initiative | 6000-6499 | NRI |
| Tobacco Funds | 6500-6999 | TOB |
Revolving Funds and Auxiliary Funds
Both revolving and auxiliary funds are self-supporting. Cost centers that provide goods or services for internal customers are designated as Service Centers. Additional information on Service Centers is available here.
| Revolving Funds Cost Centers |
|
| Auxiliary Funds Cost Centers |
|
3. Be aware of the naming and numbering conventions of the requesting college
Some colleges have a specific method for naming and numbering their cost centers. For example, some colleges:
- Have a particular method for using the last four digits of the cost center
- Don’t use “child” subcategories
- Have a specific naming convention.
4. Make sure the proposed cost center number isn't already in use
Use the Financial Toolbox to run a report of the department's active cost centers. You can also use SAP’s Cost Center Master Data Report (Transaction code: KS13). First, make sure that a cost object doesn’t already exist for your intended purpose. If not, choose a unique number and name using the cost center smart numbering. The name of a cost center cannot include commas, quotation marks or semi-colons.