Biennial Budget

At North Dakota State University (NDSU) the biennial budget process establishes the specific financial line item details and narrative statements supporting our needs based budget request.  The request is prepared according to the guidelines established and set by the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE), for the ND University System and its associated programs.  At NDSU these programs include the Forest Service, the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute and the Agriculture Extension Services, Experiment Stations and Northern Crops Institute.

The SBHE sets operating budget request priorities in April of even numbered years.  The operating priorities approved for recurring base funding are included in the submission.  The biennial operating base budget generally includes: Salary and non-salary expenditures, Deferred Maintenance and Extraordinary Repairs.  The SBHE also ranks and approves priority requests for the university system for consideration in the biennial budget proposal submission.  Examples of requests for legislative funding consideration include: Governor's Higher Education Funding Model, Campus Security and Emergency Preparedness.  Capital project requests are set by the SBHE in June of even numbered years and are also included for submission in the biennial budget request.

 After priorities are established and set by the SBHE, campuses and the university system office develop detailed budget plans in compliance with the State’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requirements.

Biennial budget proposals for all state agencies are submitted in July of even numbered years.  They are compiled and reviewed through OMB.  Once that review is complete, NDSU’s proposed needs based budget request, as part of the package for the University System, is then forwarded to the Governor for his review and executive recommendation to the legislature, usually in December of even numbered years.

During the legislative session, which begins in January of odd numbered year, (six months before the start of the next biennium period and a new fiscal year), all state agency proposed budgets are analyzed, discussed, approved and set for final appropriation in April or May for implementation. 

In general, the process takes about 15 months, beginning in April, of even numbered years, and ending with the final State budget approval by the Legislature, which in most years is complete by June, in odd numbered years.  The next biennial period will begin July 1, 2023 and go through June 30, 2025.

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