Understanding the U-M Budget

“Where Does the Money Go? ”

In March 2021, then Senior Vice Provost Amy Dittmar, recorded seven videos to communicate budget concepts to a campus audience.

Where these videos provide financial data, it is current for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Many of the concepts and principles discussed in the videos, however, are relevant in any budget year.

Budget Pie Chart

Description of the components of the All Funds budget for Ann Arbor campus. (Duration: 13:47)

General Fund Flows

Explanation of how General Fund dollars that come to the provost’s office are distributed to units across the Ann Arbor campus. (Duration: 11:51)

State Funding

An overview of State Funding and the importance of the University’s partnership with the State of Michigan. (Duration: 11:12)

Financial Aid

An overview of Financial Aid at the Ann Arbor campus and its effect on net price for students. (Duration: 10:05)

Capital Projects

Description of how the University plans and pays for new and renovated facilities on campus. (Duration: 14:03)

Cost Containment

Discussion of the University’s efforts to contain costs, gain efficiency, and mitigate the pressures on setting tuition. (Duration: 14:13)

Endowment Basics

Information about how endowments work and how institutions use them to advance their missions, with limited information about U-M’s endowment specifically. (Duration: 15:33)

Photo credits for still images in videos linked above
• U-M images by Michigan Photography
• US Capitol dome Jan 2006 by Diliff is licensed under CC BY 2.5