Update Revision Responsibility: Vice President for Administration

SCTCC shall manage grants in a fiscally responsible manner following all MnSCU policies and procedures as well as all grant stipulations. A grant director will be assigned and will have the responsibility of maintaining compliance to the grant.

S7.4.1 Grant Management Procedures

Application Process

All College employees, students, alumni, or other stakeholders may apply for a grant. Prior to submitting the grant, a grant planning form must be completed. It lists the purpose of the grant, the grant funding source, any matching or in-kind requirements, and a brief description of the intent of the grant. It is signed by the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Vice President of Administration, and the President. The form is filed in the President’s office, and a copy is sent to the Accounting Officer. SCTCC grants must follow the SOP located on the following webpage: http://www.sctcc.edu/policies

Successful Grant Award

SCTCC grants must be signed by the college president, or designee. The designated grant administrator has overall accountability for the grant outcomes. The grant administrator sends a copy of the grant to the Business Office. The Accounting Officer sets up account structure and approved budget in ISRS and forwards to the grant administrator for review and discussion if appropriate.

Purchase Order Approval and Processing

  1. All MnSCU Board Policies and Procedures will be followed as well as all SCTCC Policies and Procedures http://www.sctcc.edu/sites/default/files/policies/S5.10%20Purchasing%20Policy.pdf
  2. Grant administrator is responsible for compliance with respective grantor policies and regulations.
  3. Grant administrator or designee is responsible for the completion of MnSCU template contracts that are required per policies.  For example – Professional Technical Contracts.  
  4. All purchase orders that require quotes, bids, or contracts will be held until documentation is received by SCTCC Business Office.
  5. SCTCC Business Office will process purchase order based on directions given by grant administrator or designee and file in accounts payable files at SCTCC Business Office.

Accounts Payable Payment Processing

  1. The grant administrator will approve all vendor invoices with signature, PO number, and cost center up to delegated authority and forward to SCTCC Business Office. 
  2. SCTCC Business Office will review PO encumbered amount for sufficient funds and Business Manager will approve expenditures that exceed grant administrator’s delegation of authority.  Discrepancies will be communicated to grant administrator or designee for resolution.
  3. When encumbrance and vendor invoices agree, SCTCC Accounts Payable will pay all approved vendor invoices in a timely manner.

Personnel, Payroll, and Employee Expense Reports

  1. Grant administrator will send Human Resources all personnel assignments for the ensuing fiscal year by April 1, if possible.
  2. Accounting Officer will review to ensure personnel budgets are sufficient and in compliance with grant plan.  If issues arise, Accounting Officer and/or Vice President of Administration will work with grant director for solutions.
  3. Payment of employees will follow college standard processes.
  4. Employee expense reports for the grants will follow MnSCU policy and will be reviewed and signed by the employee’s supervisor, then forwarded to payroll and business office departments for processing. 

College Internal Chargebacks

  1. SCTCC Business Office personnel will chargeback for printing and copying per SCTCC managed printing system rates.  Postage and bookstore supplies chargebacks will be charged back monthly.
  2. Chargeback transactions can be viewed through ISRS.

Receipt of Funds

  1. Grant funds will be receipted by SCTCC Business Office in the proper cost center. 
  2. Reimbursement requests will be calculated by SCTCC Business Office staff and reviewed and approved by the Vice President of Administration or Business Manager.
  3. SCTCC Business Office staff will properly receipt reimbursement funds.

Budget Adjustments

  1. Grant administrator must approve and notify the Vice President of Administration and/or Business Manager in writing of any budget adjustments.
  2. If in the processing of a purchase order there is insufficient funds noted, the grant administrator or designee must notify in writing to the Accounting Officer or Vice President of Administration the request for the transfer of funds based on grant regulations.
  3. Vice President of Administration or Accounting Officer will complete budget adjustments, print grant administrator request and documentation, and attach to budget adjustments.  These adjustments will be kept electronically and/or in hard copy.

Grant Reporting

  1. Grant reporting will adhere to requirements of the respective grant.
  2. The grant administrator is responsible for compliance with sensitive time requirements of the grant and reports those dates to the Vice President of Administration and Accounting Officer (if applicable).
  3. Grant administrator, Vice President of Administration and/or Business Manager, and Accounting Officer (if applicable), will meet periodically to discuss matters pertaining to the grant.

Grant Close Out

  1. Usually time sensitive, the Vice President of Administration and/or Business Manager and the grant administrator will meet three (3) months prior of close out to discuss budget balances.
  2. One month prior to close out the Vice President of Administration and/or Business Manager and grant administrator will meet to monitor the progress, budget balances, and encumbrances.
  3. Final closeout reports will be jointly reviewed by the grant administrator, Vice President of Administration and/or Business Manager and Accounting Officer (if applicable).

S7.4.2 Grant Purchases Procedure

Standard Operating Procedure for Grant Purchases

To ensure proper checks and balances, all grant related purchases must go through the following approval processes in addition to adhering to MnSCU Board policies and procedures relating to procurement and contracts 5.14, 5.1432 and 5.14.5 as well as St. Cloud Technical & Community College’s policies and procedures.  Procurement card policies and procedures must also be followed.  See MnSCU 7.3.3 and St. Cloud Technical & Community College’s policies.

  1. Fill out a Purchase Requisition Form for all purchases prior to initiating purchase. 
  2. Once completed, the purchase requisition must be approved by cost center authority.
  3. Cost center authority has final signature prior to initiation of purchase for both purchase order or p-card purchases.

Any purchases that do not follow the SOP for Grant Purchasing will result in a 16A letter.

S7.4.3 Grant Reporting Standard Operating Procedure

Purpose and Scope: State the intent, objectives and extent of coverage of the SOP.

To establish roles and responsibilities for the reporting of grants.

Procedural Steps & Responsibilities: Document specific, procedural, step-by-step instructions. List titles and departments responsible for specific aspects of the SOP.

Business Office Staff Responsibilities:

  • Responsibility of financial reporting preparation and secondary review by business office staff.
  • Timely completion and submission of combined report to grant signatory (or designee) 1 week prior to due dates.

Grant Programs Staff Responsibilities:

  • Responsibility of program reporting (narratives, RAD, etc.) and secondary review by Program Director.
  • Timely completion and submission to business office 2 weeks prior to due dates.

Grant Signatory (vice-president/executive level) Responsibilities:

  • Enforce timely completion of grant reporting.
  • Submission and certification of the reports to grantor.

S7.4.4 Grant Travel Standard Operating Procedure

Purpose and Scope: State the intent, objectives and extent of coverage of the SOP.

The purpose of this SOP is to standardize the procedure for documenting the appropriate use of Department of Labor/ TAACCCT Grant funds to pay for grant related travel and/or living/meal expenses while on assignment in performance of Grant activity (ies).

This SOP will cover any college employee assigning any grant related travel/expenses to DOL Grant Agreements.

Procedural Steps & Responsibilities: Document specific, procedural, step-by-step instructions. List titles and departments responsible for specific aspects of the SOP.

Prior to the employee request for approval of travel expense/reimbursement under these grant agreements, the following items must be completed before travel occurs:

  1. Travel Request Form.
  2. Request for Out of State Travel (if applicable), which requires justification for travel in accordance with the applicable Federal documents described in Associated Documents section below
  3. Upon completion of travel activity, employee will provide the following details to the appropriate administrator identified as the Signature Authority on applicable cost center(s) on a SEMA-4 form, including a copy of the meeting/travel itinerary and/or conference agenda:
    • Brief description of activity purpose as it relates to grant
    • List of meeting/conference participants with which discussion occurred

The documentation may exist in hard copy or an electronic file (email).

These documents will be secured in the grants program resources files for compliance audits.

Associated Documents:         

With regard to Grant Agreements, St. Cloud Technical & Community College is regulated by CFR Title 29, Part 95 – Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-21(revised 05/10/04), for the determination of allowable costs eligible for reimbursement under this grant award. Circular A-21 defines allowable costs for Meetings and Conferences as follows: “Costs of meetings and conferences, the primary purpose of which is the dissemination of technical information, are allowable. This includes costs of meals, transportation, rental of facilities, speakers’ fees, and other items incidental to such meetings or conferences.”


Printable PDF of S7.4