UNT not obligated to pay back estimated $83 million in excess fees to state

Bob Brown, UNT's Vice President for Finance and Administration, walks into his office Wednesday afternoon. Brown confirmed the turnabout Wednesday in his office. Photo by Kristen Watson | VIsuals Editor

August 14

15:08 2015

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[df-subtitle]Officials confirm UNT does not have to repay additional fees.[/df-subtitle]

Rhiannon Saegert | Senior Staff Writer

@missmusetta

UNT is not obligated to repay an estimated $83 million in excess funding revealed in a state audit in 2014, officials have confirmed.

The university has already paid $4.7 million to the state, but the remaining balance in excess fees does not have to be repaid because of legislative action this past session.

The $83,461,691 originally reported was for excess funding estimated in a state audit examining 2004 through 2012. In response to the audit’s findings, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry instructed all state universities in May 2014 to audit state funding they had received for the past three fiscal years.

The General Appropriations Act passed last legislative session also required all Texas universities to conduct and submit an internal audit of all employee benefits for the past three years by no later than August 31, 2016.

Any excessive funding received from the state is to be repaid.

Bob Brown, vice president for finance and administration, confirmed the reports this week in his office.

The $4.7 million in excessive employee benefits UNT has paid back to date covers the three-year span the act refers to, Brown said.

Janet Waldron, the UNT System vice chancellor for finance, said the university believes it has satisfied state requirements.