University officials are reporting budget projections that are slightly better than planned, thanks to positive undergraduate enrollments and continued focus on controlling operating expenses.

After the first period of the fiscal year (July-October 2012) university officials are predicting an increased operating margin and an improvement in the amount of savings the institution has on hand. The original budget projections called for the operating margin, which is a key financial ratio, to be about 1 percent, and now the projection is 1.92 percent. UNH’s unrestricted net assets to debt are projected to be 42.9 percent, up from 40.4 percent in fiscal year 2012.

Undergraduate tuition came in at $4.8 million more than expected due to about 200 more undergraduate enrollments, many of them out-of-state students.

Nearly a million dollars of the reduced operating expenses comes as a result of not filling or delaying the filling of positions left vacant after the separation incentive program. This is after fiscal year 2013 salary increases for faculty and staff.

“We are seeing a positive trend in the budget for this year,” said Joanna Young, chief information officer and interim associate vice president for finance, “but it is important to note that our operating margin is still lower than the 3 percent recommended by bond rating agencies. We continue to focus on strong enrollment and expense control.”

To better understand the university’s budget process visit http://www.unh.edu/president/sites/unh.edu.president/files/UNH_Finance101.pdf