The CSU Board of Trustees approves the campus spending plans following the enactment of a state budget by the General Assembly. This has helped ECSU in achieving its access goals. All full-time students pay the same campus fees, but the University Fee, which is assessed for retirement of bond funding for certain capital projects, differs by residency status. Tuition rates also differ by residency status. The CSU Board of Trustees manages the distribution of tuition and state appropriations, using full-time students enrolled as the basis for the distribution formula.
Campuses retain revenues received from continuing education, fees, and auxiliary enterprise income.
The university establishes guidelines for spending policies, mostly related to an inflation factor, or for a standard reduction, depending on the positive or negative changes in the size of the state appropriation or tuition and fee rate increases being anticipated. Budget reviews are conducted between the managers and their respective vice presidents to finalize the budget requests. At the same time, the senior managers are requested to indicate their priority needs above the baseline, and those listings are later summarized and reviewed in relation to other needs. Budget issues are regularly reviewed with the Budget and Resources Committee, a committee of the University Senate. The Senate itself is briefed periodically by the Vice President for Finance and Administration.