Financial Regulations

The University has Financial Regulations to ensure that it properly looks after the money it is paid by students, funders, donors, organisations and governments.

The UK Government will only pay money to the University if it has Financial Regulations in place. All staff and students should adhere to the regulations. The Financial Regulations and the Scheme of Delegation combine to inform the University's decision making processes. The Financial Policies below give further guidance on the operation of the Financial Regulations.

Read the full regulations.

Key points of the Financial Regulations

A summary on how to comply with the Financial Regulations: How to comply with the Financial Regulations (PDF , 262kb)

Find the answers to the most common questions about the Financial Regulations: Ten things everyone should know about the Financial Regulations (PDF , 386kb)

Improve your understanding of the Financial Regulations by completing a short online course 

Scheme of Delegation

This document sets out who can take decisions, and who can sign documents on behalf of the University: Scheme of Delegation (PDF , 821kb)

Financial Policies

The policies below give further guidance on the operation of the Financial Regulations:

Fraud response plan

• Fraud should be reported to fraud-group@york.ac.uk and using the University's Fraud Response Plan. 
• Requests for staff or student bank account changes that look suspicious will be reported to the affected person (or supplier) and the relevant bank fraud line.

Expenses and Purchase cards

• Travel and Expenses policy (please note new policy February 2020 onwards)
• How to claim Expenses
• Purchase card policy (new February 2020 onwards)
• Old Professional Subscriptions policy (PDF , 145kb) (applies up to end January 2020)

Gifts and hospitality

• You should not accept gifts or hospitality which might reasonably be interpreted as an inducement to show favour to a person or organisation: Hospitality and gifts policy (PDF , 215kb)
• If you feel obliged to accept such a gift or hospitality, you should declare it using the Declaration of gifts and hospitality form (PDF , 335kb).

Bribery

• Find information about what to do if you are approached to give or accept bribes and what to do if you discover a bribe: Anti-Bribery Policy (MS Word , 32kb)
• Bribery should be reported under the University's Speak up (public interest disclosure) policy.

Investments

• Treasury Management policy (PDF , 236kb)
• University of York Statement on Responsible Investment (PDF , 376kb)

Credit and debit cards

• ‌Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance (MS PowerPoint , 352kb)
• Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) policy (PDF , 21kb)

Money laundering

• Advice about protecting staff from receiving large cash payments: University of York Anti Money Laundering Policy (MS Word , 49kb)
• Please use the Money laundering reporting form to report potential money laundering events to the University's Money Laundering Officer.

Sanctioned countries

• Staff must follow the University's Regulations on Sanctioned Countries (MS Word , 36kb) before entering into arrangements with customers or suppliers. 
• The UK Government publishes two useful documents that are relevant to Universities:
  • Overview
  • Document for Charities 

• the University of York also has to comply with US government sanctions as a condition of its loan financing:
  • US Office of Foreign Assets Control

Equipment inventory registers

Finance document retention

• February 2019 interim guidance (UoY login required) on retention of expenses claims, purchase card records and supplier invoices.