Course Objectives

This course is designed to provide participants with the opportunity to develop an understanding and working knowledge of:

• Budget preparation and planning processes
• Current efforts to improve budgeting and to link budgets to plans
• Legislative review and approval of the budget; involvement of legislators and citizens in the process
• Elements of effective budget documents
• Budget execution and interim budget reviews

 

Required Course Materials

It is your responsibility to supply the following materials for the course:

• Recommended Budgeting Practices: A Framework for Improved State and Local Budgeting, developed by the National Advisory Council on State and Local Government Budgeting and published by the Government Finance Officers Association, can be downloaded from http://gfoa.org/services/nacslb.
• “GFOA Best Practices” in Budgeting and Financial Planning – to be furnished for download on first day of class

Exam Schedule

Exam I - Financial Planning and Budgeting

Online Fall Exams
Window 1: Sept. 28 - Oct. 9, 2026 (1 session)
Window 2: Nov. 2 - 13, 2026 (1 session)

Online Spring Exams
Window 3: Feb. 1 - 12, 2027 (1 session)
Window 4: April 12 - April 23, 2027 (1 session)

A member of the professional education team will coordinate with students individually to schedule an online exam time during the scheduled exam period. 

System requirements for online GFOA exams: Windows: 10 (but not 10S), 8, 7, or Vista or Mac: OS X 10.5 or higher. Students must also have a web camera (internal or external), microphone and a broadband internet connection.

Students participating in online GFOA exams will be permitted to use a single-line, basic calculator, (3) dry-erase boards (12" X 9" recommended size), and a dry-erase marker during each GFOA exam. Students can use dry-erase boards to work through exam problems and will be required to show blank dry-erase boards at the end of the testing session.

Meet Your Instructor

Anne P. Harty

CPA, CGFO

Anne has 34 years of experience as a fovernment finance officer in local government and another five years in public accounting as a CPA. Anne completed the Government Finance Officer’s Association (GFOA) Advanced Government Finance Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2009. She received her designation as a Certified Government Finance Officer from GFOA-SC in 1994 and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1990. Anne received her Bachelor of Science in business administration from Winthrop University in 1987. Anne is currently Vice President - Operational Consulting for First Tryon Municipal Advisors. She retired from the City of Rock Hill in June 2025 where she served as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Rock Hill in 2005, Anne served as the York County, SC Treasurer and Finance Director for 14 years (Anne Poag Bunton). Anne has been involved in GFOA for most of her career, serving in myriad capacities.

Registration and Fees

Please note: Space is limited, and your seat in the course is not confirmed until payment is received. Additionally, payment must be received at least seven days before the start of the course by Noon EST on the seventh day.

Continuing Education and Conferences (CEC) is committed to supporting learning and engagement for all program participants by providing appropriate accommodations. If you have a documented disability and need accommodations, please contact the ADA Coordinator at accessibility@sc.edu.

Dates / Sessions	Times	Fees
GFOA - Financial Planning and Budgeting Course 09/24/2026 - 09/29/2026 Thursday - Tuesday 4 Sessions Register Online Notes: Orientation information will be emailed approximately one week before the course starts.	9:00 AM - 4:30 PM	$450
GFOA Exam I - Financial Planning and Budgeting 09/28/2026 – 04/12/2027 All Testing Periods Register Online Notes: This Exam will be held online. A member of the professional education team will coordinate with you to schedule an online exam time during the scheduled exam period.	Various	$60

 

Registration and Payment Notes

We accept online payment via VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express through MarketPlace, a secure electronic environment that simplifies business transactions with the university. Follow the MarketPlace prompts to complete payment. Your transaction is only complete when you receive an order number, which is your receipt of payment. Your seat is not guaranteed until payment is received and you receive an order number.

Once you have paid and are enrolled, you'll be emailed location and parking information for face-to-face programs or online instructions about one week before the program begins.