Definitions for "FOAPAL"
The FOAPAL (pronounced "FOE-pul") is "Banner-ese" for the accounting code that replaces the FRS account number in Banner Finance. It stands for und, rganization, ccount, rogram, ctivity and ocation. Each of these FOAPAL elements tells us a specific piece of information about the transaction (typically, an income or expenditure item).
The FOAPAL is the Chart of Accounts code used to specify exactly which funds are used for a purchase. The codes used to specify and report transactions are Fund, Organization, Account Program, Activity and Location. See UCSC FIS Training Manual: FOAPAL Codes Described.
The "string" of numbers that makes up a specific accounting code. It is an acronym for Fund, Organization, Account, Program, Activity, and Location. For most uses, such as expenditures, only the first four parts of the FOAPAL are necessary and the other two are optional. Sometimes this shortened piece is called a FOAP.