Each year, the Federal Government provides over $400 billion in grants to State, local and tribal governments, colleges, universities and other non-profit organizations (non-Federal entities). The Single Audit Act of 1984 (with amendment in 1996) and OMB Circular A-133 ("Audits of State, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations") provide audit requirements for ensuring that these funds are expended properly.
All non-Federal entities that expend $500,000 or more of Federal awards in a year ($300,000 for fiscal year ending on or before December 30, 2003) are required to obtain an annual audit in accordance with the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 (pdf) , OMB Circular A-133, the OMB Circular Compliance Supplement and Government Auditing Standards. A single audit is intended to provide a cost-effective audit for non-Federal entities in that one audit is conducted in lieu of multiple audits of individual programs.
A-21, Cost Principles for Educational Institutions (August 8, 2000)
A-87, Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments (May 4, 1995)
A-122, Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations (June 1, 1998)
A-102, Grants and Cooperative Agreements With State and Local Governments (October 7, 1994) (further amended August 29, 1997)
A-110, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations (November 19, 1993) (further amended September 30, 1999)
A-133, Audits of States, Non-Profits, and Local Organizations (includes revisions published in the Federal Register June 27, 2003, and June 26, 2007) (34 pages, 173 kb)