Bursar

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbɝsɚ/

Definitions

1. An official tasked with the administration of financial resources and student accounts in an educational institution
2. An individual responsible for managing financial operations, including budgeting and accounts, within a school or college setting
3. A person appointed to oversee the fiscal matters, such as tuition and expenditures, of a learning institution

Etymology: Medieval monasteries and colleges kept their money in a leather pouch, and the official who looked after that pouch gave us the word. "Bursa" was Medieval Latin for "purse," and "bursarius" was the person in charge of it: a treasurer. English borrowed the term from that Latin, so a bursar is, at root, simply a purse-keeper. The word stayed close to its original job. In English it has long named the officer who manages the funds of a school, college, or similar institution, and it is still used that way today. The purse at its heart is the same object that gave "purse" its own English form, so the two words are close relatives.

Synonyms: treasurer, financial officer, administrator, manager, accountant