Spending management in Brazil's federal higher education institutions (FHEIs) is essential for efficient budget management. However, these institutions lack robust and unified tools for monitoring and structuring costs that can provide reliable information for university managers. This article aims to develop a cost management system based on a Business Intelligence (BI) tool for FHEI. To this end, a case study was conducted at a Brazilian FHEI, utilizing the institution's accounting data and management reports. The Activity-Based Costing (ABC) methodology was adopted to model cost items and allocate resources to activities, courses, and student numbers. A dashboard was then developed to facilitate managers’ easier information visualization. The results showed an excessive cost burden on the institution's non-core activities, and the most expensive course for the department was analyzed. Calculating the average cost per student was also possible, as it was lower than the national average, as indicated in the literature. The study has contributed to managing the department's spending and budget control, representing an initial effort to improve the information systems of FHEI in Brazil.