Guidelines for Travel Reimbursement

1. Guidelines for Travel Reimbursement Department of University Housing

2. What are the different types of travel ? • Professional Development • Professional Development Allotments • Business • Professional Development AND Business • In-State or Out-of-State • Please request for Authority to Travel (TA) 30 days prior to departure for out-of-state! • Individual or Group • Special rules exist for group travel. Please see the Business Office staff well in advance of group travel.

3. Categories of Expenses • Registration Fees • Travel • Lodging • Meals • Miscellaneous

4. Registration Fee Specifics • We prefer to prepay registration fees. • Include the registration amount on the TA (if needed) but do not include it in total. • You will need to submit the registration form along with the TA. • Department prepayment may include pre-conference workshops but not recreational activities or clothing. • Please attach personal check for those items, if desired. • Prepayment methods include: • P-card (VISA). • Check request to the Vendor

5. Registration Fees Continued • If you register instead of doing prepayment, reimbursement is permitted. • Include the amount on the TA and include in the total. • If you purchase registration personally, a receipt is required for reimbursement. • Please include the receipt with your Travel Expense Statement (TES). This will be paid from your Professional Development budget.

6. What is a Travel Authority? • Travel Authority (TA) • A travel authority is required for any employee travel made representing The University of Georgia. • You can find the form by searching for travel authority into the search engine found at : http://www.busfin.uga.edu/forms/ • Upon completion of travel, filling out a Travel Expense Statement (TES) is necessary. • The TES can be found at the same website listed above.

7. Vehicle Possibilities • Using a state vehicle? • You may use department vehicle with permission. • You will need to reserve a state vehicle through Vehicle Transportation & Maintenance (VT&M). • Call to reserve at 542-7528 • Observe special regulations and plan well in advance if you are reserving for out of state travel. • If you pay cash or charge for gas, get a receipt to include with your TES. • Using your personal vehicle? • You will be reimbursed .585 cents per mile. • Please remember to record your odometer readings. • The cost of using your own vehicle cannot exceed the Common Carrier costs. • These include airline, train, or other commercial option • Report all readings and totals on your TES.

8. Air Travel Possibilities • The cost of air travel may be prepaid by department if it is requested on the TA. • It can also be reimbursed if paid by the traveler. • Please include a copy of the ticket with your TES. • Always use the State Contract as preferred alternative unless cheaper flight available or schedule does not work out. • The state contract vendor has been determined based on competitive bids and the lowest cost offered to state agencies. • If you are using the Travel Agency attach a copy of the itinerary & cost with the TES.

9. More travel options. • Other forms of transportation include: • Limousines • Buses • Cabs • Etc. • These fees are reimbursable to the extent that the service is necessary. • Receipts preferred or point to point explanation required; include on TES. • Point to point explanation includes the reason for incurring the cost, such as travel from the airport to the hotel. • Rental car expenses will only be reimbursed when absolutely necessary • This requires advanced planning and approval.

10. Lodging Options • In-State & Out-of-State lodging may not exceed the federal per diem rates. • Per diem rates can be found at http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem. • Lodging may exceed the per diem maximum if you are staying at the conference hotel. • If lodging exceeds the per diem by more than 25%, a letter of justification must be submitted with TES. • You are exempt from in-state local hotel tax. Before leaving obtain a waiver form from the Business Office. • Your lodging bill and proof of payment must be submitted with the TES.

11. Meals Per Diem’s • Breakfast-B • Lunch-L • Dinner-D • In-state meal limits for employees who travel overnight are: • BLD combined: $28.00 • BL combined: $13.00 • BD combined: $21.00 • LD combined: $22.00 • B: $6.00 • L: $7.00 • D: $15.00 • There are in-state limits for the following high cost counties is: Chatham, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, Glynn, & Gwinnett • BLD: $36.00 • BL combined: $16.00 • BD combined: $27.00 LD combined: $29.00 • B: $7.00 • L: $9.00 • D: $20.00

12. Meal Per Diem’s Continued • Out-of-state limits are determined by the federal per diem rates, less the $3 federal incidentals allowance. • Per diem rates can be found at http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem • Rate breakdowns can be found at http://www.gsa.gov/mie • The $3 federal incidentals include newspapers, tips, etc.

13. Meal Reimbursement Specifics • The time of departure and return determines your eligibility for meal reimbursement. • On the first day of your travel, breakfast can be claimed if you depart from town before 6:30am. • On the last day of your travel, dinner can be claimed if you arrive back in town after 7:30pm. • Tax and tips are allowed but must be included in the total expense for the meal. • Meal receipts are not required. • These expenses are reported on the TES.

14. Miscellaneous Items • Necessary business telephones calls, excess baggage, tolls, parking fees can be reimbursed. • A receipt is required for these excess expenses. Report them on the TES. • Expenses for supplies, stationery, and copying may be reimbursed if reasonable. • Receipt required along with a written explanation attached to the TES. • The TA form should be filled out online, printed, and sent to the Housing Business Office. • The TA form can be found at: www.busfin.uga.edu/accounts_payable

15. Hosting Candidate Meals • You are allowed reimbursement for meals eaten while hosting a potential employment candidate. • The current meal expense limits for the candidate and host combined total are: • B $20 • L $30 • D $50

16. Quiz • Please answer the following questions before moving onto the next module.

17. Question 1 • How many days in advance should you submit a request for travel authority? • 20-25 days in advance • 20 days in advance • 30 days in advance • 14-21 days in advance

18. Question 2 • Under what circumstance is using your car not preferred? • When you are traveling out of state. • When you are traveling more than 200 miles away. • When the cost of reimbursement exceeds the common carrier cost. • It’s always preferred to use your personal vehicle.

19. Question 3 • Are meal receipts required for the TES? • Yes. • No. • Only when eating in the high cost counties. • Only when purchasing food from the airport.

20. Question 4 • What are the host candidate meal per diem’s respectively? • 20, 30, and 50 • 6, 7, and 15 • 30, 35, 40 • None of the above

21. Question 5 What methods of prepayment for conference registration fees are available? P-Card Check Request Filling out a TA A and B

22. Question 6 Why is it preferred to use the State Contracted vendor for air travel? It honors a partnership established by UGA. It ensures you are paying the lowest price possible. The state contract vendor has been determined based on competitive bids and the lowest cost offered to state agencies. It is easier to keep track of.

23. Question 7 In what cases is it ok to exceed the per diem for lodging during travel? When the trip is short notice When the living expense of the city are high When you are staying at the conference hotel Never

24. Question 8 Under what conditions can you claim a breakfast on your departure from home day and a dinner on your arrival back home day? When you leave before 9am on departure day and return after 6pm on arrival day. When you leave in the morning and arrive back in the evening. When you leave before 6:30am on departure day and return after 7:30pm on arrival day. Anytime so long as you stay within per diem.