Travel

Travel Policies and Funding Requests

Effective January 1, 2006, changes have been made to the University's Travel Policy regarding the reimbursement of meals, and the accrual and use of frequent flyer miles.

• You will no longer need to collect meal receipts; you will be reimbursed at the per diem rate for the city you are in. (You can still choose to itemize meals, however, if you want to be reimbursed at less than the per diem rate).
• The University has strengthened the frequent flyer policy. If the University pays for an airline ticket, any frequent flyer miles acquired belong to the University, and should be credited to a SEPARATE frequent flyer account, which can be in your name and can then be used for future University business. The airlines will give you a separate account as long as the name differs slightly. Example: Bruce Munson would have a personal Frequent Flyer account under his own name, and another account set up as Bruce Munson-UMD.

See the College of Education and Human Service Professions' Travel Policies web page for details.

The same page also explains Dean's Office Funding.

Education faculty also have access to a Departmental Travel Fund. This is typically $250 per full time faculty member per year. To obtain this funding, email Joyce Strand, describing the details of your request. If you are also applying for Dean's Office Funding, use the same form and format.

Reimbursement

• Employees traveling on University business will be reimbursed on a per diem basis for meals, with the reimbursement rate based on the location. Employees may choose to submit itemized receipts when they want to be reimbursed for less than the per diem.
• Itemized receipts must be obtained for all expenses except mileage and meals. A credit card receipt alone is not enough for reimbursement; it must be an itemized receipt.
• Mileage can be claimed simply by recording the number of miles driven. Gas purchases are not reimbursable - they are part of the mileage claim.
• If you itemize meals, alcoholic beverages must be crossed off meal receipts and the total amount to be reimbursed adjusted accordingly. Tax does not need to be adjusted, but TIPS do. The University will reimburse tips for up to 20% of the total meal cost, but not the alcohol portion. Example: You leave a tip based on the total cost of $20 (up to $4), but $6.95 of that total is an alcoholic beverage. You will only be reimbursed for tipping on 20% of your actual MEAL, which is $13.95, meaning the reimbursable tip is $2.79.
• If you are paying for a meal that is hospitality related and has multiple guests, you must list each guest's name and indicate the reason for the meal on the receipt. The number of main entrees purchased must match the number of guests listed.
• Any personal items purchased that appear on receipts must be crossed off, i.e., movies and long-distance phone calls on hotel bills, personal items on a grocery receipt, etc.
• If you are sharing a hotel room and the costs are to be split, please indicate that on the receipt. If your "significant other" is on the trip, and the hotel charges an additional fee for more than one person in the room, this also must be taken off the total amount.
• If you have meals charged directly to your hotel bill, you must also provide an itemized receipt for that meal. You will need to ask the restaurant to provide this.
• Conferences: If meals are provided as part of the conference registration fee, the University WILL NOT reimburse you for meals you purchase on your own. If you choose to skip a banquet, sleep in instead of going to the breakfast buffet, or leave the conference a day early, you will pay for those meals out of your own pocket. Also, a conference program (itinerary) MUST be submitted if you are claiming any meal reimbursements.

Download the Employee Expense Reimbursement Worksheet: (as a Word file) or (as a PDF file)

Get Adobe Reader for viewing PDF files