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Expense Reports & Reimbursement
The Travel Authority form must be completed prior to any travel related to Official University Business. This form should be filled out completely, listing all anticipated expenses related to the travel. All form fields should be completly filled out regardless of how the actual expense will be handled (whether the hotel/motel prepaid via check requisition, and/or their rental vehicle reserved through E-Procurement). The Authority to Travel form is what authorizes the employee to travel for University Business and authorizes the anctipated expenditures. For example, a traveler would include the estimated cost of airfare on their authority to travel form, even though their airfare will be handled via University Purchasing card, or a traveler would include the estimated cost of a rental car as the mode of travel on the authority to travel form, even though their rental vehicle requests will be reserved through an e-Procurement requisition. The Authority to Travel form is required to authorize travel even when no expense ($0) will be incurred.
International travel must be approved by the President's Office. Also, US travel to offshore locations (i.e. Hawaii) should also be approved by the President's Office.
2011 MILEAGE RATE INCREASE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2011: Under Issue Number IR-2010-119 from the Internal Revenue Service, effective January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011, and subordinate to the State Accounting Office for the State of Georgia, the standard mileage rate for automobiles has increased from 50 cents to 51 cents per mile for all business miles traveled during this time period. The University will reimburse up to the 50 cents per mile for business miles up through December 2010. For questions, contact Accounts Payable, 358-4049 or 358-4051.
Employees using their personal vehicle for business use (outside of the normal commute to and from work) are eligible for mileage reimbursement (Note: Mileage reimbursement does not apply to employees under a signed contract that requires the use of one's personal vehichle as an condition of employment). Reimbursement for mileage is for any and all business use miles off-site.
If an employee departs from his/her residence on official university business, mileage is calculated from the residence to the destination point, with a reduction of normal one-way commuting miles. For the return trip, if the employee returns to his/her residence, mileage is calculated based on the distance to the residence, with a reduction of normal one-way commuting miles.
On days that are not normal work days, all business miles are reimburseable when an employees personal vehicle is utilized. Mileage reimbursement has no time stipulations, only date stipulations (business day versus weekend/holiday). For example:
Employees using a rental vehicle or university owned vehicle are not eligible for mileage reimbursement.
Cash Advances are given for University Group/Team Travel and Foreign Travel where a purchasing card would not be practical or allowable, and for Employee authorized travel where a hardship is declared. The Travel Cash Advance Request form should be fully completed and submitted to Business & Financial Affairs for processing.
All money not used must be returned to the Bursar’s window and receipts must be reconciled and turned into Accounts Payable within three days of returning from travel or the next request, whichever is first. All expenses (all receipts - **excluding meal receipts), amount of cash advance, and amount returned to the University must be documented and submitted to Accounts Payable (please use the form issued when picking up the cash advance for this reconciliation). Only original receipts will be accepted. The individual receiving the cash advance will be held responsible for the funds received.
A second cash advance to the same person will not be approved until all previous cash advances are settled in full with Accounts Payable (an exception may be made for Athletic events that are scheduled for the same week by the same team.)
Cash Advance funds should not be used for chartered busses, and Airline/Train tickets. In most cases, these can be paid by p-card or directly to the vendor.
For the full policy on cash advances click here.
**Meal receipts are ONLY required as documentation for a cash advance when the conference agenda/travel agenda indicates that meals have been provided.
Savannah State University uses Summit Cruise & Travel to secure flights. If you would like the Procurement Office to purchase your flight, please call Maria at 912-961-0979 to get a price quote. Then prepare your Travel Authorization Form indicating the amount of the flight. It would be wise to add about $100 to the price quoted to allow for any price fluctuation that may occur during the process. Once you have received your approved travel authorization form back, call Maria at Summit Cruise & Travel to reserve your flight with the authorization number issued on your form. Maria will then call Pamela Fulwood, Buyer II in the Procurement Office to verify and authorize the charge. Your ticket will be an electronic ticket. You can get the ticket confirmation number from Maria and go to www.checkmytrip.com to print your itinerary and your ticket if you chose. Your ticket can also be printed at the airport kiosks the day of your flight.
Students and Employees are not to share rooms with each other. Employee lodging is accounted for in a different manner than it is for students, as required by the Board of Regents. Further, while student lodging can be handled through the Procurement Office, employee lodging cannot. The Procurement Office can under no circumstance pay for employee lodging via a Purchase Order or P-Card. An e-Procurement requisition should be completed for student lodging, with a list of students, dates of travel, hotel contact information, etc... provided in or attached to the e-Procurement requisition.
Employees may obtain a travel cash advance, submit a check requisition made payable to the hotel, and/or pay out of pocket to be reimbursed via an expense report to cover lodging expenses. Employee lodging may not be processed through Procurement or placed on a P-Card.
At the completion of any authorized University travel an expense report should be prepared when actual expenses were incurred, for which a cash advance was not received. The Travel Expense Report Form should be filled out completely and submitted along with all receipts (excluding meal receipts), itineraries, and post-travel forms (Title III only).
The allowable per diem rate for non-employee travel is the same as the per diem rate for in-state travel for non-high cost areas regardless of location origin and/or destination. Thus, the per diem rate reimbursable for meals of non-employees is limited to $28 per day. For more information, see our Travel Expense Reimbursement policy & procedure.
(For more information visit the State Accounting Office Website)
Meal & Hotel Per Diem Rates – For Out of State Travel - www.GSA.gov
Business & Financial Affairs Forms
Business & Financial Affairs Business Processes & Manuals
Business & Financial Affairs Policies & Procedures
Need help determining the correct process to follow OR would you like to better understand how the process works, take a look at our NEW DECISION TREES!
Authority to Travel
