Travel Policies (Student)

Penn State Travel Policies and EPCSE Procedures for Reimbursement For Students, 2011

Contact: Laura Zimmerman - laz6@psu.edu

PLANNING

When making airfare arrangements, email Laura beforehand about purpose of travel, and which budget should be charged. Please forward any emails if a faculty member will be paying for any of your expenses from a grant. (Laura will be contacted by the Travel Agent for billing and she must have this information ahead of time.)

If traveling by air, use PSU approved contracted travel agencies (i.e., Centre for Travel/238-4987 or Travel Services/865-0395) and they will contact Laura for payment. OR, if it is less expensive, you may make your reservations and submit your receipt after your travel is complete for reimbursement. Please note, use of any other source for purchasing business travel requires same-day documentation-obtained from Travel Services or Centre for Travel-verifying that the price obtained was lower than the price available through these authorized sources. If not, you will be reimbursed up to the amount quoted.

If traveling by car and you would like to use a university vehicle instead of your personal vehicle see the department website for a fleet reservation form (http://www.ed.psu.edu/educ/ecpse/forms/forms-center/fleet-request). Complete the form and return to Laura at least a week in advance of the first date of your trip.

DURING TRAVEL

Keep the following receipt/records:

1. Rental car receipts. If two or more colleagues are traveling together and share a car, all names should be reported to Laura.
2. Hotel Receipt(s). If two or more colleagues are traveling together and share a room, each person must have an individual receipt.
3. Itemized meal receipts (Must be itemized receipts-not credit card slips) [If this is out of country travel, these are not necessary]
4. Receipts for any reimbursable misc. charges (conference registration, taxi, subways, tolls, etc.)
5. Airline receipts if made on your own, along with the price comparison.

POST TRIP / REIMBURSEMENT

In order to allow adequate time for the information submitted by the traveler to be processed and entered into the system, the traveler should submit receipts and required information (see below) within 20 working days of the date of return. This amount of time is necessary to allow processing of multiple requests for travel reimbursement that may be submitted within a short time frame. If requests are not submitted on time, the traveler must write a memo to the Finance Officer explaining why receipts were submitted late. (This memo will be submitted with the receipts).

Within 20 calendar days of your return, submit the following information to Laura.

1. Purple reimbursement request form (available at Laura's desk or at the department's website under forms- http://www.ed.psu.edu/educ/epcse/forms/forms-cente /ECPSE_Purchase_Reimb_Request_Form.pdf with all information completed.
2. All receipts attached * (see below).
3. Copies of any correspondence--if a faculty member will be covering any expenses on a grant
4. Note: If you are receiving funding from another area, submit a copy of letter from the unit with your expenses.

*Attach the following receipts (see above for details), organized by date.

1. Hotel
2. Meal (itemized, no credit card slips)
3. Misc. Charges (taxi, subways, tolls, parking etc.)
4. Conference registration receipt
5. Airfare receipts if paid by traveler (amount paid and price comparison)

Laura will submit the travel on-line thru ERS (Employee Reimbursement System). You will receive an email with instructions once this is done. You must go in and submit (this replaces your signature on the travel expense form.)

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

GENERAL

If traveling with another person(s), each individual will need original hotel receipts (if traveling together (car or hotel), you must inform Laura who the person(s) are).

Receipts need to be original and itemized. A credit card slip or statement will not be accepted.

Meals (in the Continental US known as CONUS travel) are based on ACTUAL EXPENSES (this is not a per diem) to a maximum amount reimbursed (http://guru.psu.edu/policies/TravelPolicySINGLEDOC.html). Note that the reimbursable amount varies depending on the area (If interested in finding out maximum amounts, enter relevant information at:
http://abs.psu.edu/travelRates/). You must have itemized receipts (not just a credit card slip). This amount includes any tips.

Out of Country travel (includes Hawaii / Alaska and is known as CONUS travel) is PER DIEM (meals and lodging). If you want reimbursed actual expenses, you must submit all receipts and the reason why you want to do actual expenses (memo should be addressed to the Finance Officer).

Mileage needs to be reported by specific travel dates.

What is NOT reimbursable:
Phone calls
Tips other than for meals (e.g., bellhop, taxi.) Alcoholic beverages
Taxis to/from off-site restaurants

What can be PREPAID:
Conference registration. Submit (completed) registration form to Laura. Be sure to include membership numbers when needed. Also, include budget information. (If online registration is an option, print the form, complete it, and submit.)

Airfare, Train, or Fleet vehicle (see above).

What CANNOT be prepaid:
Hotel
Meals

OUT OF COUNTRY (includes Hawaii and Alaska)
Out of Country travel is PER DIEM (meals and lodging). If you want reimbursed actual expenses instead of per diem, a memo should be addressed to the Finance Officer for approval prior to traveling (you would need to submit all receipts at the end of your trip if approved).