Travel
FIN-TRV-01
About This Policy
- Effective Date:
- 10-01-1990
- Date of Last Review/Update:
- 10-07-2021
- Responsible University Office:
- VP and Chief Financial Officer
- Responsible University Administrator:
- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
- Policy Contact:
Patty Cole
Director, Travel Management Services
anderpaa@iu.edu
- Policy Feedback:
- If you have comments or questions about this policy, let us know with the policy feedback form.
Scope
- Any individual, including but not limited to faculty, staff, visiting scholars, students, and non-university personnel, seeking reimbursement of travel expenses from university or Sponsored Research funds, and any university unit seeking to use university funds to pay for travel expenses on behalf of any individual.
- This policy also applies to anyone who approves or processes travel arrangements and expenses.
- A unit may set more restrictive requirements. In such case, the unit is responsible for documenting, communicating, and enforcing any such requirements.
Policy Statement
- The university may pay for or reimburse travel expenses where an individual or university unit incurs those expenses for university business and the fiscal officer or unit leader approves those expenses.
- The university will not reimburse travelers for:
- any expenses that will be reimbursed from another source;
- any expenses of a personal or political nature, or
- any expenses not actually incurred by that individual with their own personal funds.
- Travel Management Services publishes the university’s reimbursement rates for various types of expense (e.g., per diem, mileage, and shared ride transportation) at travel.iu.edu.
Reason for Policy
- The purposes of this policy are to:
- provide guidance to individuals and university units regarding what travel expenses may be paid or reimbursed with university funds,
- promote good stewardship of university resources, and
- explain the relevant requirements and guidelines for travel expenses to be paid or reimbursed.
- Travelers are strongly encouraged to procure travel services, when available, from university preferred vendors. These vendors include Designated Travel Agencies, online booking provider(s), and vehicle rental agencies. See the Travel Management Services Website for a list of preferred vendors.
Procedures
- Reimbursement Requirements
Travelers are expected to spend university funds prudently (and in accordance with sponsor requirements when the travel is supported by a sponsored award) and to request reimbursement for all travel expenses on a timely basis. Reimbursement requirements are as follows;- Reimbursement requests must be submitted via an expense report through the IU travel system and will be paid after the completion of a trip. The expense report should be submitted by either the traveler or the travelers’ delegate within the travel system (“Delegate”).
- A business purpose must be clearly identified on the expense report for each trip to validate the business need for the travel.
- In compliance with IU’s Accountable Plan, employees, students, and non-employee travelers (or their Delegates) are required to submit reimbursement requests, with required supporting documentation, within a reasonable period of time (as defined in TSOP 9.02 Account Plan Reimbursements).
- Travel Funded by Sponsored Research Awards
- Travel charged to sponsored awards may be subject to specific restrictions set by the sponsor. Travel restrictions may vary between federal and non-federal sponsors.
- Travelers on university business funded by a federal award must comply with the requirements of both the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 220) and are required by 49 U.S.C. 40118, commonly referred to as the “Fly America Act,” to use United States air carrier service for all travel and cargo transportation services funded by the United States Government.
- Certain expenses (e.g., for alcohol) are “unallowable” in accordance with federal cost principles and cannot be charged to a federal award. Some expenses not allowed on a sponsored award may, however, be reimbursed by a non-sponsored fund under specific circumstances if those expenses meet the requirements under this policy for reimbursement.
- Questions about sponsor restrictions should be addressed to the appropriate representative in the Office of Research Administration.
- Receipt Requirements for Out-of-Pocket Expense Substantiation
- The traveler (or Delegate) must submit itemized receipts along with the traveler’s expense report within the travel system. Each receipt must reference the vendor name (and in the case of lodging, the vendor location), the date and amount of the transaction, and the method of payment, and must align with the nature or business purpose of the expense. The following chart sets forth the university’s receipt requirements for various categories of expenses:
Expense Receipt Required Details Airfare Yes, regardless of amount Receipt must show airfare segments Lodging Yes, regardless of amount Receipt must be itemized Meals – Individual Travel No, regardless of amount Expense paid as per diem Meals – Student Group Travel Yes, regardless of amount Receipts must be itemized Rental Vehicle Yes, regardless of amount Receipt must be itemized All other travel expenses Yes – if individual expense is $75 or greater
No – if individual expense is under $75If individual expense is $75 or greater, receipt must be itemized. - If a sponsored research program has more restrictive receipt requirements, the more restrictive receipt requirement will take precedence. The traveler should confirm receipt requirements with the Office of Research Administration or the sponsor.
- The traveler (or Delegate) must submit itemized receipts along with the traveler’s expense report within the travel system. Each receipt must reference the vendor name (and in the case of lodging, the vendor location), the date and amount of the transaction, and the method of payment, and must align with the nature or business purpose of the expense. The following chart sets forth the university’s receipt requirements for various categories of expenses:
- Travel Days: For travel within the contiguous United States, an individual traveling solely on university business to one destination should only need one travel day to arrive at that destination and one travel day to return home. As such, the university will typically reimburse travel expenses for up to two travel days in total for an individual traveling for university business to one destination in the contiguous United States. If an individual has to travel to multiple locations and each location is for university business or if that individual is traveling internationally, the university may reimburse travel expenses for additional travel days where travel cannot reasonably be competed in two days.
- The following chart details the policies that govern travel expenditures:
Lodging |
*NOTE: Lodging of a personal nature is not reimbursable. For example, if lodging for a family member resulted in additional lodging costs, only the employee’s portion of the lodging would be eligible for reimbursement. |
Per Diem (Meal allowance) |
|
Air Transportation |
Commercial Airfare |
|
International Airfare |
|
Privately Owned Aircraft |
|
Charter Aircraft |
|
Exceptions to Requirements for Economy Coach Air Travel |
|
Air Travel Reimbursement when Supported by Federal Grant Funding |
|
Ground Transportation |
Rental Vehicles |
|
Taxi/Shuttle |
|
Limo |
|
Personal Vehicles |
|
Train/Rail |
|
Travel Advance |
|
Student Group Travel |
|
Definitions
Appropriate: An expense that is suitable or fitting for a particular valid business purpose.
Allowable Expense: a necessary, reasonable, and appropriate expense incurred for the primary benefit of university business and therefore permitted to be reimbursed or directly charged based on the permission of the university or by the terms of the federally or privately sponsored agreements.
Business Travel: Travel for the purpose of conducting business for the sole benefit of the university.
Necessary: Minimum purchase or service required to achieve a particular business objective.
Official Workstation: The primary physical location(s) where the majority of work is conducted.
Unit Leader: The director or vice president for an administrative unit, the dean of an academic unit, the vice chancellor or vice provost of administrative services of the campus, or the delegate of one of these individuals.
Out-of-Pocket Expense: An expense incurred by the traveler and paid with personal funds during the trip.
Per Diem: An allowance determined by the U.S. government to cover meals and incidentals while traveling for business purposes. Per Diem amounts are published by the General Services Administration (domestic) and State Department (international) and are specific to major cities.
Reasonable Expense: An expense that is ordinary and reflects a prudent decision to incur the expense on behalf of university business; not extreme or excessive.
Segment of the Trip: Non-stop, in-flight, continuous travel from one point to another point.
University Preferred Vendors: Vendors with whom Indiana University has an established business relationship and, in most cases, negotiated pricing and other benefits.
Travel Advance: Advance payment to the traveler to pay for travel expenses when other payment options are not available or do not meet the business need.
Indiana University Prepayment Programs: Programs established by Indiana University to allow payments to university preferred vendors via a direct bill process whereby a university account is used to charge the business travel expense. These programs include Designated Travel Agencies, online booking tools, and ground transportation providers.
Travel Meeting Card: An Indiana University corporate credit card that is used to pay approved travel expense for student group travel. The meeting card is for student group travel only. Eligibility for the credit card will be determined by Travel Management Services and will be based on the purchase needs of the group requesting the card.
Sanctions
- Failure to comply with this policy could result in a traveler’s expense report being denied by the unit or by Travel Management Services or a lower amount of reimbursement being provided to the traveler than requested.
- Falsification of travel expenses may subject travelers to disciplinary procedures according to university policies.
Additional Contacts
Subject | Contact | Phone | |
Travel Management Services | Travel Staff | 812-855-2873 | travel@indiana.edu |
Office of Research Administration for Federal or other external funding questions | Office of Research Administration | 317-278-3473 | IUProp@iu.edu |
University Tax Services | IU Taxpayer | 812-856-4861 | taxpayer@iu.edu |
Office of Insurance, Loss Control & Claims | Kutina England | 812-855-0837 | kudavis@iu.edu |
History
This policy was established on October 1, 1990.
Revised to add scope November 2016.
This policy was updated on August 2, 2018 and October 7, 2021.
The policy contact information was updated on March 27, 2023.
This policy consolidates the following historical policies;
FIN-TRV-1.0 Authorization for Out-of-State Travel
FIN-TRV-2.0 Reimbursement of Travel Expenditures