A summary tailored to the CBSE to help make the travel & reimbursement process as clear and easy as possible for you.
GENERAL POLICIES We ask our staff, researchers, and grads to arrange and pay for their own travel up front; all work and research related costs for the trip are reimbursed after the trip. If there is extreme financial hardship, then we can reimburse you or pay some costs in advance. This is determined on a case-by-case basis, and we must know at least 1 month before your trip; we need that lead time to make arrangements. Reasonableness of cost is one of the most important factors in justifying travel payments. Choose the most economical arrangements possible. 1. Airfare: Economy If you are driving your personal car instead of flying, then the cost to drive (mileage reimbursement, meals, lodging and parking while in transit) needs to be less than the cost of flying plus transportation to and from the airport. Remember that your car must be insured (see http://finaff.ucsc.edu/ap/pgms/preTripGuide.htm#footnote9 for required amounts) 2. Hotel: Economy Room and tax only, up to $150/night; if no other options are available, we can go up to $225/night, but we will need evidence that this was the best rate. 3. Ground transportation: a. Reasonable taxi or shuttle service (current max is @$40-50 one way) Limo service only if there are extenuating circumstances or if it is shared so that the per head cost is comparable to taxi cost (each person should pay for themselves) b. Rental Car: Economy vehicle; gas can be reimbursed; please use UC-contracted rental car agencies whenever possible: http://finaff.ucsc.edu/ap/pgms/TravelProgramsGuide.htm#UCRental and make sure that 'UCSC' is included on the rental contract. This is so that insurance costs will be included for these rentals, so you do not have to buy it (UC does not reimburse for insurance). For other rental agencies liability and collision damage waiver insurance *may* be reimbursable, but please check with us first. c. Airport Parking: Personal vehicle parking at local airport may be covered if cheaper alternative than taxi to airport. 4. Meals and incidentals: Expenses just for you, the traveler. Incidentals includes tips and fees for services (waiters, baggage handlers, etc). Trips over 24 hours: Up to $64/day Trips 12-24 hours: up to $42 Trips 12 hours or less: only if it is part of a documentable business meeting. For all trips, Paying for meals for others not allowable. Alcohol is also not allowable. 5. Misc costs Internet and phone calls for business purposes are reimbursable, as is one reasonably brief personal call home per day. Parking and tolls are also reimbursable. PRE-TRIP: 1. You will need an email approval from David or Jim for the trip. 2. Foreign airfare: must be on a US carrier or a foreign carrier that has a code sharing agreement with a US carrier. See this link for a list of the carriers we can use: http://www.travel.ucla.edu/new/resources_code_share.shtml 3. The university has a new travel insurance policy. Employees will now be covered worldwide, 24 hours a day, for a wide variety of incidents. The new coverage is more generous than before, and is provided at no cost to you.To get this coverage you must register any out-of-state or out-of-country UC business trips at http://www.uctrips-insurance.org/ See http://risk.ucsc.edu/insurance/travelinsurance.html http://financial.ucsc.edu/Pages/Travel_PreTripGuide.aspx#before for more information. 4. And remember to keep records of anything you pay for in advance. POST-TRIP: 1. Original itemized receipts are required for your airfare (e-ticket OK), hotel, conference/meeting registration, rental car, any other expense over $75 and any host gift over $25 (see miscellaneous, below for an explanation of host gift). For registration, an email invoice or payment confirmation from the vendor that clearly shows your name, what you paid for, and the amount you paid is sufficient. If you share a room with someone, the best way is to pay your half only. Bundled airfare/hotel costs from an internet travel agency are only allowable if the agency provides a detailed receipt or invoice which identifies each cost separately. Copies (ie not originals) of receipts or an email with date, description, amount is sufficient for transportation costs under $75 and for your meals. If you don't have the meal receipts, an email which lists the date, place, meal and total cost for the meal is sufficient. If you attend a conference, we need a conference or meeting agenda as well (web link to the conference page so we can print it out is sufficient). 2. Within 21 days of your travel, provide all your receipts & information in one batch to Ruth. She will complete the post-travel form for you then contact you for signature when it is done. MISCELLANEOUS 1. There are standard RT airport mileage reimbursements from SC for each of the local airports. Just let us know which airport, and we'll calculate it for you. 2. Host gifts: If you stay at someone's home in lieu of a hotel, then you can purchase a gift for them (one item, up to $75 for the full visit) and claim it on your post-travel. The receipt needs to be itemized if over $25. This is the one case where you can buy dinner for other individuals (your host) and claim it on your post-travel. 3. Extended stay: If you get a reduced airfare to stay longer at your destination (for example, a Saturday night stayover), and the total cost, airfare + lodging, is still less than what it would cost to fly back sooner, then you can stay the extra time. We will need justification from you (print-outs of cost comparisons from online travel agencies is sufficient).
If you need more detail, below are links to the complete University policies.
Pre-trip guidelines:
http://finaff.ucsc.edu/ap/pgms/preTripGuide.htm
Post-trip guidelines:
http://finaff.ucsc.edu/ap/pgms/postTripGuide.htm
University contracts & preferred vendors:
http://finaff.ucsc.edu/ap/pgms/TravelProgramsGuide.htm#UCRental
http://www.ucop.edu/purchserv/access.php
For those of you who would like to mine the full UC travel policies:
http://www.ucop.edu/ucophome/policies/bfb/g28.pdf
(note that individual campuses are allowed to be more stringent; so UCSC
may be less permissive than some of the policies listed)
Form for post-travel reimbursement:
http://finaff.ucsc.edu/resources/pdf/ap/PostTravelForm.pdf