Revised TUC Travel Policy

Below, please find the latest revised version of the TUC travel policy, including the following changes:

• Following CSU guidelines, the mileage reimbursement rate will increase from 56 cents to 57.5 cents per mile for all travel occurring on or after January 1, 2015. 

• Additionally, the CSU maximum rate for in-state and out-of-state lodging, including Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. possessions will increase to $195 per night, excluding taxes, effective for business travel occurring on or after January 1, 2015. Rates in excess of this amount must be justified in writing and include the business purpose for the necessity to stay within certain facilities.

• The daily meal reimbursement remains at a maximum daily cap of $55.  Receipts are required for any expense of $25 or more. 

• Please note all travel reimbursement requests must be submitted on a Travel Expense Claim Form.
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If you have any questions please contact Maryann Camarillo at ext. 3061 or Liz Zambrano at ext. 3645.  Thank you.

 

The University Corporation                    May 1, 2014

Travel Policy                   Updated Jan.1, 2015

 

Meal & Lodging Reimbursement per CSU travel guidelines -

1. Meal reimbursement is no longer separated into amounts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Effective May 1, 2014, the reimbursement of daily meal expenses will be based on actual amounts incurred subject to a $55 per day maximum meal reimbursement cap.  Receipts are required for expenses of $25 or more. 

2. The maximum limit for lodging is $195 per night, excluding taxes.  Preapproval by the Executive Director must be obtained to exceed this limit for non-Sponsored Programs related travel.  Justification for exceeding the $195 per night maximum must be included on the travel request form.

For Sponsored Programs related travel, employees and Principal Investigators should always attempt to comply with the $195 per night limit whenever possible.  When the lodging rate exceeds the $195 maximum, a justification for the higher rate must be included on the Travel Reimbursement Form.  Justification for a higher rate could be geographic region, season of travel, or the necessity to stay within certain facilities.

No preapproval is required at this time.  (Subject to change based on eTravel module implementation)

Employees and Principal Investigators are expected to seek the best value whenever they obtain lodging.

3. A $7.00 incidental allowance may be claimed for each 24-hour period.  Incidental allowance includes expenses such as laundry services, dry cleaning, and tips for services such as waiters and baggage handlers.  It does NOT include cab fares, telephone calls, and other business expenses.

 

Traveling less than 24 hours -

4. When the entire length of a trip is less than 24 hours, meals and incidental expenses will not be reimbursed unless the travel includes an “overnight stay” as supported by a lodging receipt.

5. If the traveler is unable to provide a lodging receipt, he or she must include a statement with the Travel Expense Claim explaining why a receipt is not available (e.g. the traveler lodged with a friend or relative, stayed overnight at the airport, or took alternative transportation that required the traveler to be away overnight).

 

Traveling more than 24 hours –

6. If you are traveling for MORE THAN 24 hours, eligibility for meal reimbursement on the last day of travel will be as follows:

1. Breakfast if travel extends past 9:00 am. 
2. Lunch if travel extends past 2:00 pm. 
3. Dinner if travel extends past 7:00 pm

7. Total daily meal reimbursement cannot exceed $55 maximum. 

8. Receipts are required for expenses of $25 or more.

 

General information -

9. Requests for employee travel must be preapproved prior to any travel taking place.  All employees (Sponsored Programs employees are exempt) will complete a Travel Preapproval Form and forward to their respective supervisor for approval.  Employees will include the Travel Preapproval Form with their travel reimbursement information. 

10. Employees may request an advance by completing an Advance Request Form with the proper authorization.  The Advance Request Form must be submitted to TUC at least 5 days before the advance is needed.  The amount of the requested advance cannot exceed 75% of the expected total expenditure for employees and Principal Investigators.  Students are eligible for advances up to 100% of the expected expenditure amount.

11. Reimbursable items costing $25 or more incurred while traveling on company business must be substantiated by attaching an itemized receipt.  Receipts for reimbursable items costing less than $25 are no longer required to be submitted. 

12. Movies are NOT reimbursable.

13. If employees are traveling to attend a meeting, a copy of the meeting agenda must be submitted with their travel reimbursement information.

 

Rental Cars -

14. Authorization to Rent

A vehicle may be rented when renting would be more advantageous to TUC than other means of commercial transportation, such as using a taxi.  Advance reservations should be made whenever possible and a compact, economy or intermediate class vehicle requested.  These classes should be used unless a no-cost upgrade is provided or if the recommended sizes are not adequate to meet the business purposes of the trip.

The rental car agency’s TUC identification number should be given to the agency at the time of rental in order to secure the contract rate and ensure that the vehicle is covered by physical damage insurance.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car is the contract car agency for 2014.  The account number is NACA053 and the company name is CSU.

 

Mileage - 

15. Effective January 1, 2015, the standard maximum mileage reimbursement rate will increase from 56 cents to 57.5 cents per mile. 

16. Allowable Mileage Expense:

Mileage shall ordinarily be computed between the traveler’s normal work location and the common carrier or destination.

Mileage expenses may be allowed between the traveler’s residence and the common carrier or destination if University business travel occurs during the traveler’s non-working hours, or during a regularly scheduled day off.

When a traveler is authorized to drive a private vehicle to or from a common carrier terminal, mileage may be reimbursed as follows:

1. One round trip, including parking for the duration of the trip; or
2. Two round trips, including short-term parking expenses, when an employee is driven to a common carrier.

If an employee has a temporary assignment away from campus, (e.g. single day workshop, local conference, training, etc.) which does not require an overnight stay, reimbursement shall be made for mileage expenses incurred between the campus and the assignment location, or home and the assignment location, whichever is less.

Expenses for travel between the traveler’s residence and normal work location (commuting expense) shall not be allowed.

 

International Travel -

The University Corporation follows the CSUN policy regarding international and high risk travel. The policy can be found at http://www.csun.edu/travel/risktravel.  All forms and procedures noted at this link apply to international and/or high risk travel being reimbursed through funds held at TUC whether related to a grant or contract or TUC company business.