UROC Travel and Reimbursement Policies
On this page you will find policies to ensure your expenses are valid for reimbursement. Please read through this guide carefully and familiarize yourself with the policies. Submit receipts and documents to the UROC Office within 30 days of the trip's completion.
Use Good Judgment When Making Travel Plans
Travelers are expected to spend university funds prudently. Expenses will be paid by UROC only if they are authorized in advance and are reasonable, necessary and in accordance with the University Travel Policy. Travelers are required to use the most economical mode of transportation by the most frequently traveled route. Original itemized receipts are required for all expenditures, including credit card transactions, regardless of amount. Also, university policy will not reimburse expenses incurred for any person other than the traveler. For more information regarding the travel policy, please see the UCLA Travel & Entertainment Policies web site.
Transportation
- Airline reservations: Air arrangements will be made on the traveler’s behalf by UROC staff members. The traveler will work closely with UROC staff members to accommodate the traveler's needs.
- Rental car: In most situations, students are not allowed to rent vehicles. However, if you are approved for rental keep in mind that upgrades, additional insurance coverage and GPS navigation systems will not be reimbursed. Do not purchase the gas-fill option. The vehicle must be filled at a gas station according to the rental agencies policy on replacing gas/filling the tank. In addition, reservations must be made in the traveler's name and reimbursements will be paid to the traveler. Expenses incurred by or submitted by someone other than the traveler are not eligible for reimbursement. Traveler must submit a paid invoice with a zero balance for reimbursement.
- Private automobile: UC Merced pays a standard rate per mile for official university travel by private automobile based on the actual driving distance by the most direct route. Distance is calculated using Google maps' most direct route. The current rate for mileage is $.56 cents per mile as of Jan 1, 2014. Mileage is reimbursed in lieu of gas receipts; therefore, gas reimbursements in addition to mileage reimbursements are not allowable. Mileage reimbursements require travelers to submit the license plate numbers of their vehicles.
- Other ground transportation: Travelers should select the most cost effective means of ground transportation, whether shuttle, taxi, train or local bus, as needed to travel between business locations. Each traveler must submit original itemized receipts for this expense. In some instances, retaining an original itemized receipt may not be possible for your mode of public ground transportation; please discuss with the UROC staff members if this is the case.
Conference Registration
Conference registrations may be paid by UROC in special circumstances submitted well in advance. Travelers should contact UROC no later than eight weeks before an event to arrange payment of conference registration fees. Payment requests received less than two weeks before an event starts may not be eligible for prepayment; in which case, travelers will be required to pay out of pocket and submit a paid invoice for reimbursement upon their return.
If registration was paid out of pocket, submit paid invoice for reimbursement upon returning from the event. Each traveler must also submit an agenda from the event, which should include your presentation (either poster or talk, etc.).
Hotel / Lodging Accommodations
- You are responsible for any unauthorized charges on your room account.
- Cost: Travelers should ask for the contracted conference rate or the government rate when making reservations. Please ask UROC to help with these rates when making lodging arrangements -- staff members will be more familiar with how this works and who accepts these rates.
- Payment for another traveler: Rooms reserved and paid for by someone other than the traveler are not eligible for reimbursement. Any additional nights without prior authorization or for personal reasons are not eligible for reimbursement. An itemized hotel receipt with a zero balance is required for reimbursement.
Meals and Incidentals
- Travelers must submit original itemized receipts, charged within the period of time designated for their visits.
- The daily limit for travel longer than 24 hours with an overnight stay is $50 per day ($15 for breakfast, $15 for lunch and $20 for dinner). Any costs greater than the allowable limit will not be reimbursed unless you have pre-approval from your coordinator.
- Meals for travel less than 24 hours without an overnight hotel stay are not eligible for reimbursement.
- Meals included in the cost of a conference registration are not eligible for reimbursement. Alcoholic beverages are not reimbursable, according to university policy.
- If meals are provided to participants at the event, receipts for additional meals during that time period are not reimbursable.
Receipts
You will need to submit original itemized receipts showing confirmed payment and zero balance for all expenses incurred. Attach original receipts (separated by date), using tape, to blank 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper. We will scan these sheets, so fit as many receipts on the same page but make sure they are legible when we scan. All expenses incurred must be in the traveler’s name.
Traveling with a Family Member
According to the University of California policy, we cannot reimburse for any family member's travel.
Reporting Travel Expenses
The traveler is responsible for submitting all necessary documentation as outlined above with the required forms to the UROC office within 30 days after completion of travel.
