Please read below to find out what you need to know about travel policies and procedures and other important financial matters. The Department must comply with university procedures regarding expenditures on academic and departmental business. Unless you follow the guidelines, you will not be reimbursed for expenditures incurred. If you have any questions regarding the following information, contact Julie Franklin Thank you.
Also know as the E mployee S elf- S ervice I nformation C enter. This Center allows you to change the following information:
It can also be used to find out important information relating to:
To access this system, go to ESSIC . (FYI--The system is only available between 7:30 AM and midnight-EST.) When you are ready to make your travel plans, please do the following: (1) Prior to making arrangements, contact Julie Franklin and provide specific information on your trip: a. Destination b. Purpose c. Event title and dates d. Allotted Amount e. Additional funding from other areas/departments (i.e. Global funds)--provide a copy of the funding paperwork to Julie Franklin. (2) Make travel arrangements with a university authorized agency: Penn State Travel Services --phone (865-1900), fax (863-6329) Centre for Travel --phone (238-4987), fax (238-1972 or 238-7461) Omega World Travel --phone (238-6000), fax (231-0709) FYI-- You may also use Travel Services On-line system ( ResX ) to make airfare reservations. Once you have made your reservations, you can choose to either pay with a purchasing card or have a DBAF issued when purchasing your tickets through Travel Services On-line. NOTE: It is extremely important that you consult with Julie Franklin before using this method for making your airfare reservations. (3) Ask the travel agent to fax the direct bill information to Julie Franklin at 863-7285. **In the event that your travel allotment is less than the ticket cost, the agency may direct bill the department for the allotted amount and charge the difference to your credit card. **REMINDER--All University employees, including graduate students, either fully or partially funded by the university, are required to have air tickets direct billed to the university. Unless you choose to elect to purchase airfare from an alternate source at a lower cost. In this case, you must print the documentation from the Travel Services On-line system verifying that the airfare obtained for a comparable itinerary was competitive in nature. When you return from your trip, please submit a Travel Support Form with attached itemized original receipts. Please submit this form within 5 days of your return. The following information will aid you in completing the form accurately.
Additional Items of Interest to Travelers A travel reimbursement can only be submitted once a trip is completed. If a reimbursement is sought prior to the end of a trip, a hardship must be documented. You can only be paid for your total documented expenses. (For example--If you are authorized $300, and per diem plus all other expenses for which you have receipts totals only $275, this is all the reimbursement you will receive.) ** However, you can list documented expenses totaling more than your authorized reimbursement on the Travel Support Form for tax purposes. ** The current rate of reimbursement for automobile travel is .485 cents/mile. If you will be claiming mileage, it will be helpful if you go to MapQuest and use the Web site to compute the number of miles for your trip. Please print the information provided by MapQuest and include it with your travel paperwork. Reimbursement for food is based on a daily allowance, please access the following Web site to assist in determining your daily reimbursement rate CONUS Travel Meals Settlement Calculator . Please print the information provided by the "calculator" and include it with your travel paperwork. ** Reimbursement for employees and visitors dining in State College is currently $31/person. ** Prior to using the purchasing card, please remember to make sure that you are making an allowable purchase. Make sure that you obtain itemized receipts. Reminder that Penn State is a tax-exempt organization; therefore, make sure that no tax is charged on any purchases. If you are traveling out of the country for 3 weeks or less , proceed the same way as you would for domestic travel. (See information listed above.) However, you will not need a receipt for lodging, food, or incidental expenses because reimbursement will be provided on a per diem basis utilizing the OCONUS Per Diem Travel Settlement Calulator . Please print the information provided by the "calculator" and include it with your travel paperwork. If you are traveling longer then 3 weeks , this is considered extended travel and will be calculated differently. Receipts for lodging, food, and incidental expenses will not be required for the first 3 weeks (21 days) of the trip. As mentioned above, this time frame will be computed on a per diem basis. However, after this time frame actual receipts for these expenses are required. Please refer to Extended Travel Policy TR09 . An Itinerary Form will also need to be completed for this type of travel. See Julie or Amy for a form prior to going on your trip. Currency conversion will be completed by using the receipts and information you provide. FYI--See Kim Keller (kaw1 or 5-6996) for additional information on obtaining Global funding. Other Useful Travel/Financial Links CONUS Travel Meals Settlement Calculator OCONUS Per Diem Travel Settlement Calulator Travel Support Form ( Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader ) |
