How can I reduce my financial burden when I travel for work?
As a best practice, expenses should be paid by the traveler with out-of-pocket funds and be reimbursed. However, you can reach out to your department and ask about these alternative options:
- Travelers may apply for a corporate travel card, which can be used for lodging, ground transportation, and the traveler’s own meals.
- Departments may use a procurement card to pay registration fees on behalf of the traveler.
- Departments may provide a speedtype for airfare in Connexxus and pay the airline directly.
After exhausting all of the above alternatives a last option is to request a cash advance.
Cash advances should only be used when necessary for travel-related expenses, not including meeting/entertainment expenses.
Cash advances have important considerations, implications, and traveler responsibilities. If an employee does not submit an expense report showing how the advance was spent on travel expenses and/or fails to return any unused cash advance amounts within 120 calendar days of the end of a trip, the University is obligated under IRS regulations to consider such amounts as taxable income to the employee. Travelers who are taxed for travel advances will no longer be allowed to receive any future cash advances.