University Travel

Statewide Accounting Policy and Procedure, 7.7, Combining Personal Travel with

State Business Travel:

For in-state and out-of-state trips that combine personal travel with State business travel, reimbursement may not exceed the amount it would have cost the State if the traveler did not combine personal with business travel.  Combining State travel with personal travel does not, in and of itself, provide justification for using a private vehicle rather than a state-owned vehicle.

For out-of-state trips between points where scheduled airline service is available and where travelers are combining official State travel with a holiday, weekend trip, vacation or other personal travel, reimbursement will be based on the cost of the roundtrip coach airfare, lodging, and the meal per diems to which the traveler would have been entitled while traveling by air, or by the least expensive option.

When combining business and personal travel that includes air travel, the air travel costs cannot exceed the cost for the business air travel cost and requires documentation and written approval by a supervisor prior to booking the travel.

When combining personal travel and State business travel, baggage and luggage fees should be allocated, accordingly, and be reasonable under the circumstances.

NOTE:  The employee is responsible for any additional costs incurred in booking personal travel combined with business travel.

In no case may a State vehicle (owned, pooled, or rental) be utilized for personal purposes. Again, the overriding principle is the addition of cost to the State/University or the usage of State property for personal reasons.  Additionally, family and friends are not allowed to ride in State vehicles (owned, pooled, or rentals).

When applicable, all of the following items should be attached to the travel authorization:

• Agenda or meeting announcement showing dates, times, etc.
• Copy of registration form with cost of registration if not on the agenda. (Do not send your registration form that you are intending to utilize or send in with check request.)
• Hotel reservation information regarding estimated costs, conference room rate from registration site plus taxes (only if applicable).
• Per Diem calculations
  • In–State:  $28/Day except in Chatham, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, Glynn, or Richmond counties.
  • Out-of-State:  GSA area rate (less the $5 incidentals) times number of days, etc.
• Car Rental Cost Comparison form if utilizing a personal vehicle must be attached to Travel Authorization at time of approval or a personal vehicle reimbursement will not be allowable.
• Estimated rental cost of vehicle if using pooled or rental vehicle.  Make sure you use the Enterprise/Hertz rate, not our internal pool rate and be sure to include pick-up and return dates in your estimate.
• Any other support for other calculations such gas charges, baggage fees, estimated taxi fares from and to hotel, estimated airport parking charges, internet fees, etc.

Do not include gas costs when using pooled vehicles as these will be charged back to your department based on charges posted for the vehicle fuel card.

A general rule of thumb would be to have your approved travel authorization with all appropriate documents fully approved at least two weeks prior to the travel date but the longer the better to allow for processing.  (Contact Transportation regarding processing time needed to secure a pooled vehicle.)

Cash Advances are only issued for team and student travel. Cash Advances are not issued to employee travel. Employees are to cover expenses and seek reimbursement upon return.

It is encouraged that employees have as much of their travel i.e. lodging, registration, etc. prepaid to offset out of pocket costs.

Yes.  The Statewide Accounting Policy and Procedure states:

By approving travel expenses, the approver is attesting that he/she has thoroughly reviewed each transaction and the supporting documentation, and has verified that all transactions are allowable expenses.  The approver is the “check” in the expense reporting process to identify potential or actual errors in expense reporting and is equally accountable for all expenditures.

Upon granting approval of expense submissions, approvers are certifying:

• Appropriateness of the expenditure and reasonableness of the amount.
• Compliance with funding agency regulations and State reimbursement policies.
• Completeness and accuracy of documentation.

Please note that FVSU is audited every year for Travel-related expenses and you may lose your privilege to travel and, in some cases, risk termination for violations of the State Travel Policy. We want to ensure that everyone is able to travel for business in an efficient and effective manner, while also staying in compliance with the State of Georgia, Board of Regents, and Fort Valley State University policies and procedures.

OPB Policy No. 1, Revision 6, issued January, 2014:

State policy requires that travelers submit expenses, substantiating the amount, date, use and business purpose of expenses, ideally within 10 days, but no later than 45 calendar days after completion of the trip or event.

Expenses submitted in excess of 60 calendar days will not be reimbursed. 

Another point to note, travel expenses submitted more than 45 days after the last day of employment will NOT be reimbursed.

No.

The State liability policy is only in effect while the employee is using the rental vehicle for official State business.  For this reason, personal use of the vehicle, including allowing friends or family members to ride in a State rented vehicle, is prohibited.

Note: DOAS (Department of Administrative Services) regulations  prohibits  families, friends, associates or other persons who are not employees of the University System of Georgia, OR serving the interest of Fort Valley State University to be transported in owned, leased, or rented vehicles.  This does not prohibit the transport of students for a valid business purposes as that is serving the interest of Fort Valley State University.  Vehicles owned, leased, or rented using University funds must be used for official business only and never the personal interests of the employees.  Under no circumstances should a University vehicle be used for personal reasons.