Request to Travel/Travel Reimbursement Instructions

First step: Obtain prior approval to attend a conference in person or virtually via direct supervisor/manager.

If approved,  save a PDF copy of that approval email to upload to request for travel authorization approval form in Request Form System.

If there is a registration costs, coordinate with manager

• Payment Services’ employees charge to 19-0206-3150 object code 1275
• Purchasing’s employees charge to 19-0206-2350 object code 1275
• HUB/SB Program employees charge to 14-0225-4050 object code 1275

If lodging is needed, then normally that is reserved using personal credit card for reimbursement after trip ends and normally for conference it is best to stay in conference hotel. Be sure to include the correct # days needed for lodging. NOTE: if using state account funds then need to know any overage on lodging amount will need to be paid by local account/funds.

Also know if adding personal travel days to beginning or ending dates of business travel trip then you pay for lodging and meals on those days. Rule of thumb: add one day before trip and one day after trip to accommodate flights to destination before event starts and from destination after event ends which can count for business days of travel. Example: if conference dates are 10/4/22-10/6/22 then add a day before and after on dates of travel on RTA thus request 10/3/22-10/7/22. Also note if conference ends at noon then if you want try to make travel arrangements such as flights to leave that afternoon. If driving return trip home and number of hours is manageable, then leave that afternoon. Otherwise stay another night, such as driving is 8 hours.

Second Step: Must get an approved RTA prior to start of travel per HBP 11.2. Travel Authorization  for all business travel when absences of employees from the campus or other designated headquarters for periods of half a day or more during the normal working period, whether or not there is a cost to the university.  (Note if RTA not done then still need to get an RTA processed.)

Request for travel authorizations are submitted via Request Form System or Form System in UTDirect and it is assigned to BFS to finalize it to create a VE5 document in DEFINE. Request form is assigned to group ‘BFS Operating (00223):

Third step: If there will be a need for airfare or a rental car, then use the online booking tool for Concur but not until you have a RTA# (TV#). Use Concur Travel (Self-Service) to reserve flights for UT contracted travel agency (Anthony Travel) and payment is centrally billed thus paid monthly by Travel Services on VPT documents. Flights are non-refundable and economy.

Booking Rental Cars

Please visit our Rental Cars page for more information. There are specific vendors and car types that must be used for proper reimbursements.

If rental car then needs to have it centrally billed thus TMS receives the invoice and will pay it when due:

Paying for Rental Cars

You may pay for rental cars any of the following ways:

• Central Billing
• Centrally bill Avis, Enterprise or National rentals through the Travel Management Services Office.
• To use this payment option, make your car reservation using the applicable Avis, Enterprise, or National corporate ID number, and complete the Rental Car Central Billing Request Form.

Please refer to Travel Management Services’ webpage about travel planning for further assistance:  https://travel.utexas.edu/travelplanning

• Payment Services’ employees charge to 19-0206-3175
• Purchasing’s employees charge to 19-0206-2375
• HUB’s employees charge to 14-0225-4075

Fourth step: after trip ends submit receipts for reimbursement via the Request for travel reimbursement that is submitted via Request Form System or Form System in UTDirect and it is assigned to BFS to finalize it to create a VP5 document in DEFINE. Request form is assigned to group ‘BFS Operating (00223):

HBP 11.5.4. Receipts: required receipts for reimbursements:

• a hotel portfolio that shows zero balance and paid in full
• Be sure when you checked into hotel in Texas you provided to them a completed Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemption Certificate* because you will not be reimbursed Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax. If hotel not in Texas then disregard.
• if drove personal car then need MapQuest for state accounts or google map for local accounts.
• If rental car, fuel receipts
• Parking receipts – highly recommended to keep receipt but not required to be submitted
• Taxi, shuttle bus receipts
• First Baggage receipt
• Highly recommended to keep all food/beverage (no alcohol is reimbursed) itemized receipts in case go over the local fund/account limit in order to get reimbursed for total of actual meal expenses. NOTE: if did not spend over limit on meals then get reimbursed for sum of actual meal expenses up to the daily limit:
• In Texas:
• Local accounts are limited to a combination of actual meal and lodging expenses not to exceed $260 per day. If meal expenses exceed $51 per day, itemized meals receipts and a written explanation will be required.
• Outside Texas but in Continental US
• Local accounts are limited to a combination of actual meal and lodging expenses not to exceed $375 per day. If meal expenses exceed $51 per day, itemized meals receipts and an explanation will be required.
• Travel outside Continental US
• Reimbursement for meals and lodging is limited to the actual expenses not to exceed $425 per day. If meal expenses exceed $51 per day, itemized meals receipts are required with a written explanation.

Optional step prior to travel start date, if needed request a travel cash advance due to financial hardship. Refer to HBP 11.4. Cash Advance for Travel and for PPS the Travel Cash Advance Request Form to be signed by Roy and then signed by Tatiana Calliham before being sent to Cash Advance desk for processing. BFS will complete the reconciliation after the trip ends thus you will need to provide to them your travel receipts. Any unused cash advance funds must be repaid to UT with a personal check or money order. Or if travel expenses were more than cash advance funds then that will be reimbursed as part of the travel cash advance reconciliation when the Cash Advance Desk clears the cash advance.