Travel Expenses Advances and Reimbursement

(Fayetteville Policies and Procedures 332.0; Governor's Policy Directive #6)

Travel advances are made only to university employees who are authorized to travel on official university business. This includes regular appointed faculty, staff and hourly employees, as well as graduate assistants, work-study students and hourly paid students. You are responsible for repaying any travel advance within five days after your scheduled return from the trip for which it was issued. If you do not repay an advance when it is due, the amount you owe may be deducted from your paycheck. If the university has to deduct the repayment for your travel advances more than once in any 24-month period, you will be ineligible for further travel advances for the next 24-month period. If your trip is canceled, you must return or repay your travel advance immediately.

You may request and receive a travel advance for up to 50% for domestic travel and 75% for international travel of your total authorized, estimated reimbursable travel expenses. Expenses such as airfare, registration fees and local car rentals are not eligible for travel advances. Allowable travel advance expenses include, but are not limited to, anticipated meals and lodging costs within the limits allowed by state regulations, anticipated mileage expense at the state-stipulated rate if you are required to use your own vehicle for travel, and anticipated taxi fares.

Travel advances must be vouchered or repaid within five days of your return from the trip for which the advance was made. If a travel advance is still outstanding 30 days or more after your return, the amount may be deducted from your next pay deposit or check. If a deduction for an outstanding travel advance is made twice in a 24-month period, you will not be eligible for travel advances for the next 24 months. If your trip is cancelled, you must return the travel advance check or repay it immediately.

The amounts which you may be reimbursed for official university travel are regulated by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Specific amounts are designated for meals, lodging and mileage, with the amounts for meals and lodging varying according to locale. See the travel web site at http://travel.uark.edu or your travel administrator for current rates. You may not be reimbursed for meals in-state unless your travel requires an overnight stay.