The University of Texas at Arlington

Travel

The information provided is a resource to help serve and support the university community while providing assistance and guidance regarding current UT Arlington travel policies and procedures. The goal is to help expedite reimbursements as quickly and accurately as possible while insuring that all State of Texas as well as UT Arlington Fiscal Regulations and Procedures are followed. Please feel free to contact UT Arlington Travel staff at any time.

Necessary Information Prior to Travel

Travel procedures and requirements will vary depending upon source of funding utilized to pay for the travel, the travel destination, the nature of business conducted while traveling, and the length of time traveling. Each traveler should generally be aware of the constraints that pertain to their travel situation prior to travelling.

Source of funds in an account dictate whether that account can be used under State Fund travel rules, or Local Fund travel rules. Also, some accounts cannot be used for travel due to additional constraints on the account. Reference Fiscal Procedure 2-70, Summary of Travel and Entertainment Policies, for a way to check your account profile status.

Travel is generally divided into four categories; in-state, out-of-state, international, and non-overnight. State Fund travel rules for in-state, out-of-state, and international travel can be found in Fiscal Procedure 2-79, Using State Appropriated Funds. Local Fund travel rules for in-state, out-of-state, and international travel can be found in Fiscal Procedure 2-86, Meals, Incidental Expenses and Lodging. Travel rules for non-overnight travel for both State and Local Funds can be found in Fiscal Procedure 2-88, Non-Overnight/Metroplex Travel.

Travel to Washington DC requires certain information be collected as part of the travel authorization process. Meetings with federal officials on legislative or appropriation issues also require certain information to be registered with the State of Texas. Reference Fiscal Procedure 2-85, Washington, DC Travel and/or Meetings with Federal Officials on Legislative or Appropriations Issues, for methods to submit the required information.

International travel requires additional approvals if using State Fund travel rules. Reference Fiscal Procedure 2-83, International Travel, for methods to submit the required information.

General Travel Process

Pre-Travel

The Request for Travel Authorization (RTA) is used to authorize in state, out of state, and international travel for employees, prospective employees, consultants, guest speakers, and students who are traveling for UT Arlington business. Employee travel requests should refer to Fiscal Procedure 2-80, Request for Travel Authorization, for methods used to process the RTA. Non-employee travel requests should refer to Fiscal Procedure 2-87, Travel for Persons other than Faculty and Staff, for specific requirements associated with these travelers.

Some travel may require travel cash advances. Situations qualifying for travel cash advances and voucher processing restrictions are found in Fiscal Procedure 2-93, Travel Advances.

The travel authorization process requires approval from a supervisor prior to making a trip. Approvals for executive management travel are found in Fiscal Procedure 2-72, Executive Management Travel.

Airline flight bookings must be done through the UT System contracted travel agency. Reference Fiscal Procedure 2-81, Travel Services, for required information to process a booking. Point of Contact and other information for the UT System contracted travel agency can be found at UT Travel Services.

Ground transportation and lodging may be obtained from a variety of sources; however there are additional constraints traveling on State Fund travel rules. Refer to Fiscal Procedure 2-79, Using State Appropriated Funds, for State Fund travel rules requirements for rental cars and hotels. Local Fund travel rules for rental cars and lodging may be found in Fiscal Procedure 2-89, Transportation, and Fiscal Procedure 2-86, Meals, Incidental Expenses and Lodging.

Travel

Travelers should be aware of the requirements for receipts while they are traveling which will vary based upon source of funds, travel destination and total amount of expenses per day.

The State of Texas and UT Arlington do not pay per diem for meals and incidental expenses, although we utilize various federal per diem tables to establish daily limits above which receipts are required for reimbursement. Reimbursements below daily limits may be claimed only for actual cost of meals and incidental expenses. Reference Fiscal Procedure 2-79, Using State Appropriated Funds and Fiscal Procedure 2-90, Travel Receipts, and Fiscal Procedure 2-92, Miscellaneous Travel Fees, for additional information.

International travel receipts will require conversion to U.S. Dollars. Reference Fiscal Procedure 2-83, International Travel, for method to submit the required information.

Post Travel

Payment vouchers are used to reimburse travelers for various expenses after their return. Different voucher procedures exist for different types of trips or if a cash advance was taken or the traveler was a non-employee. Reference Fiscal Procedure 2-82, Reimbursement / Vouchers, Fiscal Procedure 2-88, Non-overnight/Metroplex Travel, and Fiscal Procedure 2-87, Travel for Persons other than Faculty and Staff, for specific requirements to prepare a voucher.

Additional Travel Information Resources

A short list of terms used in travel procedures is available in Fiscal Procedure 2-71, Definitions of Terms Used in Travel and Entertainment Policies.

A quick reference table of allowable expenditures for travel and/or entertainment expenses on Local Funds is available in Fiscal Procedure 2-75, Allowable Expenditures.

Travelers who travel frequently may qualify for a Corporate Travel Card to pay for travel expenses. Reference Fiscal Procedure 2-84, Corporate Travel Card, for details.

Travelers anticipating situations which might conflict with existing policy may petition for an exception to existing rules. Reference Fiscal Procedure 2-70, Summary of Travel and Entertainment Policies, on how to request exceptions.

Employees responsible for travel planning and preparing travel vouchers may wish to attend a *DEFINE training session for Travel Guide Policy & Procedures which covers travel rules and voucher preparation in detail. Reference Define Training application – Travel to enroll in a session.

A tutorial on frequently asked questions is in the *DEFINE Travel Guide Policy & Procedures which answers most of the frequently asked travel and voucher preparation questions in detail.

A list of all the travel procedures may be found at Travel Procedures Index.

A list of all the forms referenced in the travel procedures may be found in the Exhibits/Forms Master Index.

Information on local airports may be found at Dallas Fort Worth International, and, Dallas Love Field.

Learn How to Save on Travel Expenses may be helpful for cost containment ideas for your department.

Employees may also find the traveler’s personal checklist useful as a review of things to remember prior to traveling.