UTA Athletics & Campus Recreation Team Travel & Expense Guideline

DIS-T-GL10 : UTA Athletics & Campus Recreation Team Travel & Expense Guideline

 

I. Title

UTA Athletics & Campus Recreation Team Travel & Expense Guideline

II. Objective

Travel Guideline DIS-T-GL10 provides guidelines for University of Texas at Arlington (“UTA” or “University”) Division of Intercollegiate Athletics personnel and student athletes who are traveling for UTA business and for other non-travel related expenses and reimbursements.

Travel Guideline DIS-T-GL10 also provides guidelines for UTA Campus Recreation’s personnel and student athletes participating in Spirit Group, Movin’ Mavs Wheelchair Basketball, and Esports Team.

University travel conducted must comply with the rules and policies including the State of Texas Travel Regulations Act (Chapter 660 of the Texas Government Code), the General Appropriations Act, the State Comptroller's Office, State Travel Management Program, University of Texas System Board of Regents' Rules, University of Texas System Policies, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, and the Travel Guidelines of the University of Texas at Arlington.

This guideline is a comprehensive document, but there are references to the University’s applicable travel guidelines which prevail, if not addressed below to ensure consistent documentation across all programs unless agreed upon by both the Office of Disbursements and Division of Intercollegiate Athletics in writing.

This guideline does not apply to individuals traveling for personal reasons with personal funds.

III. Scope

All UTA Athletics and select Campus Recreation’s personnel, student athletes, prospective student-athletes, NCAA allowed guests, and any individuals who are affiliated with the University (i.e. donors, bus drivers, contract services providers) that interact with these areas who are traveling for UTA and making purchases and/or receiving reimbursements or cash advances not related to travel.

IV. Guidelines

A. Travel and Duty of Care Policy

See UTA BF-T-PO-01 Travel and Duty of Care Policy for complete information that applies to this guideline and all University funded travel:

• Definitions
• Relevant federal and state statutes and websites
• Relevant UT System rules and policies
• Applicable UTA policies, procedures, travel guidelines, and additional resources
• Applicable UTA forms

B. University Travel Card

1. UTA provides a University Travel Card (“Travel Card”) for employees of the Athletics and Campus Recreation Departments who travel. Expenses paid with the Travel Card are paid by UTA. Using the Travel Card reduces the amount of expenses paid with personal funds that must be reimbursed to the employee.
2. The Travel Card has a monthly limit of $30,000. During a team’s specific season, an exception can be requested using the Business Affairs Exception Tracker Request to raise the limit during the season and return it to normal limits at the conclusion of the season, if needed (see Section N for complete information). The beginning and end dates for which the increase is needed must be documented in the exception request. Payment Card Services will schedule the increase and restoration of the limit per the exception.
3. All Travel Card receipts must be attached to Concur Expense. The expense report must be fully approved, processed through workflow, and be available for review by the Office of Disbursements (“Disbursements”) no more than 45 calendar days after the last day of travel.
4. Use the Travel Card as much as possible for foreign travel. The exchange rate will automatically be calculated for that day. The exchange rate for any personal reimbursements during International Travel will have to be calculated after the trip.
5. Purchases made with the Travel Card, that could be made on a University ProCard, must adhere to UTA Procedure BF-PGC-PR-12 Purchasing Card (ProCard) Program.
6. The Division of Intercollegiate Athletics utilizes a ghost card specifically for their departmental/sports airfare purchases. Those expense will be assigned and reconciled by a member of the Athletics Business Office with receipts/documentation attached at the header level.

C. Travel Agencies and Concur – Hours, Phone Numbers, and Emails

To book all commercial flights and direct bill the University, either outbound or inbound, for individual and team travel, the University of Texas System (“UT System”) mandates use of their contracts with specific travel agencies. Airline flights must be arranged through Corporate Travel Management North America, d/b/a Collegiate Travel Planners (“CTP”), Anthony Travel, LLC (“ATI”) or Concur. Other ancillary travel services, such has hotel rooms, rental cars, etc., may also be arranged through Concur or one of the travel agencies. All travel profiles will be shared between Concur, CTP and ATI.

Notes:
Hotel Accommodations: A documented effort must be made to obtain hotel accommodations at or below the government rate outlined in the proceeding section. If a traveler or department who books on the traveler/team’s behalf is unable to obtain a rate and the booking is made through Concur, Hotel Engine, or one of the contracted travel agencies, it is the traveler/department’s responsibility to ensure the nightly rate does not exceed the maximum allowable rate of $209 (in-state) or $324 (out-of-state), pre-tax. All efforts must be made prior and documentation must be attached to the expense report.

If the nightly rate exceeds these limits, the traveler/department must provide a documented business purpose justifying an exception. A Business Affairs Exception Traveler (BAET) is required in these cases.

Car Rentals: All travelers/departments are required to use the UT System contracted auto rental contracts found in Travel GuidelineTransportation Options in Travel Status – All Fund Types.

1. Collegiate Travel Planners

• Normal business hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. CST. 866-366-1142
• Email: utmailbox@ctptravelservices.com
• After business hours/weekends: 800-441-6512

2. Anthony Travel LLC

• Normal business hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. CST. 800-684-2044
• Email: UTTravel@anthonytravel.com
• After business hours/weekends: 800-342-9008, VIT Code 4RRG

D. Pre-Travel Requirements

1.Team Travel Authorizations

All travel within the contiguous United States (“U.S.”) and outside the contiguous U.S. must be requested and approved in advance by having a fully approved Concur Travel Request (“Travel Request”) in place prior to travel. All individuals / student athletes listed in the Travel Request are not required to have a separate Travel Request.

NOTE: When team travel dates are changed, no additional supplemental travel authorization/request will be required to process expenses if dates in originally approved request encompass entirety of trip, superseding any other UTA guideline related to pre-travel approval.

2. Individual Travel Authorizations

All individuals traveling within and outside the contiguous U.S. for UTA business must have a fully approved Travel Request in place prior to travel. This includes recruiting, conferences, etc.

3. Approval for Travel to Restricted Foreign Regions

University travel to restricted foreign countries must be pre-approved by the UTA International Oversight Committee (“IOC) via a Travel Authorization found on the IOC webpage. Restricted regions are identified by the following:

1. The U.S. State Department has issued the following travel advisories:
   1. Level 4: Do not travel
   2. Level 3: Reconsider travel

   (note: this includes numerical advisory levels for sub-regions within a country: e.g., states in Mexico)

2. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warnings:

   Warning Level 3 – Avoid Nonessential Travel Health Notice

   Countries on the current travel advisory list that can be found on the U.S. Department of State website. Countries on the travel warning list may include Canada or the United Mexican States (Mexico). Additionally, the Level 3 updates for travelers may be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Requests for exemptions for travel to countries listed on either travel websites should be directed to the UTA IOC chairman at horn@uta.edu.

   If the U.S. Department of State or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues a travel advisory, any program not started, and any participant or employee planned travel that has not occurred, is automatically suspended, pending review by the UTA IOC. Programs or travel in progress when the warning is issued will be evaluated by the UTA IOC to determine whether the threat is imminent, and personnel and students should be recalled.

3. IOC/State/Federally Identified – Countries or regions deemed to have significant health, safety, or concerns.

4. Travel Cash Advance

A cash advance is available to individual travelers and team travel for official UTA business.

If a request is made for a cash advance for ‘Team Travel Per Diem’, the cash advance must be given as a per diem. See Section G and Section H for detailed information.

a. Individual Traveler

See UTA Travel Guideline DIS-T-GL2 Pre-Travel Requirements – All Fund Types for complete information.

b. Team Travel

Cash advances can be requested for Team Travel that requires some expenses to be paid with cash. Add a Cash Advance to the Travel Request. The travel cash advance cannot exceed the estimated cost of expenses given in the Travel Request. The cash advance should be submitted to Disbursements at least seven (7) business days, but no more than thirty (30) calendar days prior to the first date of travel.

Once approved, the travel cash advance will be distributed by either, (1) a check in the employee’s name who requested the advance, available for pick-up at Student Accounts Office, Room 130 in the University Administration Building, or (2) direct deposit into the traveler’s bank account. The funds will be deposited approximately 2-3 days after the final approval of the cash advance. The employee will be responsible for the cash advance. All unused cash must be returned within 30 calendar days after the last day of travel.

c. Reconciliation of Travel Cash Advance

All travel cash advances are subject to the reconciliation timelines stated in UTA Travel Guideline DIS-T-GL2 Pre-Travel Requirements – All Fund Types.

Concur Expense Requirements:

• Travel Request in Concur, fully approved.
• Travel to areas of high risk – approval from IOC

E. Ground Transportation

Individual traveler and team travel ground transportation expenses can be paid using the Travel Card or out-of-pocket, unless specifically notated.

1. Bus Charters

All bus charters originating from campus must be arranged through the University’s Contracted Bus CharterCompanies.

The services include day trips within the Dallas/Fort Worth (“DFW”) area and overnight trips outside DFW.

Once a supplier has been selected and a trip quote finalized, a requisition must be created in UTShare. A Purchase Order will be created for payment purposes.

Bus charters not originating from UTA’s main campus may be arranged through the travel agencies, or by the department.

2. Rental Cars

Reference UTA Travel Guideline DIS-T-GL7 Transportation Options in Travel Status – All Fund Types for complete information on vehicle rentals, i.e., insurance coverages, non-allowed expenses, etc.

UT System has contracted with specific auto rental companies (see below) and all travelers are required to use these companies for auto rental needs.

a.Rental cars can be reserved through Concur or the contracted travel agencies.

b.If reserving a car directly with a rental car agency, provide the contract rate identifier number noted below for the applicable vendor. This will ensure the traveler receives the contract rate and the insurance coverage at no additional charge (domestic rental only).

c.If a traveler books a car rental outside of Concur or the contracted travel agencies, the Texas sales tax on rental cars is reimbursable as well as sales tax on rental cars imposed by other states.

For rentals occurring in the state of Texas, the traveler is encouraged to present The Motor Vehicle Rental TaxExemption Certificate (page 2 only) to the car rental company at time of pick-up. The traveler must complete these fields:

• Exemption – Check “Public Agencies”
• Name of Organization – “University of Texas at Arlington”
• Signature – Traveler’s Signature
• Address of Traveler – University Department Address (street and number, city, state, and zip code)

Rental Company	Contract Rate Number
Avis	S828002
Budget	R524102
Enterprise	UTS226
National	UTS226
Hertz	CDP 2104580

Note: Click on the companies listed above for additional information specific to the auto rental company, i.e., minimum age requirements, requirements for 12/15 passenger vans, refueling charges, etc.

d. 12 and 15 Passenger Vans

• Renter must comply with the vehicle rental company’s requirements, and
• Renter/drivers must comply with UTA Procedure CO-CV-PR-02 Driving Records and Training

e. Car Rentals Prior to Travel Request Dates

If a vehicle is rented one (1) day prior to the actual start date of a Travel Request or returned one (1) day after the actual end date of a Travel Request, an Exception to this travel guideline is NOT required.

Rentals that occur more than two (2) days prior / after Travel Request dates with associated charges must have a memo attached to Concur Expense explaining in detail the benefit of this cost to the University. The memo must be signed by the Athletic Director or his/her designee.

If the dates on the rental documentation occur more than two (2) dates prior/after the Travel Request dates, and do not have charges for the additional dates, no exception or memo is required. A comment in Concur will mention why the dates exceed the Travel Request dates (i.e. late night drop-off, store closure)

Concur Expense Requirements:

• Detailed receipt/contract
• Memo signed by the Athletic Director or his/her designee if the rental occurred more than 2 days before/after Travel Request dates with additional charges outside the original request dates. Memo must also explain in detail the benefit of the cost to the University.

3. Public Transportation

Travel by bus, subway, taxi, ridesharing (e.g., Uber/Lyft), shuttle, or other modes of mass transit.

Concur Expense Requirements:

• Itemized receipt with the following:
• Date of Service
• Fare charged for each trip
• If applicable, maximum of 20% tip for total bill.

4. Personally Owned Vehicle

Reference UTA Travel Guideline DIS-T-GL7 Transportation Options in Travel Status – All Fund Types for additional information on Personally Owned Vehicles, i.e., where mileage begins/ends, mileage during non-working hours, etc.

UT System Policy UTS 157 encourages the use of rental vehicles instead of personal vehicles when conducting UTA business.

a. Travelers will be reimbursed for mileage in accordance with GSA Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) Mileage Reimbursement Rate which is usually updated January 1 of each year. The Department reserves the right to set a reduced per mile rate and will notify anyone being reimbursed at the reduced rate as requires per Texas Government Code, Section 660.007(b). Archived mileage rates may be viewed by POV Mileage Rate Archived. Mileage is based on the shortest, reasonable distance.

b. The number of miles traveled for University business will automatically be calculated in Concur Expense using Google Maps for the route of travel.

c. Point-to-Point Mileage

i. Point-to-Point, 300 Miles or Less:
Travel that is 300 miles or less one way from designated field office does not require a cost comparison analysis. Reductions in reimbursement may occur for budget saving purposes at the department’s discretion.

ii. Point-to-Point, More than 300 Miles:
If the one-way destination of travel is more than 300 miles from designated field office, the traveler must provide documentation showing that cost comparisons were done prior to start of travel for the following modes of transportation:

1) Rental Vehicle vs. Personal Vehicle Calculator

Note: Daily Rental Vehicle Rate must be from one of the Auto Rental Agencies (ref. Section 2 above).

Traveler must use the most cost-effective course of transportation. If not, Disbursements reserves the right to reimburse at the lower of the rates.

Concur Expense Requirements:

• Cost comparison if more than 300 miles one-way
• Statement, if mileage from employee’s residence is ≤ travel from designated field office.

F. Air Transportation

Reference UTA Travel Guideline DIS-T-GL7 Transportation Options in Travel Status – All Fund Types for complete information on air travel.

1. Air Charters

All air charter requests must be sent to Procurement Services for review and/or competitive bidding.

2. Team Commercial Air

Team commercial air travel must be arranged through one of the UT System contracted travel agencies once a fully approved Travel Request is completed.

Payment for these airline tickets will be charged to the Athletic Airfare Card on file with CTP and ATI (Division of Intercollegiate Athletics), or the University’s Corporate Business Account for UTA Campus Recreation.

3. Individual Commercial Air

Individual commercial air travel must be arranged through Concur or one of the UT System contracted travel agencies. A fully approved Travel Request is required prior to booking any travel.

To achieve maximum economy, it is suggested that commercial airline tickets be purchased a minimum of 21 days in advance of departure. If specific circumstances prevent the ability to purchase that far in advance, efforts should be made to book airline tickets as early as possible.

4. Baggage Fees

UTA’s Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation will pay for, or be reimbursed for, baggage fees that are related to the business purpose of the trip.

A description must be included with all excess baggage fees.

5. Upgrades Paid from University Funds

UTA’s Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation will not pay for an upgrade in seating from Coach/Economy unless there is a valid medical reason why an upgrade is necessary. Requests for travel accommodations for an upgrade from Coach/Economy must follow UTA Procedure HR-E-PR-19 Requesting Disability Related Workplace Accommodations Procedure. Accommodations for students not covered by HR-E-PR-19 will require a memo from UTA’s Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Senior Associate AD/Sports Medicine with signature from the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. An employee must receive an approved accommodation from the UTA ADA Coordinator prior to traveling. Accommodations will not be made retroactively.

6. Early Boarding/Air TV Purchases

UTA’s Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation will not pay for early boarding privileges under any circumstances. If any such charges are incurred, the traveler will not be reimbursed or will be required to reimburse UTA if it was paid with the Travel Card. No air TV purchases are allowed with the Travel Card and will not be reimbursed.

7. In-Flight Internet Service

Internet fees while on a flight will only be reimbursed if it is for employees to conduct official University business.

In-flight internet service for student athletes will not be reimbursed.

G. Contiguous United States (“U.S.”) Travel – Meals & Hotel Information

See UTA Travel Guideline DIS-T-GL3 Contiguous U.S. Travel – Local Funds Only for complete information, i.e., conference lodging, lodging within the employee’s designated field office, etc.

1. General Services Administration Federal Per Diem Rates

Lodging, meals and incidental expenses (“M&IE”) that occur overnight and within the contiguous U.S travel, require travelers to use the federal per diem rates provided by the General Services Administration (“GSA”). The GSA per diem tool is searchable by city, state or zip code. Cities not appearing on the GSA table may be located within the county for which the rates are listed. To determine what county a city is located, visit the NationalAssociation of Counties (NACO) website. If the city is not located within a listed county on the table, use the "Standard Rate" for that state. New rates are set October 1 each year.

2. Travel Meal Per Diem and Incidental Expense

Travelers may be reimbursed per diem for M&IE’s incurred while traveling with an overnight stay for University business.

a. Meal Per diem

1. Receipts for meal per diem charges are not required.
2. Meal per diems must include tax and a maximum tip of 20% based on the entire bill.
3. On days where a combination of meals and meal per diem funds are provided, ME&I fund rates will be utilized and any overages will require a BAET exception for reimbursement and/or processing.

Note: The departments may invoke policies such as only claiming actuals, but the total cannot exceed the GSA per diem for the duty location.

b. Group Meals, Catering, and Snacks

1. Per NCAA 16.11.1, Division 1 intercollegiate sports may provide meals and snacks to all student-athletes at its discretion to meet the nutritional needs of said students and avoid administrative burdens related to accounting for such benefits.
2. On days that no meal per diem is provided, teams will work to maximize saving but will not be held to a particular rate per person as Division 1 Intercollegiate Athletics requires a much higher daily caloric intake than the average person. Cost will be limited to reasonable and necessary amounts.
3. Each team travel expense report will include a list of official travelers to serve as the attendees for the entirety of the report including but not limited to team meals, catering, and/or snacks.

c. Incidental Expenses

Incidental Expenses are tips given to a baggage handler, valet, hotel staff, etc. These are limited to $5/day and are included in the M&IE daily rate. The traveler will automatically receive the incidental expense for each day of travel except for the first and last days of travel. The cost of tips paid out-of-pocket to baggage handlers, valet, hotel staff, etc. cannot be duplicated in reimbursement requests.

d. M&IE Requirements

1. Rates for the full daily amount can be received for a single calendar day of travel when that day is neither the first nor last day of travel.
2. First and last days of travel will be prorated to 75% of the total M&IE, regardless of the traveler’s time of departure or time of return.
3. If a meal was provided to the traveler, and not paid for out-of-pocket or with the Travel Card, that meal must be deducted from the full day’s per diem rate. This might include a meal provided by a conference, meeting host, etc. The applicable meal must be checked in Concur Travel Allowance, which will automatically prorate the per diem rate for the day.
4. Actual expenses for meals involving student athletes and appropriate staff in Team Travel status should be limited to reasonable and necessary amounts.

3. Individual Travel Meal Per Diem and Incidental Expenses

Travelers may be reimbursed per diem for M&IE’s incurred while traveling with an overnight stay for University Business. Please see DIS-T-GL-3 Contiguous US Travel Local Funds Only for details.

4. Recruitment Meals – Official and Unofficial

A recruitment meal is a meal with a guest (non-employee) where business is discussed. Recruitment meals are counted as part of the meal total for the day. The meal that is being consumed (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) must be deducted from the full day’s per diem by checking the appropriate box in the Travel Allowance in Concur Expense.

Recruitment meals will only be reimbursed/paid for actuals and will require an itemized receipt, regardless of the dollar amount.

i. Sales tax and a maximum tip of 20% can be added for the total of the recruitment meal.

ii. In Concur Expense, all attendees of the recruitment meal must be identified by their name, affiliation, and attendee type.

iii. Reimbursements made from state appropriated funds cannot include a tip, delivery fee, or other ancillary fees.

Per Diem Sign in Sheet for Distribution to Student Athletes

All per diems that are distributed in cash to student athletes require the appropriate names, amounts, and signatures. This must be attached to Concur Expense.

5. Lodging Per Diem

a. Lodging accommodations may be arranged by the traveler, or one of the contracted travel agencies, and paid for with a Travel Card.

b. Lodging will only be reimbursed for actual expenses, which do not exceed the maximum

i. Applicable taxes and fees are in addition to the GSA rate. Reimbursement/payment for taxes is limited to the reimbursable lodging costs.

ii. Proximity/distance from the traveler’s place of lodging to the site of where University business will be conducted, cannot be a consideration of exceeding the GSA per diem rate for the location. This includes recruiting events, team travel, trainings, seminars/conferences, etc. Travelers will be reimbursed applicable transportation costs to/from lodging to the business address as noted in Section E of this travel guideline.

c. Varying Nightly Rates
If the nightly lodging rate varies, the total of lodging expenses cannot exceed the total of the nightly per diem rate times (X) the number of designated nights.

Note: In Concur Expense, each night must be noted as the actual nightly rate or the maximum GSA per diem for the location.

d. Team/Shared Lodging
When at least two (2) University travelers share lodging, the total reimbursement may not exceed the applicable per person maximum lodging reimbursement rate for the location. Fees such as late checkout are not included as part of the GSA rate.

The calculation for the GSA compliance will be based on the number of travelers (X) GSA rate for the location (X) number of nights.

EXAMPLE: Occupant 1 and Occupant 2 are sharing a hotel room. The maximum allowable lodging rate for the location where they will be staying is $90 per night. The room rate of the selected hotel is $140 per night. Occupant 1 and Occupant 2 may combine their lodging rates for a reimbursable rate up to $180.

Note: The GSA rate schedule for the duty location must be added to the expense report for Team/Shared Lodging.

Traveler Pays Lodging for Another Traveling Employee
A traveler may pay for, and be reimbursed for, another University employee’s lodging expense. The receipt must list the names of the University employees being paid for.

For non-competitive team travel, the expense report must include an attestation statement by the employee whose lodging expenses were paid for by another University employee, stating they will not submit a claim for those lodging expenses already paid for. For competitive team travel, expenses where one employee pays for multiple employee rooms, UTA will collect a single attestation, and/or equivalent documentation, that covers the competitive season instead of individual attestations for each trip to ease administrative burdens of processing. A copy of the GSA rate schedule for the duty location must be attached with the hotel invoice/folio. 

Lodging Receipt Requirements

1. Itemized Receipt Must Contain:
   • Name and address of the commercial lodging establishment
   • Name of the traveler/occupant
   • For multiple occupants, department must attach a room roster to Concur Expense Report in lieu of name of individual travelers per room on the hotel folio.
   • Single room rate
   • Daily itemization of lodging charges
   • Proof of Payment
2. In-State Lodging – Non-Reimbursable Tax
   Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax will not be reimbursed. Traveler must present to the commercial lodging establishment UTA Form BF-T-F2 Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemption Certificate.
3. Travel Outside of Texas – Hotel Occupancy Taxes
   Payments made by travelers for hotel occupancy tax or similar taxes are allowed to be charged using the Travel Card, or reimbursable to the traveler.

Additional Team Travel Lodging Needs

1. To meet the needs of teams during competitive team travel effectively, the following will be allowable charges with an explanation to the business purposes in the additional information field of each related expense:
   • Early/Late check in/out fees
   • Meal voucher charged to hotel folio
   • Bus Parking

Additional Lodging Information

Job aid for various hotel websites and researching GSA rates is available from the Travel & Expense homepage

University travelers may also use the hotels listed in Concur, or through the contracted travel agencies. (See Section C above)

NOTE: It is the traveler’s responsibility to ensure that the nightly rate does not exceed the GSA federal per diem rate for the location.

Per diem rates are available from most major chain hotel websites by requesting “State Government Rates”. Please contact the hotel to ensure this rate is available for the specified travel dates.

6. Miscellaneous Team Travel Expense

a. Laundry

Team travel may be reimbursed for reasonable laundry expenses when traveling. Submit an itemized receipt or other appropriate substantiation as determined acceptable by Disbursements.

Concur Expense Requirements:

• A team list must be provided with all team travel expenses. A submitted Concur Expense will not be approved without this list.
• Itemized receipt for all recruitment meals
• Itemized lodging receipt/folio
• For non-team travel, the appropriate expense type in Concur Expense is ‘Hotel’.
• For team travel, the appropriate expense type in Concur Expense must be used.
• Itemized receipt or other appropriate substantiation as determined acceptable by Disbursements for team travel laundry.

H. Outside Contiguous U.S. Travel – Meals & Hotel Information

See UTA Travel Guideline DIS-T-GL4 Outside Contiguous U.S. Travel – All Fund Types for complete information, i.e., allowed and prohibited miscellaneous travel expenses, business/entertainment meals, combining University and personal business, etc.

1. Per Diem Rates

Lodging, meals and daily local incidentals that occur outside of the contiguous U.S. requires travelers to use the following:

Travel to Alaska, Hawaii, or U.S. Territories: Travelers will use The Department of Defense (“DoD”) per diem rate lookup which is found on the Defense Travel Management Office website.

Travel to All Other Foreign Countries: Travelers will use the U.S. Department of State (“DoS”) per diem rate query.

Both are searchable by Country/State and the specific localities. If the locality is not listed on the table, use “Other”. The rates can vary based on the beginning/ending dates of seasons for localities.

2. Local Meals

a. Total Up to Daily Rate – No Receipts Required

All meal expenses are reimbursed for actuals up to, but not exceeding, DoD/DoS daily Local Meal rate. The total must include tax and a maximum tip of 20% for the entire bill.

b. Exceed Daily Per Diem Rate – Itemized Receipts Required

If meals exceed the maximum DoD/DoS daily Local Meal rate for the location, itemized receipts are required.

c. First and Last Day of Travel

First and last days of travel will be prorated to 75% of the DoD/DoS daily Local Meal rate, regardless of the traveler's time of departure or time of return as calculated on the DoD/DoS per diem tool for the specific duty location.

d. Meals Provided to Traveler/Team

If a meal is provided to the traveler and/or team, that meal must be deducted from the full day’s per diem rate. The applicable meal must be checked in Concur Travel Allowance, which will automatically prorate the per diem for the day.

3. Recruitment Meals – Official and Unofficial

A recruitment meal is a meal with a guest (non-employee) where business is discussed. Recruitment meals are counted as part of the meal total for the day. The meal that is being consumed (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) must be deducted from the full day’s per diem by checking the appropriate box in the Travel Allowance in Concur Expense.

When a university guest pays for their own meal, it will be allowable for employee to pay for their own meals on the UTA travel card or eligible reimbursement. All attendees names and affiliation regardless of who paid must be added to the expense.

Recruitment meals will only be reimbursed/paid for actuals and will require an itemized receipt, regardless of the dollar amount.

• Sales tax and a maximum tip of 20% can be added to the total of the recruitment meal.
• In Concur Expense, all attendees of the recruitment meal must be identified by their name, affiliation, and attendee type.
• Reimbursements made from state appropriated funds cannot include a tip, delivery fee, or other ancillary fees.

4. Per Diem Sign in Sheet for Distribution to Student Athletes

All per diems that are distributed to student athletes requires the appropriate names, amounts, and signatures. This must be attached to Concur Expense.

5. Lodging Per Diem

1. Lodging accommodations may be arranged by the traveler, or one of the contracted travel agencies, and paid for with the Travel Card.
2. Lodging will only be reimbursed for actual expenses, which do not exceed the maximum DoD/DoS per diem rates for the destination country/state and locality indicated.
   1. Applicable fees and taxes are in addition to the DoD/DoS rate. Reimbursement/payment for taxes is limited to the reimbursable lodging costs.
   2. Proximity/distance from the traveler’s place of lodging to the site of where University business will be conducted, cannot be a consideration of exceeding the DoD per diem rate for the locality indicated. This includes recruiting events, team travel, trainings, seminars/conferences, etc. Travelers will be reimbursed applicable transportation costs to/from lodging to the business address as noted in Section E of this travel guideline.
3. Varying Nightly Rates
   If the nightly lodging rate varies, the total of lodging expenses cannot exceed the total of the nightly per diem rate times (X) the number of designated nights. Note: In Concur Expense, each night must be noted as the actual nightly rate or the maximum DoD/DoS per diem, whichever is lower.
4. Shared Lodging
   When at least two (2) University travelers share lodging, the total reimbursement may not exceed the applicable per person maximum lodging reimbursement rate for the duty location.

   EXAMPLE: Occupant 1 and Occupant 2 are sharing a hotel room. The maximum allowable lodging rate for the location where they will be staying is $90 per night. The room rate of the selected hotel is $140 per night. Occupant 1 and Occupant 2 may combine their lodging rates for a reimbursable rate up to $180.

   Note: Use expense type “Hotel – Group” in Concur Expense, attach an occupant list and the DoD/DoS rate schedule for the duty location.

5. Traveler Pays Lodging for Another Traveling Employee
   A traveler may pay for, and be reimbursed for, another University employee’s lodging expense. * The receipt must list the names of the University employees being paid for.

   * Expense type “Hotel – Group” must be checked in Concur Expense. The expense report must include an attestation statement by the employee whose lodging expenses were paid for by another University employee, stating they will not submit a claim for those lodging expenses already paid for. A copy of the DoD/DoS rate schedule for the duty location must be attached with the hotel invoice/folio.

6. Lodging Receipt Requirements
   1. Itemized Receipt Must Contain:
      • Name and address of the commercial lodging establishment
      • For multiple occupants, department must attach a room roster to Concur Expense
      • Single room rate
      • Daily itemization of lodging charges
      • Proof of payment
   2. Hotel Occupancy Taxes
      Payments made by travelers for hotel occupancy tax or similar taxes are allowed to be charged using the Travel Card, or reimbursable to the traveler.
   3. Additional Lodging Information
      University travelers may also use the hotels listed in Concur, or through the contracted travel agencies (see Section C above).
               Note: It is the traveler’s responsibility to ensure that the nightly rate does not exceed the DoD/DoS per diem rate for the locality.

6. Miscellaneous Team Travel Expense

Laundry

Team Travel may be reimbursed for reasonable laundry expenses when traveling on official UTA business. Submit an itemized receipt or other appropriate substantiation as determined acceptable by Disbursements.

Concur Expense Requirements:

• A team list must be provided with all team travel expenses. A submitted Concur Expense will not be approved without this list.
• Itemized receipt for all recruitment meals
• Per diem sign-in sheet for student athlete distributions
• Itemized lodging receipt/folio
• For non-team travel, the appropriate expense type in Concur Expense is “Hotel”
• For team travel, the appropriate expense type in Concur Expense must be used.
• Itemized receipt for other appropriate substantiation as determined acceptable by Disbursements for team travel laundry.

I. Non-Travel Meals

1. Recruitment Meals – Official and Unofficial

See UTA Procedure BF-PGS-PR-12 Entertainment & Official Occasion Expenses and the accompanying Entertainment & Official Occasion Quick Reference Guide for complete information.

a.A recruitment meal is an entertainment meal with an official University guest (non-employee). Recruitment meals are not reimbursable when involving only University employees.

When a university guest pays for their own meal, it will be allowable for employee to pay for their own meals on the UTA travel card or eligible reimbursement. All attendees' names and affiliations, regardless of who paid must be added to the expense.

b. Maximum Amounts

Meal	Maximum Amount
Breakfast	$35/person
Lunch	$35/person
Dinner	$75/person

c. Sales tax and a maximum tip of 20% of the total bill will be allowed/reimbursed only when expensed from local funds.

d. Tips cannot be reimbursed if expensed from state appropriated funds.

2. Semester Break Periods – Per Diem

1. Per diem during semester break periods in non-travel situations may be provided to student athletes and unpaid student staff (e.g., volunteer student athletic trainers/managers).
2. All students holding paid positions, and all staff (including volunteer coaches) are not eligible to receive per diem while in Arlington.
3. The meal rate cannot exceed the GSA federal per diem rate for Arlington, Texas, which is the designated field office. This must include tax and tip. All other University travel guidelines will still apply.

3. Non-Travel Team Meals and Snacks for Home Games, Away-From-Campus Trips, Non-Game Day Practices and Workouts

1. Meals and snacks may be purchased in conjunction with activities associated with home games, away-from-campus trips, non-game day practices, and workouts when travel does not occur as allowed by the NCAA.
2. In Concur Expense, the number of attendees as well as a general description of the group will be included as a comment and/or in the attendees section.
3. When purchasing a non-travel meal, teams will follow UTA Procedure BF-PGS-PR-12 Entertainment & Official Occasion Expenses and the accompanying Entertainment & Official Occasion Quick Reference Guide for complete information regarding meal rates.
4. When purchasing snacks, teams will work to maximize savings but will not be held to a particular rate per person per Division 1. Intercollegiate athletes require a higher caloric intake than the average person. Costs will be limited to reasonable and are not subject to the $100 snack maximum.
5. The expense type for this is ATH-Athlete Refueling Station

4. Per Diem Sign-in Sheet for Distribution to Student Athletes

All per diems that will be distributed in cash to student athletes requires the appropriate names, amounts, and signatures. This must be attached to Concur Expense.

Concur Expense Requirements:

• Team list
• Itemized receipt for all recruitment meals
• Per diem sign-in sheet for student athlete distributions.

J.Cash Advance – Non-Travel Related

A non-travel cash advance can be issued for student athletes of the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics for vacation/holiday meal money and housing.

1. Each request for vacation/holiday meal money and housing must be approved by the Athletic Compliance Office.
2. If approved, a check will be cut in the employee’s name who requested the advance. That employee will be responsible for the cash advance. All used cash must be returned within 30 calendar days after the end of the vacation or holiday period. Signature sheets with the signatures of all student athletes who received the money and/or housing must also be attached to the expense report to process the reimbursement.
3. A cash advance will not be given to an employee that has not returned unused cash. Also, if the employee routinely does not reconcile a cash advance in a timely manner, the employee may be subject to refusal for future non-travel related cash advances.
4. All non-travel cash advances are subject to the reconciliation timelines in UTA Travel Guideline DIS-T-GL2 Pre-Travel Requirements – All Fund Types

K. Prospective Student Athlete (PSA) – Official Visit to UTA

The UTA employee who is coordinating travel/paying expenses for the recruit and their family during the official visit will submit a Concur Travel Request on the employee’s profile and will include the names of all visiting travelers.

The Division of Intercollegiate Athletics will submit their compliance documentation/approval instead in lieu of complete the non-employee process when submitting expenses. Any funds provided directly to the PSA will include all necessary documentation as applicable to the expense type and will be reimbursable to the employee if the funds are paid directly to the PSA. PSA will sign the necessary documentation showing acceptance of funds.

Any Prospective Student Athlete (PSA) visiting campus will be reimbursed for one (1) bag per traveler on both the departing and returning flights to UTA. NCAA Proposal 2022-32 Legislative Item A.3. allows for institutions to pay for travel expenses (including but not limited to flights, hotels, transportation, food, entertainment, etc.) for up to four (4) additional people per PSA during the official visit to campus. These expenses will be allowed up to these limits.

Meals for PSA’s and other travelers pre and post arrival will be reimbursed as per Sections G and H above.

L. Combining University and Personal Business

If a traveler combines personal travel with official University business travel, the traveler is only allowed reimbursement for meals, lodging, or car rental that occurred on official business days.

Travel to/from a duty location – more than one (1) day before or after official University business.

1. Overnight meals and lodging expenses incurred while traveling to/from a duty location no more than one (1) day before official University begins, or no more than one (1) day after the conclusion of University business, may be reimbursed at the discretion of the traveler’s supervisor, if deemed appropriate.
2. Overnight meals and lodging expenses incurred while traveling to/from a duty location more than one (1) day before official University business begins, or more than one (1) day after the conclusion of University business ends are only reimbursable if traveling to and from the duty location requires more than one (1) day of travel. All other reasons will require the following for consideration of reimbursement:
   1. Submission of Business Affairs Exception Tracker Request (see Section N of this guideline)
   2. Documentation from CTP, ATI, or Concur reflecting transportation cost comparisons for:
      • Official University business days only, and
      • Personal days + official business days.

      Note: If the cost of transportation for personal days + official business days exceed ‘University business days only’, the traveler must reimburse UTA the difference and attach proof of repayment made at UTA Student Accounts.

Travelers who use a rented motor vehicle for both personal business and official University business may pay for/be reimbursed for the portion of the rental charge that is attributable to official University business only.

NOTE: The traveler must refuel the rental car at the conclusion of official University business and personal usage to ensure that fuel paid for or requested for reimbursement is only the fuel used for business purposes. The refueling receipt for personal use will also need to be provided as documentation and noted accordingly. If this is not done, the traveler might not be reimbursed all fuel expenses related to car rental.

M. Miscellaneous Expense Report Requirements

1. Travel Expenses Incurred for Another Employee

Employees may pay for approved travel expenses incurred on behalf of another employee. If this occurs, the employee for whom the expenses were paid must attach to Concur Expense an attestation statement that they will not be submitting a claim for travel expenses that were incurred on their behalf for business purposes.

2. 60 Day Submittal Policy

Every effort should be made to submit your expenses for reimbursement as soon as possible after incurring the costs to eliminate any confusion that might occur due to lost receipts, invalid Chartfields, unavailable funds, or reporting periods.

In accordance with IRS Publication 463 and the Safe Harbor rules, travel expense reports submitted after 60 calendar days after the last a day of travel will be reported to Payroll as income. Incomplete or incorrect travel expense reports will be returned to the department and will not be considered submitted until resubmitted with the corrections.

Travel expense reports submitted on the 61st calendar day after trip ends, or later, or that are not ‘In Good Order’ by the 60th calendar day, are taxable to the traveler (income and employment taxes) and the employing department. This includes travel expenses paid with a travel cash advance, paid by traveler, or paid with the UTA Travel Card.

3. Missing Receipt/Invoice/Credit Memo

a. If an expense is missing a receipt, invoice, or credit memo to validate the reimbursement, the employee must complete Missing Receipt Declaration within Concur. This form will document the details of what was purchased or returned, and why the original documentation is not available. Attach the completed form to Concur Expense

b. Habitual use of this form could result in future expenses not being reimbursed.

Note: This form will be used in lieu of submitting an exception to this travel guideline.

N. Exceptions to this Guideline

There may be occasions when employees need to request an exception to some portion of the travel rules (this applies only to chartfields following UT local rules). Exceptions to any of the travel and entertainment policies must be obtained PRIOR to the start of travel and booking travel arrangements and must be documented in writing and final approved by the Associate Vice President for Business Affairs and Controller, or designee. The request must be submitted using the Business Affairs Exceptions Tracker Request menu located in UTA SharePoint. Each request should include detailed justification for the exception and the benefit to the University if the exception is granted. Concur Expense must reference the approved BAET number. Documentation of the request and its’ disposition will be maintained in the Business Affairs Exception Tracker. In every case the account administrator is responsible for ensuring that all travel and charges are appropriate, comply with the source of funds, and support the mission of the University.

NOTE: The circumstance of the request will be taken under consideration. Any exception ultimately granted does NOT alter the existing travel guideline and should not be construed as precedent for allowing repeated exceptions to the existing guideline.

V. UTA Offices Responsible for Guideline

Responsible Officer: CFO and Vice President for Business and Finance

Sponsoring Department: Office of Disbursements

VI. Dates Approved or Amended

September 18, 2020

June 21, 2021

April 19, 2022

July 12, 2024

November 4, 2024

January 2, 2025

February 25, 2026

VII. Contact Information

Questions regarding this guideline should be directed to the Office of Disbursements at 817-272-2194, or email travelservices@uta.edu.

Send notifications of errors or changes to: travelservices@uta.edu