The University of Texas at Arlington

Travel and Expense

The information provided is a resource to help serve and support the university community while providing assistance and guidance regarding current UTA travel and expense procedures.

The goal is to help expedite reimbursements as quickly and accurately as possible while ensuring that all State of Texas and UTA Procedures are followed.

Please feel free to contact the UTA Disbursement staff at any time for assistance or questions.

PRIOR TO TRAVEL

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

Source of Funding 

The chartfield funding source for travel determines whether the chartfield follows state appropriated travel rules or local travel rules. Cost Centers with “2xxxx” or chartfield values with a Fund containing “2100 or 2110” must use travel rules specific to state appropriated funds. All other cost centers and Fund groups are required to follow travel rules for local funds.

Travel to Washington DC

Travel to Washington DC while using State Funds for activities that involve obtaining or spending federal funds or impacting federal policies requires notification to the Office of State-Federal Relations. 

Outside Contiguous US Travel

Outside the Contiguous US travel requires additional pre-approvals if using state-appropriated funds from the Provost or Chief Human Resources Office.

Outside the Contiguous US travel requires additional pre-approvals if using state-appropriated funds from the Provost or Chief Human Resources.

All Outside US travel must be registered with On Call International. Registration with On Call International is automatically done when booking airfare arrangements using the University Contracted Travel Agencies.

International Travel to a location that has a CDC Travel Health notice Warning Level 3 - Avoid Non-Essential Travel, COVID-19 Warning Level 4 - Special Circumstances, or State Department Warning Level of 3 or higher requires approval by the  International Oversight Committee (IOC)

Procedure BF-T-PR-01, Travel Authorizations, Travel Cash Advance, Travel to Washington, D.C. (Local and State Appropriated Funds)

Procedure BF-T-PR-02, International Travel (Local & State Appropriated Funds).

GENERAL TRAVEL PROCESS

Responsibilities

Traveler - Plan all travel to achieve maximum savings and efficiency and ensure that each travel arrangement is the lowest possible cost, considering all relevant circumstances.

Department - May adopt expense reimbursement and payment rates lower than the maximum rates. The department’s employees must be notified in writing before the lower rates are implemented. The department is solely responsible for enforcing these rates.

PRE-TRAVEL

Travel Authorization

The Travel Authorization (TA) is used to authorize in-state, out-of-state, and outside contiguous US travel for employees, students, and non-employees who are traveling for official University business. A TA is processed in UTShare and fully approved by the immediate supervisor and/or department head to authorize business travel and source of funding. TA’s must reflect an encumbrance which is a reasonable estimate of the total cost of the trip to ensure that funds are available for reimbursement upon processing the traveler’s expense report.

Non-employee travelers must complete BF-T-F6 Non-Employee Expense Reimbursement Form. Please send the form to Disbursements to have a Temporary Empl ID created in UTShare for Travel Authorizations and Expense Reports (ER) to be created for reimbursement. The Temporary Empl ID will be used in place of an Empl ID (1000/6000 #) for travel-related documents.

Procedure BF-T-PR-01, Travel Authorizations, Travel Cash Advance, Travel to Washington, D.C.

Travel Cash Advance

Some travel may require a Travel Cash Advance (CA). The minimum CA amount is $100, and the request must be submitted to the Office of Disbursements at least seven (7) business days before the first day of travel. 

If the CA is reconciled after the 60th calendar days after the last day of travel, the entire amount of the cash advance is considered taxable to the traveler. If the CA is reconciled more than 120^th calendar days after the last day of travel, the total amount of the CA is charged to the traveler’s department. 

Procedure BF-T-PR-01, Travel Authorizations, Travel Cash Advance, Travel to Washington D.C.

Travel Card

Current University employees may apply for a University Travel Card that can be used to pay for business expenses while traveling on behalf of the University. Cardholders must adhere to all applicable procedures.  

The employee requesting their first Travel Card must complete Travel Card Application Form and Travel Card Agreement in SharePoint:

1. Navigate to the Procurement & Payment- Disbursements SharePoint: https://mavsuta.sharepoint.com/sites/forms/baet/travel
Note: If prompted, provide your UTA email address and password to log in to SharePoint.

2.Click the “Apply for a Travel Card” link and complete the applicable sections before submitting the form:
Section 1 – Cardholder Information and Monthly Limit request
Section 2 – Department information including document processors and default chartfield information. 

3.Cardholder Agreements will be distributed via email, signed, and stored via Adobe Sign and SharePoint once the form is processed and the card received by Disbursements.

Once the Cardholder Agreement is signed electronically, Disbursements will schedule a time with the cardholder to pick up the card.

All expenses purchased using the Travel Card require itemized receipts to support the expenses.

Procedure BF-T-PR-13, Travel Card Procedure

Airfare

Airline flight bookings must be secured through either Concur or one of the two UT System contracted travel agencies - Collegiate Travel Planners (CTP) or Anthony Travel Planners, LLC (ATI). 

Concur:  https://www.concursolutions.com/UI/SSO/p00765534la5

CTP: 1-866-366-1142 – Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM CST
1-800-441-6512 – After hours – Additional fees apply

ATI: 1-800-684-2044 – Monday- Friday 8AM-5:30PM CST
1-800-342-9008, VIT Code 4RRG – After hours

For travelers who find the exact airfare at a savings of $100 or more must adhere to the University’s dedicated procedure.

Requests for travel accommodations for an upgrade from Coach/Economy due to a disability must follow Procedure HR-E-PR-19, Requesting Disability Related Workplace Accommodations. An approved accommodation from the UTA ADA Coordinator must be obtained prior to travel. Accommodations cannot be obtained retroactively.

Procedure BF-T-PR-05, Transportation Options in Travel Status

Procedure BF-T-PR-08, Travel Agencies, and Concur

Auto Rentals

Rental Cars must be booked with one of the following five (5) UT System contracted rental car agencies: 

1. Avis
2. Budget
3. Enterprise
4. National
5. Hertz

Rates with each provider can be found on the left side of this website under ‘Quick Links’. Contracted rates include Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) insurance. UTA will not reimburse for additional insurance. Rental car arrangements may be made using Concur, CTP, or ATI, or direct with the car rental agency.

Refueling of the rental car cannot be done by the rental agency. The traveler must refuel before returning the rental vehicle and will be reimbursed the charges with a valid and itemized receipt.

Travelers who use a rented motor vehicle for both personal business and official university business will only be reimbursed for the portion of the rental charge attributable to official university business. Travelers must refuel the rental car at the conclusion of university business and personal usage to ensure the fuel cost 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 for all fuel expenses related to car rental.

Procedure BF-T-PR-05, Transportation Options in Travel Status

DURING TRAVEL

Lodging

Lodging may be obtained from various sources; however, additional constraints are dependent on the funding source.

• Local funds
  • Contiguous US travel must not exceed GSA federal per diem rates for the destination location unless lodging is in conjunction with a conference or meeting.
  • Documentation of conference affiliation must be attached to be reimbursed at a higher rate.
  • When travelers share lodging, they may combine their GSA lodging rates.
  • Outside Contiguous US Travel must not exceed Department of Defense (DOD) per diem ratesfor the destination location.
    
    
• State Funds
  • Contiguous US Travel must not exceed rates published on TexTravel
  • Outside Contiguous US Travel must not exceed Department of Defense (DOD) per diem ratesfor the destination location. 

Procedure BF-T-PR-02, International Travel (Local & State Appropriated Funds)

Procedure BF-T-PR-03, Meals, Lodging & Miscellaneous Travel Expenses for Contiguous US Travel (Local Funds)

Procedure BF-T-PR-10, Travel Using State Appropriated Funds

Travel Meals, Incidentals, and/or Miscellaneous Travel Expenses 

Meal Reimbursements require an overnight stay.

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

UTA allows per diem for meals and incidental expenses for contiguous US travel using local funds when an overnight stay has occurred. The GSA per diem tables are utilized to establish daily limits for the destination. No receipts are required. Per diems will vary depending on the first/last day departure and return times, and if meals were provided at a conference or meeting. 

The Per Diem Calculator will help determine the amount allowed for meal per diems for various scenarios.

Meals paid from state funds for contiguous US travel are not flat per diem rates. Travelers are paid actuals up to the daily rate for the location outlined in TexTravel. 

Travel meals incurred outside the contiguous US will utilize the DOD per diem tables to determine the maximum amount for meals that travelers can claim daily without receipts.

Incidentals may not exceed the allotment per location based on the appropriate per diem table and funding source. 

Miscellaneous Travel Expenses using local funds require receipts to be reimbursed.

Procedure BF-T-PR-03, Meals, Lodging & Miscellaneous Travel Expenses for Contiguous US Travel (Local Funds)

Procedure BF-T-PR-10, Travel Using State Appropriated Funds

Procedure BF-T-PR-02, International Travel (Local and State Appropriated Funds)

POST TRAVEL

 Expense Reports, processed in UTShare, reimburse travelers’ various business travel expenses after returning from a trip. Expense Reports must be created and processed through workflow to the Office of Disbursements between travel end date and 30 calendar days. The traveler will receive weekly reminders after the 30th calendar day to process an Expense Report. 

Expense Reports that are not error-free and fully processed through workflow by the 60th calendar day after the last day of travel will be taxable to the traveler.

Procedure BF-T-PR-06, Travel Reimbursement (Timelines & Receipting)

STUDENT GROUP & ORGANIZATION TRAVEL

Applicable to University-sponsored student group travel, both domestic and international, including faculty/staff sponsors.

Expenses can never be charges to state-appropriated funds.

Travel Authorizations: Created under the name of the sponsoring University faculty/staff member for all overnight travel. The names of all participating students must be included in the COMMENTS section. 

Activities or Events More than 25 Miles from University: All student travel for activities or events organized, sponsored, and funded by the University must also comply with Policy SL-G-PO-03 Student Travel Policy.

For complete information, please see Procedure BF-T-PR-04, Student Group & Organization Travel 

ADDITIONAL TRAVEL INFORMATION RESOURCES

Travelers anticipating situations that might conflict with existing procedures may petition for an exception to existing rules. Exceptions must be requested before travel using the Business Affairs Exception Tracker Request menu located in UTA SharePoint. Exceptions granted do NOT alter existing travel procedures and should not be construed as a precedent for allowing repeated non-compliance. 

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 before traveling. 

Entertainment and Official Occasions

Please see the Entertainment and Official Occasion Quick Reference Guide

All Entertainment and Official Occasion Expenses must be accompanied with a completed BF-PGS-F5 Official Occasion Expense Form.

General Non-Travel Reimbursement Documentation Requirements

An original receipt showing the date goods or services were received, a description, and the cost of the goods or services purchased

Sales tax will not be reimbursed for any purchase of tangible goods.  UTA’s Texas Sales and Use Tax Exemption Certification can be found on BF-PGS-F3,

Other requirements and restrictions may apply.  Please review Procedure BF-PGS-PR8 Reimbursements and Payments Other Than for Travel and Purchase Orders for complete details.

Procedure BF-PGS-PR-08, Reimbursements, and Payments Other Than for Travel and Purchase Orders

Procedure BF-PGS-PR-12, Entertainment & Official Occasion Expense Procedure

UTA's Travel and Expense and Business Affairs Forms Library