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GSW adheres to the State Accounting Office Statewide Travel Policy and the University System of Georgia Board of Regents Travel Business Procedures. Below is a brief summary of steps needed for travel reimbursement. For more details or items not covered below, please refer to the two policies previously listed.
Please note:
Travel Approval Form
The Travel Approval Form should be completed, approved, and signed by the correct department/budget manager prior to traveling. This is now completed through Dynamic Forms.
*Note: Access to the Travel & Expense Portal requires either being connected to the campus network or using VPN if off campus.
Employees should submit travel expenses within 10 days if possible, and no later than 45 days after the trip’s end date. At 60 days, reimbursement may be processed through payroll with taxes withheld or may not be reimbursed. Review how to report shared expenses if travel costs were split with another employee.
All expenses (expense lines) should be itemized by type of expense and date expense occurred. Please attach all receipts and supporting documentation to the expense report before submitting.
Create & Submit Expense Report – Detailed Expense Report - Entering Meals on First and Last Day of Travel
A traveler’s immediate supervisor must approve a travel expense report before reimbursement will be processed.
Add that updating bank account info for payroll purposes does not update it in the Travel & Expense Portal. Travelers must confirm their banking details in the Travel & Expense Portal before submitting reports to avoid delays or misdirected payments.
To Review Your Profile and Review banking information for travel and expense reimbursement, access your profile by logging into the GeorgiaFIRST Self-Service (Travel & Expense Portal) and follow this path:
Accounting Services
Danielle Melvin
Travel & Grants Accountant
danielle.melvin@gsw.edu
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Lodging, including an itemized breakdown of charges such as room rate, taxes, parking, WiFi, laundry, and similar items
Note: Employee and Non-Employee Expenses and Parking must be entered as separate lines on the T&E report.
Be sure that one or more of your attachments reasonably shows that you were traveling and stayed overnight, or that you traveled for 12 hours or more and were at least 50 miles away from your home or primary work location.
Examples include a conference agenda, hotel confirmation, or meeting itinerary showing travel dates.
Attach a screenshot of the route taken on Google Maps (or another map service) or Attach a document listing the exact departing and arriving address.
Be sure to include round-trip mileage if applicable.
If you travel to the same location frequently (such as dual enrollment sites or recurring recruitment visits), you may create a standing mileage document each semester listing the destination, business purpose, and travel frequency. This document can then be referenced and re-attached to your mileage reports instead of writing a new explanation each time.
Attach a clarification document in place of the receipt. Acceptable clarification may include:
A receipt is required. Without a receipt, the expense will not be reimbursed.
A receipt is always required. No exceptions.
Reimbursable expenses while on official travel status include, but are not limited to, the following:
Non-reimbursable expenses include, but are not limited to, the following:
Supplies should only be included in a travel report if they are directly related to that specific trip.
All other purchases (general supplies, office items, etc.) must be submitted separately as a supply expense report.
Transportation-related expenses are reimbursable within reasonable limits. Taxi and ride-share tips may be claimed for up to 20% of the fare. The cost of a first checked bag is reimbursable, while additional or overweight baggage fees require written justification. Seat upgrades, preferred seating, and priority boarding fees are considered personal preferences and are not reimbursable.
The State of Georgia has a Mandatory State Contract that GSW must use for vehicle rentals with Enterprise Rentals. Below is a link to the website to reserve the car using the contracted price.
https://elink.enterprise.com/en/22/03/ga-georgia-southwestern-univ0.html
The contract is Mandatory which means we must use for rentals of covered vehicle classes (Compact, Standard, Full Size and Standard SUV).
*For any questions regarding rental cars, please contact the GSW Purchasing Office at (229) 931-2627 or purchasing@gsw.edu.
The USG does not provide meal per diem during non-overnight travel due to the IRS taxable compensation implications. Meals may be reimbursed only when they serve a clear business purpose, comply with USG and IRS rules, and stay within per diem limits. Per diem includes tax and tip; alcohol is never reimbursable (BPM 4.3 and 19.8).
Overnight Travel:
Employee (per diem) meals apply to GSW faculty and staff who are traveling on official business or attending approved events. Meals related to normal workdays or short meetings are not reimbursable unless they qualify as a Group Meal. Per diem meals are limited to travel status or approved events that serve a documented business purpose.
Requirements:
If any meal was provided at no cost, it must be deducted from per diem, regardless of whether the traveler ate it.
Non-employee meals include meals for guests, volunteers, students, or recruits participating in official GSW business.
Requirements:
Group meals are rare exceptions for employees only, allowed only when they directly support efficient operations and meet all BPM 19.7 requirements.
Requirements:
Travelers should inquire about government rate or conference lodging rate availability. The lowest reasonable lodging expenses will be reimbursed. All lodging claims must be documented with receipts and must be at a business that offers lodging to the general public, such as a hotel or motel, NOT a private residence.
Airbnb, VRBO, ByOwner, HomeAway, etc. are not reimbursable. Hotel/Motel Tax Exemption Form applies only to hotels in Georgia.
Travelers are required to submit a copy of the Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemption Form upon check in. Local/municipal occupancy tax should be removed with the form. State sales tax generally still applies. The $5.00/night state hotel fee is mandatory and will appear on the bill. For travel outside of Georgia, travelers will be reimbursed for all lodging taxes charged. If a Georgia hotel refuses to honor the tax-exempt form, attach proof (screenshot, receipt notation, or written denial). If unavailable, attach a written explanation.
We understand the desire to reduce lodging costs, and options like Airbnb or similar rental platforms can sometimes appear more affordable. However, cost is not the primary factor in this policy.
Per the University System of Georgia (USG) travel regulations, Airbnb, VRBO, ByOwner, HomeAway, and other private residence rentals are not considered commercial lodging facilities and are therefore not reimbursable. This restriction is in place for safety, liability, and insurance reasons, as well as to ensure consistency, accountability, and compliance with state travel guidelines. Travelers should stay in traditional hotels or motels that provide lodging to the general public and can issue itemized receipts for reimbursement.
Mileage Reimbursement rates for travel in a personal vehicle will be based on the mileage rate provided in accordance to the State Accounting Office Statewide Accounting Policy.
| Reimbursement Rates | |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 Rates | |
| Automobile | $0.70/mile |
| Motorcycle | $0.68/mile |
| Airplane | $1.75/mile |
| Tier 2 Rate | $0.21/mile |
*Normal commuting miles must be deducted when calculating the business miles if the employee departs and/or returns to their residence.
*Mileage reimbursement rates are subject to change annually based on IRS and State Accounting Office guidance.
Exception
If travel occurs on a weekend or holiday and is outside of the Traveler’s normal work schedule, mileage is calculated from the point of departure with no deduction of actual commuting miles.
Mileage-Only Expense Reports
When claiming mileage only (no other expenses), travelers must still provide supporting documentation showing the business purpose of the trip.
Attachments must include:
A copy of the meeting agenda, itinerary, supervisor’s written instruction, or another document confirming the business purpose.
A navigation screenshot (e.g., Google Maps) showing departure and arrival addresses and total miles traveled.
If you travel regularly to the same location (e.g., dual enrollment professors), upload a standing document listing the destination address, business purpose, and typical mileage.
These attachments ensure the report is audit-proof and compliant with state policy.
Each expense report should only include the portion of travel costs that belongs to the employee submitting it, even if someone else paid the bill. USG policy requires expenses to be tracked by employee to show how much each person’s travel costs the university.
It does not matter whose credit card was used to pay the expense. What matters is how the cost was split and that each traveler’s report shows only their share. Both travelers should also upload the same supporting documentation with a clear note explaining how the cost was divided.
Why This Is Required
Since public universities use state and federal funds, we are required to show clearly how those funds are spent. Travel expenses are counted as part of each employee’s overall cost to the university and are included in annual financial reports that become public record. Keeping expenses separated by traveler helps ensure those reports are accurate and transparent, which protects both employees and the institution during audits and public reviews.
Example
Joe and John travel to a conference together.
Each traveler’s expense report should still reflect only the amount they incurred:
Both Joe and John would upload the same receipts for the hotel and flights and include a short note explaining how the costs were split.
If one employee pays for another’s expense, it is up to the travelers to work out repayment between themselves. USG cannot enforce or document personal payback arrangements, which is why it is always cleaner for each employee to cover their own costs whenever possible.
Travel advances for trips within the U.S. are only available to employees whose current annual salary is $50,000 or less. Salary cap does not apply to international travel. If you make under $50k but do not see the cash advance option or qualify under special circumstances (such as traveling with a large group of students), contact the Accounting Office.
Requested through Employee Self Service in the travel system (same navigation as creating an expense report). If the cash advance tile is not visible, you do not meet income requirements.
Cash advances must be approved by department head, dean, or designee. Advances are based on estimated travel costs and should be the minimum necessary.
The traveler is responsible for all funds advanced and liable for lost/stolen money. Any unused portion must be returned immediately after travel.
The expense report is used to reconcile the travel advance against actual expenses. If total expenses exceed the amount advanced, the traveler will be reimbursed for the difference. If expenses are less than the advance, the unused balance must be repaid. Travelers should contact the Grants/Travel Accountant for repayment instructions and verify the final repayment amount, as it may change if any corrections or adjustments are required.
Submit expense report within 10 days of completing travel when you have a cash advance to ensure that everything is processed in a timely manner.
What Happens If Documentation is Missing or Policy Violated?
Approvers are responsible for verifying that all expenses are charged to the correct chart string or account code, ensuring the appropriate department, fund, grant, or project is used. They must also confirm that each purchase is appropriate for the budget they oversee, as approval signifies authorization for those funds to be used. Before approving any expense report, approvers should ensure that a valid Travel Approval Form was submitted and approved prior to the trip or that other documented pre-approval exists.