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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.
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.
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.
Overnight Travel:
Under certain infrequent circumstances, group meals may be purchased if they meet the following standards as listed in Business Procedures Manual Section 19.7:
Facilitates the efficient operations of the departments involved.
Meeting must last for at least four (4) hours.
Meals held at the start and/or finish of a meeting are not eligible for payment.
Approval required prior to the date of the event (for non-emergency situations). The prior approval request should include:
Purpose of the meeting or event;
Formal written agenda including session times;
List of attendees with their associated departments/entities; and,
Expected cost of the meal per person.
Limited to the purchase of meals only and cannot include snacks.
Must follow meal per diem limits.
“Lunch meeting” meals, in which the meal and the meeting are one and the same, are prohibited.
Employee Meals / Group Meals (Employees)
Applies to GSW employees only when meetings last 4+ hours and continue through a mealtime.
Meals cannot occur at the start or end of a meeting.
Requires:
Pre-approval
Agenda
Attendee list (with departments/entities)
Cost estimate per person
Must follow meal per diem limits.
“Lunch meeting” meals, in which the meal and the meeting are one and the same, are not allowed.
Non-Employee Meals
Applies to guests, volunteers, recruits, or individuals serving GSW in an official capacity.
Requires:
Pre-approval
Agenda or description of the event
Attendee list with names and affiliations
Clear business purpose
Must follow per diem limits and be documented separately from employee meals.
Simple Rule
Group meals = employees only
Non-employee meals = meals with outside participants (including recruits)
Both require advance approval, documentation, and adherence to per diem rules
Additional Notes
Meal per diem covers taxes and tips; separate claims for meal tips beyond per diem are not permitted.
If multiple employees attend a meal that does not qualify as a group meal, each employee must submit their own individual reimbursement report.
Employee and non-employee meals must be entered as separate expense lines in the reimbursement system.
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.
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.