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Home / Business & Finance / Accounting Services / Travel & Expense Reimbursement

Travel & Expense Reimbursement

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.

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.

Travel Approval Request

Meals

The USG does not provide meal per diem during non-overnight travel due to the IRS taxable compensation implications.

Overnight Travel:

  • Travelers are eligible for only 75% of the total day’s per diem rate on the first and last day of travel for both In State and Out of State travel
  • The per diem allowance must be adjusted for any meals provided to the traveler by hotels, meetings, conferences, or any other source.
  • Submit a full copy of conference agenda or itinerary showing which meals are included

    Meal Per Diem Details

Group Meals

Under certain infrequent circumstances, group meals may be purchased if they meet the following standards as listed in Business Procedures Manual Section 19.7:

  1. Facilitates the efficient operations of the departments involved
  2. Meeting must last for at least four (4) hours
  3. Meals held at the start and/or finish of a meeting are not eligible for payment
  4. 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.
  5. Limited to the purchase of meals only and cannot include snacks.
  6. Must follow meal per diem limits
  7. “Lunch meeting” meals, in which the meal and the meeting are one and the same, are prohibited

Lodging

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

Travelers are required to submit a copy of the Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemption Form upon check in. This does not exempt employees from State Tax. For travel outside of Georgia, travelers will be reimbursed for all lodging taxes charged.

Hotel Tax Exempt Form

Travel by Personal Vehicle (Mileage 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 $0.67/mile
Motorcycle $0.65/mile
Airplane $1.76/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.

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 Scenarios

Reimbursement Self-Service

Contact

Accounting Services

Emily May
Grants and Travel Accountant

229-931-2007
emily.may@gsw.edu

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Travel by Rental Car

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). 

  • Driver must have a valid driver’s license
  • Driver must be a GSW employee
  • Driver must be at least 21 years old
  • Traveling on behalf of GSW (not a personal rental)

    *For any questions regarding rental cars, please contact the GSW Purchasing Office at (229) 931-2627 or purchasing@gsw.edu.

Expense Reports

Employees are required to submit travel expenses via the T & E Module ideally within 10 days after return. Travel expenses submitted more than 60 days become taxable and will be reimbursed through payroll.

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

Expense Report Receipt Requirements

Employees must submit receipts for the following expenses:

  • Lodging, with an itemized breakdown of costs such as room charge, parking, WIFI, laundry, et
    (Important Note: Employee/Non-Employee Expenses and Parking should be listed as separate entries on T&E report)
  • Airline or railroad fares - If in foreign currency, exchange rate and currency conversion to USD should be included. Source and date of exchange value should be provided.
  • Rental of motor vehicles
  • Parking receipts with date and fee amount
  • Registration fees – receipt with event date and paid fee amount
  • Visa/passport fees
  • All single expenditures of $25 or greater

Expense Approvals

A traveler’s immediate supervisor must approve a travel expense report before reimbursement will be processed.

  • By approving travel expenses, the approver is attesting that each transaction and supporting documentation has been thoroughly reviewed and has verified that all transactions are allowable expenses.
  • Each transaction must be consistent with departmental budget and project/grant guidelines.

Miscellaneous Travel Expenses

Reimbursable Expenses

Reimbursable expenses while on official travel status include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Baggage handling services, not including tips
  • Business office expenses (copy services, postage, and supplies)
  • Business related phone calls, faxes, and Internet usage charges and fees
  • Conference/Registration fees
  • Costs related to passports and travel visas, when necessary to accomplish the official business purpose of the trip
  • Costs related to vaccinations required and/or recommended for international business travel
  • Currency conversion fees
  • Laundry or cleaning expenses on trips lasting seven (7) calendar days or more
  • Reasonable incidental travel expenses, also known as incidentals, are reimbursed separately from Per Diem Rates for In State and Out of State travel
  • Transportation costs from lodging or businesses to restaurants (domestic travel only; see Appendix A for international travel guidance.)
  • Shuttle, taxi, or rideshare service to and from airports when public transportation is not practical.
  • Taxi, shuttle and rideshare services between business meetings.

Non-reimbursable Expenses

Non-reimbursable expenses include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Airline, car, and card membership dues and club fees
  • Airline reserved/priority seating fees
  • Travel upgrade fees (air, rail, car)
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Cigarettes, vaping, tobacco or other smoking paraphernalia
  • Bank charges for ATM withdrawals, except on international travel
  • Childcare costs
  • Pet housing/boarding/sitting
  • Clothing or toiletry items
  • Commuting between Residence and Primary Workstation
  • Country Club dues
  • Expenses related to vacation or personal days taken before, during or after a business trip
  • Haircuts and personal grooming
  • Incidental travel expenses are included in International Per Diem Rates and are not separately reimbursed.
  • Laundry, cleaning, pressing costs for trips of less than seven days
  • Loss Damage Insurance when State agency contract rate vehicle is available and another rental car agency is utilized
  • Loss or theft of cash advance money or airline tickets
  • Loss or theft of personal funds or property
  • Lost baggage
  • Luggage or briefcases
  • Medical expenses while traveling
  • Mini-bar charges
  • Movies
  • No-show/Cancellation fees or fees related to hotel late check-out (unless business or weather related)
  • Personal reading materials (magazines, newspapers, etc.)
  • Personal vehicle maintenance (including car washes)
  • Personal entertainment
  • Personal Pet care
  • Recreational expenses
  • Rental vehicle maintenance (including car washes)
  • Saunas, massages
  • Shoe Shines
  • Souvenirs or personal gifts
  • Tips covered by per diem allowances
  • Traffic citations (moving violations), parking tickets, court fees and other fines
  • Travel accident insurance premiums
  • TSA PreCheck application fee for airport pre-screening convenience service
  • Valet services for parking, when self-parking options are available, unless there are valid security reasons