PROCEDURAL STATEMENT This policy sets forth requirements authorizing individual travel, determining allowable travel expenses, and completing the reimbursement process. The following policy applies to Colorado Mesa University employees and students traveling on University business - regardless of funding source, including external entities. Non-employees representing Colorado Mesa University on official business are subject to the same policies, procedures and fiscal rules as employees. AUTHORITIES CMU Fiscal Rules CRS 24-9-104(2) CRS 24-30-202(20.1) Executive Order D 005-03 Executive Order D 021-07 IRS Publication 463 DEFINITIONS In-State Trip - A University traveler in travel status within the State of Colorado and in the immediate area outside of Colorado that is a necessary part of an otherwise in-state trip Out-of-State Trip - A University traveler in travel status outside of Colorado and within CONUS (the Continental U.S., including the District of Columbia), Alaska and Hawaii. International Trip - A University traveler in travel status to any destination that is not considered in- state or out-of-state. US Bank OneCard -University issued Visa credit card used for all travel related expenses, with the exception of meal expense. Approving Authority - Budget authority responsible for overseeing and authorizing travel and associated expenses. Pre-Paid Expense Expenses incurred prior to travel, i.e. conference registration, airline ticket(s), etc. Trip Expense Expenses incurred during travel, i.e. lodging paid at time of check out, fuel, etc. Out of Pocket Expense expenses incurred where the CMU OneCard usage is not an option, i.e. mileage, cash paid tolls, cash paid parking, etc. REQUIREMENTS PRIOR TO TRAVEL If you do not currently have a CMU OneCard, please contact the Purchasing Department to determine if a CMU OneCard will be required for your travel. Complete an electronic Travel Expense Report (TER) form with cost estimates, and submit form to Approving Official via e-mail. (A Travel Expense Report form is required for all trips that include airfare, overnight stay, and/or out of state/international travel)
Approving Authority will approve the TER form by submitting the electronic TER form to Purchasing and Accounts Payable via email. The Approving Authority will send the TR form to the Purchasing department and attach the traveler to the email. The email from the Approving Authority will serve as approval for the traveler. DETERMINE TRAVEL NEEDS At this time, the traveler should assess their needs to accomplish University business and seek approval from the appropriate Approving Authority. All travel related expenses must be booked using your US Bank OneCard, except for your meal expenses. If you do not have a US Bank OneCard, please contact your Department s Administrative Assistant for booking. Transportation Air Transportation Travelers have the option of utilizing the University s travel agent, The Travel Society, or the use of internet travel sites such as Expedia and Orbitz. Itemized receipts documenting dates and destination of travel is required. Rental Vehicle If renting a vehicle, the traveler must use one of the contract rental car agencies: Avis, Budget or Enterprise. For travel originating from Grand Junction travelers may use Thrifty, but only the Grand Junction Thrifty has met the state insurance requirements. Employees should avoid additional charges for picking up a rental vehicle too far in advance or returning it later than necessary. The traveler must charge the vehicle to their US Bank OneCard and decline all insurance. When using the US Bank OneCard with a contract rental agency all insurance is provided at no cost to the traveler or to the University. The US Bank OneCard provides collision and loss damage insurance (CDW/LDW) and the contract rental agency provides liability insurance per the State contract. Employees who accept unnecessary automobile rental insurance will not receive reimbursement for the purchase of this insurance. Itemized receipts documenting dates of rental will be required. Personal Vehicle If the traveler chooses to use a personal vehicle while in travel status, mileage will be reimbursed at the fiscal rule rate. Documentation of personal vehicle mileage may be requested by the Accounts Payable department in order to substantiate mileage expense. Reimbursement for 4-WD rates is permitted between November 1 st and April 1 st. Justification for use of 4-WD is required for travel occurring outside these dates. The 4-WD rate will only be claimed for vehicles with 4-WD transmission, all-wheel drive vehicles are not included in the 4-WD category. The mileage rate covers insurance, fuel, and wear and tear on your vehicle. If the traveler is claiming mileage, expenses related to personal vehicles will not be reimbursed and are not allowed to be charged to the US Bank OneCard. Other Transportation
Transportation such as boat or train is allowable and itemized receipts showing dates of travel and destination will be required. Any other mode of transportation outside of those discussed in this document should be discussed and approved with the Purchasing or Accounts Payable department prior to booking. Lodging Hotel/Motel Hotel and motel lodging should be booked at the single room rate while making every effort to obtain the lowest cost lodging reasonably possible. In the case of a conference, or similar event, the University permits the employee to stay at the conference hotel instead of seeking the lowest rate available. Itemized receipts showing date of check-in and check-out will be required. Rental by Owner Often times Rental by Owner accommodations require an additional contract to be signed by patrons. It s important to ask your host prior to booking if they require a contract, or additional Terms and Conditions to be signed. These agreements require a binding signature for the university and need to be reviewed by the Purchasing Department prior to booking or a deposit being made. In order to streamline your rental by owner reservations and avoid additional contracts, Airbnb is the recommended platform. In the instance where additional documentation may be required by the Rental by Owner property, please contact the Purchasing department for further assistance as these agreements must be reviewed and approved by the Purchasing Department in advance of travel. Other Campsite, Hostel, etc. will be allowed as a form of lodging in lieu of a hotel or other accommodation. Please note that the receipt requirements are the same as those of other accommodations. In the event that an itemized receipt is not available, a statement of the breakdown in expense will be required from the traveler. Any documentation that will help substantiate this statement should be used in lieu of a receipt. Meals Per Diem CMU policy is to pay meals by per diem. Meal receipts are not required and meal expenses are not allowed to be charged to your OneCard. You may claim up to the maximum per diem for the city to which you are traveling. The maximum per diem amount is a daily amount rather than an amount assigned to individual meals and under no circumstances shall an employee claim more the established maximum per diem rate. The only time individual meal rates are a factor is when travel is for a partial day. Per diem will be sent through direct deposit to the traveler(s) bank account no more than 5 days prior to the beginning of travel. No meal expense should be charged on your US Bank OneCard, as the meal expense will be paid prior to travel. Any adjustments that are required as a result of changes in travel will be handled upon return from the trip. Please see the How to Determine Per Diem help guide in order to determine the appropriate per diem to request.
Changes in per diem will be affected by changes in travel dates, changes in departure and arrival times, and changes in destination. If the traveler encounters any change in travel, the traveler is required to contact the Accounts Payable department as soon as is reasonably possible in order to rectify any issues with per diem. Meals for Days Traveler Departs and Returns A traveler may claim meals based on departure and arrival time. Breakfast cannot be claimed unless departure is prior to 5:00 A.M. at the departing city. Lunch cannot be claimed unless departure is before 11:00 AM at the departing city, or return is after 1:00 P.M. at the destination city. Dinner cannot be claimed, unless return is after 8:00 P.M. at the destination city. Under this method, the applicable per diem rate is based on where the meal is eaten. Total Per Diem Breakfast Lunch Dinner Incidental Standard Rate $51.00 $11.00 $12.00 $23.00 $5.00 $54.00 $12.00 $13.00 $24.00 $5.00 $59.00 $13.00 $15.00 $26.00 $5.00 $64.00 $15.00 $16.00 $28.00 $5.00 $69.00 $16.00 $17.00 $31.00 $5.00 $74.00 $17.00 $18.00 $34.00 $5.00 High Cost Rates OBTAIN REQUIRED APPROVAL In-State Travel Wholly within a Single Day with No Airfare Prior written or electronic authorization by the Approving Authority for all in-state travel wholly within a single day with no airfare is not required In-State Travel Requiring an Overnight Stay, and/or Airfare - Prior written or electronic authorization by the Approving Authority Out-of-State Travel Prior written or electronic authorization by the traveler s supervisor or higher authority shall be required for all Out-of-State Travel. International Travel Prior written or electronic authorization by the traveler s Approving Authority and the President of the University shall be required for all International Travel. Required approvals for Travel Authorization, and the responsibilities carried by the traveler(s) and approvers, are as follows: Traveler The traveler will complete the Travel Expense Report paperwork and submit to the appropriate Approving Authority for approval. The traveler should submit TER paperwork to the Approving Authority via email; this will serve as the Traveler s signature. Approving Authority The completed Travel Request document must be approved by the traveler s appropriate Approving Authority. The Approving Authority will review the TER document to ensure the travel is appropriate according to this policy. Approving Authority will submit approved TER s to the Purchasing department
and the traveler via email. At this time the traveler may begin incurring expenses related to the approved travel. Purchasing Department The Purchasing department will verify that the Travel Expense Report paperwork is complete and approved by the appropriate Approving Authority(s). TRAVEL ADVANCE In the extraordinary circumstance that a traveler will require a travel advance, the traveler shall complete a Direct Request form to obtain an advance for approved travel expenses, which shall contain a statement as to the purpose of the travel. The amount of the advance shall be computed using the applicable per diem rates and other allowable estimated out of pocket amounts. Under no circumstance shall a Travel Advance exceed the $1,500 statutory limit per Traveler per trip. USE OF US BANK ONECARD Travelers are required to utilize their US Bank OneCard for all travel expenses, with the exception of meal expense. The per diem for the traveler will be deposited into the traveler s bank account no more than 5 days prior to travel. DO NOT USE YOUR US BANK ONECARD FOR MEAL EXPENSE NON-ALLOWABLE TRAVEL EXPENSES The following is a list of expenses, which are not allowed to be charged to the University s US BankOneCard, nor will they be reimbursed by the University. Alcoholic beverages, entertainment expenses, personal expenses incurred during travel that are primarily for the benefit of the traveler and not directly related to state business, political expenses, traffic fines and parking tickets, late fees for credit cards, certain insurance coverage. The expenses listed are not all-inclusive and should serve as a guideline for travelers. TAX EXEMPTION EXPECTATION The use of your US Bank OneCard Visa will allow you to obtain tax exemption for all purchases within the State of Colorado. Certain vendors will still require a tax exemption affidavit be completed and submitted prior to your stay. If this is the case, please make the effort to obtain the tax exemption. RECEIPT REQUIREMENT Type of Travel Expense Rate Receipt Required? Lodging Actual Yes Meals Per Diem Rate No Incidental Expenses Per Diem Rate No
Transportation (other than airfare) Actual Yes, if over $25 Rental Vehicle Actual Yes Mileage for Personal Vehicles Miles x 90% of current fed. mileage rate (or 95% for 4-wheel drive) No Airfare Actual Yes Registration Actual Yes Other Allowable Expenses Actual Yes, if over $25 Tips Included in Per Diem Rate No RECEIPTS NOT OBTAINED In the instance that a receipt is not obtained by the traveler, the traveler must make an attempt to obtain the original, itemized receipt by contacting the vendor and requesting the receipt. Only after all reasonable attempts have been made to obtain an original receipt, the traveler will complete and submit a Missing Receipt Acknowledgement form and submit to their Approving Authority for approval. See Missing Receipt Acknowledgment form guidelines for additional information. POST TRAVEL AND REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS Travel Expense Report The Travel Expense Report shall include all expenses incurred in relation to the travel. However, the reimbursement portion of the travel will include only those expenses that are deemed to be out of pocket such as mileage, cash only tolls, and expenses in which the US Bank OneCard utilization is not an option. All reimbursement paperwork shall be submitted via email to the Accounts Payable office within 10 days of completion of travel. All necessary receipts substantiating out of pocket expense reimbursement are to be attached to the email containing the TER. Allocation of Expenses Upon completion of travel, all expenses must be allocated and receipts must be uploaded to the US Bank website at this time Reconciliation of Expenses Upon completion of TER audit, any expenses deemed personal or out of compliance with this procedure must be rectified. The Accounts Payable office will notify the traveler of any expenses that may be considered out of compliance with this procedure. If the expense(s) is determined to be out of compliance, the Accounts Payable office will notify the traveler and the traveler will have 10 business days to reimburse the University for the expense in question.