Travel
1) What are the in-state travel reimbursement rates?
Answer
Mileage: - per NDSU Policy Manual Section
515
Meals: per NDSU Policy Manual Section
515
Lodging: per
NDSU Policy Manual Section
515
Personal phone calls: $5/day maximum
2) What are the out-of-state per diem meal reimbursement rates?
Answer
The standard meal allowance is $39 per day for out-of-state travel.
Depending on the destination, for certain cities a higher rate may
be claimed. A web site is available showing a listing of US cities,
counties, and the allowable meal per diem rate. The web site is at
www.state.nd.us/fiscal/docs/perdiem2007.pdf.
3) Can I get a travel advance?
Answer
Travel advances are generally limited to the following two situations:
1) when an employee is chaperoning a group of students or other
guests and is expected to pay some of the student's or guest's expenses,
2) when an employee is going on a trip for an extended period of
time, such as more than one month. Usually these are international
trips funded by a grant.
There is a travel advance request form to be completed and attached
to the request for payment form. State law only allows an advance
of 80% of the estimated expenses of a trip.
4) Can an employee charge their lodging bill to an NDSU department?
Answer
No. Lodging is only to be reimbursed to the employee. A lodging facility
should not be paid directly by the department. Exception: NDCC 44-08-04.5
of the 1999 Session Laws allows a state agency to pay a out-of-state
lodging provider directly when the Office of Management and Budget
has obtained a sales tax exemption from the destination state. (At
this time, OMB does not have an agreement with any other state. State
agencies will be notified when such agreements have been obtained.)
In-state lodging is not covered by the 1999 session law change
and must continue to be reimbursed to the employee.
5) If I pay for travel expenses before the trip (e.g., airline tickets,
deposits on hotels, registration fees), can I get reimbursed before
the trip?
Answer
Yes. If for some reason an employee incurrs travel expenses related
to a trip in a future month, they may be reimbursed before the trip
takes place, via a request for payment form. However, if the expenses
are incurred in the month of the trip, but just before the trip, it
would be most efficient to reimburse the expenses on the travel voucher
with the other expenses of the trip, after the trip takes place. If
this creates a financial hardship on the employee, the Accounting
Office Manager may make an exception.
On airline tickets it is recommended that they be paid directly by
the department, rather than personally by the employee; however, we
recognize this cannot always be done.
6) Can I be reimbursed for my frequent flyer miles I used to acquire my
airline ticket?
Answer
No. Even if the employee earns the frequent flyer miles from personal
travel the university cannot be reimbursed for the cash value of those
miles. Likewise, we cannot reimburse an employee for any coupon used
to acquire an airline ticket.
