UCO Business Office

A Post Travel Expense Form is due within forty-five (45) calendar days of completion of a trip.

Auditors review items purchased, not just amounts spent. Therefore, we ask for ALL itemized receipts when traveling within the continental U.S., no matter the expense type or dollar amount. Please ASK for a receipt if you are not presented with one at the time of purchase. A receipt lists items purchased and the amount for each item. Credit card slips show only the total amount charged and are not receipts. See the example to below.

Travel within continental US – CONUS travel:

We need ALL original itemized receipts, no matter the dollar amount when requesting reimbursement for travel within the continental U.S. Please keep all your receipts until you know your reimbursement has been processed. This is in case we have additional questions or corrections.

Travel to Alaska, Hawaii, US possessions, and Foreign:

We need original itemized receipts, no matter the dollar amount when requesting reimbursement for airfare, rental car, and conference registration.

We need original itemized receipts, for individual transactions of $75 or more when requesting reimbursement for other transportation(bus, taxi, train), parking, and miscellaneous expenses.

Receipts are not required for lodging, meals, or incidentals while traveling in OCONUS or foreign locations as long as you are claiming actual expenses incurred and not exceeding the local per diem rate.

If receipts are lost, a detailed explanation of which receipts are not available should be written in the “Explanation/Comments” section on CruzFly or the Post Travel Expense Form. Generally, a traveler would not be reimbursed for a lost receipt, unless alternate proof of payment is provided like a redacted credit card statement.

Airfare: When mixing business with personal travel, a supporting airfare cost comparison for the University business portion of the trip through multiple airline offerings must be provided showing what would have been paid based on the lower of the regular coach fare available for the location of travel from all standard commercial air carriers or through a query of available options within Connexxus describing all airline offerings.

          a. Comparisons must be done at time of booking travel, not after the trip is over.
          b. We recommend providing three comparisons with each comparison being from a different airline.

Driving: When a personal vehicle or rental car is used in lieu of air travel to the same destination, the lesser of the following costs will be reimbursed:

          a. Airfare plus transportation costs to and from airport, or
          b. Automobile mileage/gas cost plus the cost of meals, lodging and parking while in transit.
          c. A supporting airfare cost comparison for only the University business portion of the trip must be provided showing all options available which would substantiate the lower of the regular coach fares available for the location and time of travel using standard commercial air carriers or through the campus travel program (Connexxus).

Lodging: When the traveler is unable to secure domestic lodging at $333 per night or less, the traveler must submit additional documentation such as price comparisons within the proximity of the meeting location that supports the higher lodging rate incurred. The price comparisons should be performed at the time of booking.

The preferred lodging option if traveling to the big island for Keck related activities is to use VSQ lodging. The VSQ(Visiting Scientist Quarters) is a lodging facility for working observers, located on the WMKO headquarters campus. There are 10 bed/bath suites and a Common building. The Common building includes a self-service kitchen, dining area, office, laundry, TV and game lounge. This option is only $125 per night inclusive of taxes.

To book your stay in the VSQ, please fill out the Request Form.

Travel within continental US – CONUS travel:

• Between one to 29 days in one location
  • For travel assignments of less than 30 days within the continental United States (CONUS), the reimbursement of daily subsistence expenses shall be based on the actual amounts incurred for lodging (room rate capped at $333-excluding tax and fees) and meals and incidental expenses, (capped at maximum of $79/day).
  • The M&IE cap for CONUS travel under 30 days shall not be treated as a per diem. M&IE reimbursement shall be limited to the actual reasonable costs incurred.

Travel to Alaska, Hawaii, and US possessions – OCONUS travel:

• Travel is less than 30 days in one location
  • Reimbursement for actual expenses incurred not to exceed the local per diem rate according to the US Department of Defense Non-foreign locality per diem rates.
  • OCONUS per diem rates do not include taxes on lodging, which may be reimbursed separately. The actual cost of lodging is not to exceed the applicable federal per diem rate (See Appendix B, UC G-28, page 52).

HEADS UP: Lodging per diem rates in Hawaii tend to be much lower than the max domestic lodging cap of $333/night. Please make sure that the lodging you book is not higher than the pier diem rate for that specific area in Hawaii.

Foreign Reimbursement Rates:

• Travel is less than 30 days in one location
  • Reimbursement for actual expenses incurred not to exceed the local per diem rate according to the US Department of State Federal Maximum Travel Per Diem Allowance for Foreign Areas.

Connexxus is a secure web portal for booking university business travel. It links to booking options, agent contact information, and guidance for choosing the best option for your travel situation. By booking travel through Connexxus, UC-negotiated prices with airlines, hotels, and car rental companies are automatically applied.

• Booking through Connexxus (preferred method): UC-contracted rates are available to UCSC employees when reserving a car through Connexxus. Physical damage insurance coverage is automatically included for rentals booked through Connexxus, and therefore should not be purchased separately. UC rental contracts provide for refueling charges at a negotiated rate and this option may be selected to purchase fuel in advance.
• Booking directly from agencies: UCSC employees who choose to rent a vehicle directly from a UC-contracted rental car agency will not be able to leverage the contracted rental car rates. If the UCSC Travel and Entertainment Card is used to rent a vehicle from a contracted agency, physical damage insurance coverage is automatically included. UCSC employees will not be reimbursed for any insurance charges associated with vehicles rented from UC-contracted agencies.

REMINDER: Rental car expense reimbursement will be based on the most economical mode of transportation (i.e. economy, compact, and intermediate-sized rental cars).

Using the UCSC Corporate Travel & Entertainment Card (CTE) card provides an easy way to pay for business-related travel and entertainment expenses since it does not affect the spending limits on your personal credit card.

• Eliminate the need to carry large sums of cash to pay for UCSC business travel expenses – VISA is accepted at more than 44 million merchants world-wide
• Monthly account balances are paid automatically by the university
• Only one reconciliation is needed per month if charges appear on your US Bank statement
• Eliminates waiting for reimbursements to be processed after each trip and/or event
•  May be used to pay for UCSC Catering Services
• Arrange travel for employees and visitors reducing the amount of reimbursement requests
• Faster event planning by reducing the need for most Purchase Orders
• Enable the University to track travel spending information that can be used to help it negotiate lower prices for airfare, hotel and rental car rates.

To apply for a CTE Card, please see the Financial Affairs resource page.

If this is the first time you are getting reimbursed by UCSC, you are required to fill out a Payee Setup 204 form before receiving a UCSC non-payroll payment.

UCSC Affiliates: CruzFly

• Make sure to put Brian Lindholm as the Initial Approver before submitting your expenses.
• If you do not have a CruzFly account, please work with Leah Carver to fill out a CruzFly Account Authorization Form and an Access to Information Statement.

All Others: Post Travel Expense Form

• Make sure to open the PDF with Adobe Reader or Acrobat Pro.
• Once form is filled out, email the PDF to Brian Lindholm at blindhol@ucsc.edu.