Travel Information/Procedures for CSR Faculty, Researchers, Staff and Students

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Travel Procedures [PDF]
Travel Authorization Request (RTA) [PDF]
Travel Reimbursement Request [PDF]

Prior approval, in the form of a Travel Authorization, for all business travel is required for absences of faculty/employees/students from the campus for periods of half a day or more during the normal working period, whether or not there is a cost to the University. This includes conferences, driving to a local field site or another entity within the Austin area.

BASIC STEPS FOR UNIVERSITY TRAVEL

First, familiarize yourself with UT’s travel’s rules and regulations: https://financials.utexas.edu/hbp/part-11-travel

Before you travel:

  1. International travel only: while COVID-19 travel restrictions have largely been removed, certain regions are still considered restricted and require additional approvals/steps. To check if your trip requires them, please start here: https://global.utexas.edu/risk/travel/faculty-staff-travel
  2. Submit a Travel Authorization Request. The travel request submitted online will route to the Travel Coordinator. Please make sure it encompasses the entirety of your trip, including any vacation or non-workdays that may fall within the date range of your trip. Requests can be filled out here: https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/services/requests/
    1. Your request must include an email approval from the Principal Investigator. That email must show your dates of travel, location, and a breakdown of cost estimates. If the PI’s email approval is not included with your request, it will be returned to you.
    2. In the Request Form, you must include the account number (provided by the PI) and the expenditure breakdown, a check box expands this field. The expenditure breakdown will show Meals/Lodging/Transportation/Other. These figures entered in the Request Form should be the same as the ones approved by your PI. Failure to enter these fields will result in your request being returned.
    3. Please assign all requests to CSR-TSGC Travel (00329).
  3. Once your request is processed, you will receive a Travel Authorization approval email with a Document ID (ex: 60VE5123456).
  4. Now you can reserve your flight, hotel, and rental car. Save all your receipts!

After you travel:

  1. To submit a travel reimbursement: https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/services/requests/
    1. Please assign all reimbursements to CSR-TSGC Travel (00329).
  2. Submit clear scanned copies of your receipts with the online form or the originals as soon as possible upon completion of travel. Reimbursements turned in after 60 days of your return date will require an explanation for their lateness and are subject to IRS withholdings.
  3. Failure to follow the rules and policies for travel can result in a denied reimbursement request. Prepayment for any travel expenses may not be reimbursable. The University does not have to reimburse you for any completed travel. If any portion of the reimbursement exceeds the allowable rate, the amount in excess will need to be covered by non-grant funds. Please follow the rules and guidelines outlined not only by the University but by your sponsoring agent to ensure reimbursement.

TRAVEL INFORMATION: https://travel.utexas.edu/travelplanning/contact-travel-agency

Air Travel

The choices for UT travel:

  1. You may use the University’s online tool, Concur. https://travel.utexas.edu/travelplanning/concur-booking-tool
  2. You may direct bill through one of the University’s two approved travel agencies:
    1. Anthony Travel https://utsystem.anthonytravel.com/travel-request/
    2. Corporate Travel Planners https://ut-ctp.com/

Provide them with your Travel Authorization number and Document ID. Send a copy of your approved itinerary to the Travel Coordinator.

  1. If you are traveling on federal funds, you must use a domestic carrier in accordance with the “Fly America Act.” A complete list of certified air carriers can be found here. If you are unsure if you travel funds are federally sponsored, please ask the Contract Admin.
  2. You may purchase your own airfare through a domestic carrier. You must find the lowest available rate. If using an online reservation tool other than Concur, the purchase receipt and form submitted for reimbursement must include the traveler’s statement: “Online selection is best value as consistent with institutional priorities.”

Ground Transportation

Keep all taxi, bus, and other ground transportation receipts for reimbursement, including Uber and Lyft. You are allowed taxi/shuttle costs to and from the airport, both in Austin and at your destination. Tips are not allowed on state accounts.

Car Rental

All rental car reservations are required to be made using one of the University’s five contracted car vendors. Rental car contract rates apply to Domestic/US rentals only. Please provide the UT Discount Number when making your reservation. Direct billing options and dedicated customer service rep information can be found at Travel Management’s Rental Car site.

Car Rental Memo

There have recently had various issues with direct bill car rental through Avis. To ensure that your direct bill car rental goes through correctly, we have received the following guidance from Travel Management Services (TMS).

You must fully complete your Concur profile to ensure direct bill is setup correctly.

First, this form must be filled out every time you want to direct bill your car rental form. You must have your car rental reservation number ready in order to complete it: https://travel.utexas.edu/forms-resources

To ensure you always have direct bill, you can fill out this one-time direct bill form: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/02db0aa8af98441f9514273c7f716af2

If a credit card is requested when picking up the rental car, TMS stated the following (emphasis on the most crucial bits of information): “We think it is important for travelers to state that they are with the University of Texas-Austin, traveling on business, and that their rental has been direct billed to Travel Management Services at UT Austin. They should direct the counter agent to look for a billing number, and if the agent cannot find it, then the traveler should ask for a manager. We think that newer agents may not know where to look on their screen to see that a direct billing number/account number is associated to the reservation. This step is to verify that the direct billing number is actually missing from the reservation.

Additionally, travelers should know they can reach out to TMS directly for help Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm CST, and we can speak to the counter agent to provide our direct billing account information. We can’t give this out to the traveler, however.”

TMS phone number is 512-471-6641. It is recommend inputting this number into your contacts of your phone.

If you are using Avis, Enterprise, or National, then go through Travel Management Services to direct bill your rental car charges. You will need to complete the Rental Car Direct Billing Request form for Avis, while you will use the booking link for Enterprise and National and select the “direct bill” option.

Personal Vehicle

If you travel using your own personal vehicle, you are authorized to request reimbursement for either mileage or gas – not both. If you request a mileage reimbursement, you must submit a map (Google or MapQuest) showing the route and the starting/ending addresses. UT accepts both types of maps, but state accounts will only accept MapQuest. Please make sure you are following the account’s guidelines.

Meals and Lodging

Meals and lodging rates are based on the account you will be traveling on. If you are unsure of your per diem rates, please check with your Contract Administrator or Travel Coordinator. Meals and lodging cannot be reimbursed without an overnight stay.

Meals

Save your itemized receipts. You must stay within your daily rate, generally $51 per day, but certain accounts have stricter rules and rates. With no exceptions, you may only claim 75% of the maximum daily allowance of your per-diem on the first and last day of travel. No alcoholic beverages may be on your itemized receipts. If your meals exceed $51/day, then all receipts must be provided for that day along with a justification for the reimbursement request. The PI will have to approve the cost increase. Only one person per receipt. Tips are not allowed on state accounts.

Lodging

Reservations can be made either through UT travel agencies or the hotel directly. Original hotel bills are required showing itemized room rates, taxes, the last four digits of your credit card, and a zero balance. Third party booking receipts are not allowed. Certain accounts have very strict parameters on the daily lodging rate. Please double-check that your hotel’s rate is within this limitation prior to booking. All hotel/lodging expenses must be submitted including direct billed hotel rooms. If you are sharing a hotel with someone else, be sure to get the hotel to split the invoice per traveler. Only one person per receipt.

A UT employee must provide a Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemption Certificate at Texas lodging establishments in order to be exempt from state lodging taxes. You cannot be reimbursed for State of Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax. Please take a copy of this form with you if you are traveling in Texas. The form can be found here: https://utexas.box.com/v/tx-hotel-occupancy-tax-exempt

Miscellaneous Travel Expenses

Parking, wireless, business telephone charges, out-of-state tax, mandatory baggage fees are examples of allowable expenses. A complete list of allowable miscellaneous expenses can be found here: https://financials.utexas.edu/hbp/part-11/5-3-other-expenses

Tips of any kind are not an allowed. You cannot be reimbursed for them. Keep your receipts!

Registration/Abstract Fees

All abstract and registration fees must be paid through the center’s procard. Please contact the Purchasing Agent for procard information. These are the only travel expenses that may go on the procard.

Account Rules 

State Rules Accounts  Local Rates Accounts 
Overnight travel in Texas:

  • Actual lodging and meal expenses not to exceed current US General Services Administration rates *

Overnight travel in continental US is based on limits set for each locality

  • Not to exceed GSA rates by location*

NOTE: Gratuity on food services is NOT allowed. State rules accounts will require itemized meal receipts.

 Overnight travel in Texas:

  • $260/day in-state travel, of which no more than $51/day may be for meals

Overnight travel in continental US:

  • $375/day for travel outside of TX but in the continental US, of which no more than $51/day may be for meals

Overnight travel outside of US (foreign travel):

  • $425/day, of which no more than $51/day may be for meals

*GSA rates can be found here: https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates/per-diem-rates-lookup

*Textravel rates can be found here:  https://fmx.cpa.texas.gov/fmx/travel/textravel/rates/current.php

International Travel

Some foreign destinations are considered restricted regions and travel must be approved by the International Oversight Committee. For information on this policy and its procedures, go to the following link: https://global.utexas.edu/risk/travel/restricted-regions

All expenses during international travel must be converted to US dollars. Please use the following website to convert all expenses: https://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/
You must print out the page you are using for your reimbursement and submit it along with your receipts.  An average rate may be used for the entire trip.

Registration of your itinerary details is required when travelling to a foreign destination.

  1. Register your trip in the UT Austin International Travel Registry (ITR). All employees must register their foreign travel at this link: https://utdirect.utexas.edu/io/abroad/itr/index.WBX
    1. All employees are also required to read and agree to the terms of a COVID-19 waiver as part of the ITR registration process.
    2. Once the trip is registered, email a copy the confirmation page to grs@austin.utexas.edu.
  2. All registered travelers will be covered by On Call International Travel Insurance.

Export Control

For general export control information at UT: https://research.utexas.edu/osp/manage-awards-and-subawards/export-control/

If you plan to travel on any research project(s) and take a UT-owned laptop and/or equipment the Export License Exception (TMP) Certification form must be filled out and approved by David Ivey prior to traveling.

The TMP certification is required any time our PI/covered individuals on the project take laptops or equipment out of the country. Fill out the Export License Exception (TMP) Certification and send it to David Ivey (ivey@austin.utexas.edu). David Ivey will then review whether any additional restrictions or requirements are needed. Please provide a copy of the completed TMP Certificate to the Travel Coordinator.