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Student Travel

You are here: UW-Stout Travel » Student Travel

Overview

NOTICE:  April 15, 2008:

Student Driver Authorizations will be de-actived at the end of the Academic Year.  If department plans to pay student for mileage, new forms must be submitted.  Please review information on Safety & Risk Management's website.

 

Certain guidelines must be followed and met for students to receive reimbursement for travel expenses. Please review the below information prior to authorizing student travel. Be sure to review UW System travel regulations for general travel guidelines.

• When is a student a student and when is a student an employee?
• When do students need travel authorizations (TA) or travel expense reports (TER)?
• When can students be reimbursed for travel expenses?
• When can’t students be reimbursed for travel expenses?
• Are students eligible for US Bank Visa Cards or travel advances?
• How is mileage reimbursed to students?
• What are the guidelines for paying student lodging?
• How do we handle student airfare?
• Can students claim miscellaneous expenses?
• Processing expenses

When is a student a student and when is a student an employee?

For various reasons Accounting Services needs to know when to consider a student an employee.  When filing a TER be sure the appropriate category is selected on the TER.

• A grad assistant is on payroll and therefore considered an employee rather than a student.
  • However, if the grad assistant is traveling for a department other than the one paying him/her, they s/he is considered a student
• Hall directors are considered employees since they’re on payroll
• Students working under work-study or state payroll are always considered students  

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When do students need travel authorizations (TA) or travel expense reports (TER)?

• DO need:  If a student is to be reimbursed expenses of any kind, they need to have a TA prior to travel
• If a group of students is traveling and only the individual driving will be reimbursed for mileage, then only that individual should have a TA with the other travelers names listed as passengers  
  • See section below on mileage for paperwork necessary to complete for mileage reimbursement
• DON'T need:  If a student is traveling with an employee and won’t be claiming expenses, they don’t need a TA.  Their name, however, must be indicated on the employee’s TA as a passenger for insurance purposes

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When can students be reimbursed for travel expenses?

• Student Center 128 program revenue generating accounts can reimburse
  student lodging, meals and transportation if on UW business or representing
  Stout  
• If a student is in payroll status when doing ‘day travel’, they can be reimbursed meals or mileage.  Example of this would be if a student drove
  to Minneapolis to pick up a piece of equipment during his work hours.
  It must, however, be noted on the TER that they are indeed in payroll
  status  
• To reimburse a student who’s not in payroll status and not traveling under Student Center accounts, a letter explaining how Stout benefits from the student’s travel must accompany the TER.
  • We strongly recommend checking on this prior to making any
    arrangements 

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When CAN'T students be reimbursed for travel expenses

• When they’re on fieldtrips or traveling as part of education
• When they’re doing research or class related work that, while it may further their education, it can’t be viewed as beneficial to Stout.
  • Example where they can't be reimbursed?  A student attends a meeting in Minneapolis relevant to his/her major would not be reimbursed expenses since this would be viewed as part of their education.
  • Example of when they indeed can be reimbursed?  If this student attended the meeting as the representative from Stout and reported back in some manner (i.e. class presentation), expenses could possibly be covered
    • We strongly recommend checking on this prior to making any arrangements

• Student Center 128 seg accounts can’t reimburse student meals
• If the travel pertains to a practicum it is the students expense and we cannot reimburse.  Please see Special Course Fees, section III.D  
  

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Are students eligible for US Bank Visa Cards or travel advances?

• US Bank Visa Card
  • No
• Travel Advance?
  • Yes for grad assistants ; no for students  
    • If students need an advance, an employee must request one and be responsible for filing the expense report

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How ismileage reimbursed to students?

• They must follow the same guidelines as employees
• Be sure, prior to travel, they have completed the necessary paperwork available through Safety and Risk Management to be authorized drivers.  This paperwork is needed even if they’re requesting reimbursement for using their own vehicle.  Mileage or gas will not be reimbursed without these documents on file  

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What are the guidelines for paying student lodging?

• Lodging for student travel must be within the same guidelines as employees for instate and high cost cities
• US Bank Visa card should be used for all lodging
  •  If an employee will be accompanying the students they should put all rooms on their US Bank Corporate Visa and seek reimbursement on a TER
  • Department may also use Pro-Travel card .  Procedures vary depending on the hotel.  Below is an example of what a department will have to do
    • Hotel will fax department a credit card authorization form
    • Department will complete the form, make a copy of the credit card and cardholders driver's license (cross driver's license number off!).  Department will also indicate the only charges allowable on the card are lodging and taxes.  Department will then fax the card back to the hotel
    • Department will issue a letter on Stout letterhead indicating that the named student has permission to charge lodging and taxes to credit card ending with XXXX (last 4 digits of card)
    • Department should make student aware they may be required to present a personal credit card for an incidental charges against the room.  NOTE:  They probably will have to do this!
  • If no employee is accompanying students and department doesn't have a Pro-Travel card students may charge the room to a personal card and seek reimbursement on a TER
• As with employees, under no condition can the procurement card be used to pay for student lodging.
• Make students aware room charges, phone charges, movie charges, etc. are their responsibility and not reimbursable

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How do we handle student airfare?

• Under absolutely no circumstances should students be given total authority to make travel arrangements incurring expenses without the account administrator's approval prior to completing reservations 
• Student airfare is governed by the same regulations as employees regarding 'lowest logical fares'  
• Students may obtain and document quotes however the actual booking must not be done without the department reviewing the reservations
  • Students may use a personal credit card to purchase airfare after review by department
• Airfare purchased through Orbitz will not be reimbursed
• If department is booking airfare online, must use Fox World Travel
  • Airfare must then be purchased using a US Bank Visa card
• No airfare should be purchased until all travel authorizations are in place
• As with employees, the procurement card can never be used for airfare  

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Can students claim miscellaneous expenses?

• Students are not usually reimbursed miscellaneous expenses such as phone calls and tips for portage.  Under special circumstances and with department approval, it’s possible.

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Processing expenses

To help ensure prompt reimbursement, please remember the following tips:

• Communicate the UW-System travel limits to the students for meals and lodging as well as all the other regulations governing reimbursement of travel
• Remember, while students can be reimbursed, certain criteria must be met.  Don't assume they can be reimbursed exactly like an employee 
• Students should be advised prior to trip of those expenses that will not, under any circumstances, be reimbursed
  • Departments may set limits on food, insist on meal receipts, etc.
• If there are special circumstances concerning reimbursement of student travel that otherwise would not be allowed, please include a memo explaining why it's being requested in that specific case.

The students TER should be completed and include the following:

• Original signatures of student, dept chair and/or dean and acct admin  

• Approved Travel Authorization

• Social security number and current mailing address

• Original, itemized receipts for hotel, rental vehicle, passenger receipt portion of air ticket, Eau Claire Passenger service receipts, parking and any other expense when required by the regulations

• Justification as to how Stout benefits by the student traveling

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Accounting Services 125 Admin Bldg University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, Wisconsin 54751 Phone: 715/232-2155