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Dave Eng

(315) 859-4516
(315) 859-4196 (fax)

STUDENT ORGANIZATION

TRAVEL POLICIES AND GUIDELINES



Introduction

If approved in advance by the appropriate funding source, travel expenses incurred on official student organization business will be paid by organizational funding if the expenses are properly authorized, reasonable, and appropriately documented. Members of student organizations who incur such expenses should neither lose nor gain personal funds as a result.

This manual describes the policies and procedures used at Hamilton to implement those goals with as much flexibility and as little complexity as is possible within the constraints imposed by various legal and contractual requirements.

Student organizations should exercise care in incurring travel expenses. It is the responsibility of each individual incurring such expenses to comply with the College's policies and procedures, as described in this manual.

 

Payment of Travel Expenses

Hamilton provides two means for the payment of travel expenses: (a) prepaid expenses, and (b) reimbursements. Each of these is explained in turn below. Travel reimbursements for organizations funded by Student Assembly MUST be pre-approved by the Student Assembly prior to travel.
 
A. Prepaid Expenses

These are expenses paid by the College in advance of the travel date – registration fees, hotel deposits, etc.  In order to have the College prepay these expenses, submit an appropriately signed Student Assembly Reimbursement/Payment Envelope (which can be found in the basement of Bristol) along with documentation of the expense (i.e., registration form, hotel confirmation form).

B. Reimbursed Expenses

In order to be reimbursed for expenses incurred or to substantiate travel advances, a traveler must submit a signed Student Assembly Reimbursement/Payment Envelope accompanied by appropriate original receipts.
The receipts are needed to document the actual amounts of any travel expenses that will be charged to a student organization account. The completed Student Assembly Reimbursement/Payment Envelope and receipts should be submitted to the Student Assembly Treasurer within 30 days of the traveler's return from each trip.

A description of the trip (including departure and return dates) and a detailed list of your transportation, lodging, meal and miscellaneous expenses should be included with your receipts.

By signing the Student Assembly Reimbursement/Payment Envelope, travelers certify to the college that the information contained on the form is accurate to the best of their knowledge. Therefore, individuals must sign their own names.

The Student Assembly Reimbursement/Payment Envelope must be approved by a person authorized to charge expenses to the account (s) and organization (s) that will bear the cost. The authorizing signature indicates that the charges are proper and that funds are available to cover the expenses.

Reimbursement checks will be mailed to the traveler.

If a Student Assembly Reimbursement/Payment Envelope is not completed properly, and if the problem cannot be resolved with a phone call, the Request will be returned to the traveler or the approving party for correction.

RECEIPTS

A. Required Receipts
Dated original receipts should be submitted with the Student Assembly Reimbursement/Payment Envelope for:
  • all lodging expenses (itemized hotel bills required, credit card statement alone is not sufficient)
  • meal expenses, unless such expenses do not exceed $25.00 per day
  • all purchased transportation expenses, including air, train and bus fares, as well as car rental charges;
  • registration fees that were not prepaid; and
  • any other expense

Credit card payment forms and travel agency invoices are not considered adequate receipts for transportation, lodging or car rental agreements. Airplane or train ticket stubs, hotel bills, and automobile rental bills are required. A cardholder's original of a credit card charge form will be accepted as documentation for meal payments.

When expenses are partially covered by an organization other than Hamilton, duplicate copies of the receipts may be submitted by attaching either a copy of the request for reimbursement submitted to the other organization or a Student Assembly Reimbursement/Payment Envelope that details expenses divided between Hamilton and the other organization.

REIMBURSABLE TRAVEL EXPENSES

Travel reimbursements for organizations funded by Student Assembly MUST be pre-approved by the Student Assembly prior to travel.

A. Transportation

Commercial Transportation - Travelers should use the most economical mode of available transportation that is consistent with the purpose of the trip. Whenever possible, travelers should take advantage of excursion rates or other airline discounts. Students will only be reimbursed for coach class. 

Private Automobiles - Travelers may wish to use their own automobiles to save time, transport equipment, or reduce the cost for a group traveling to a common destination. The College will reimburse the vehicle's owner by applying a standard rate per mile to the actual driving distance by the most direct route. This mileage allowance covers all transportation and operating costs. Tolls and reasonable parking charges will also be reimbursed, but repairs to the vehicle and other similar costs, whether they result from the traveler's acts or the acts of others, will not be reimbursed.

Travelers who choose to use their own automobiles on a trip for which air travel is more appropriate will be reimbursed for the actual miles the automobile is driven at the standard rate per mile. This reimbursement may not, however, exceed the coach air fare to the destination, plus airport transportation costs. If two or more people travel together for the College by automobile, the maximum reimbursement is the actual miles the automobile is driven at the standard rate per mile plus tolls, parking fees, etc. are the sum of the coach airfare and ground transportation costs for all the official travelers.

Miscellaneous Transportation Expenses - Reasonable expenditures for limousines, taxis, and public transportation for service to and from airports and railroad stations, between appointments, and between hotels and meeting places are fully reimbursable, as are reasonable tips for the service.

Food and Lodging

Charges for food, lodging and incidentals are reimbursable according to academic and administrative standards and may vary depending on the nature of the travel - official travel, professional development travel, team travel, scouting trips.   

Receipts are not required for meal expenses of $25 or less per day. Requests for per diem reimbursement for food must state the number of days traveled, with fractional days rounded to the nearest quarter. Travelers requesting per diem reimbursement must substantiate the dates and place of the travel. Airline tickets are normally used to provide this substantiation.

Travelers should use standard accommodations in reasonably-priced hotels and motels and eat in restaurants or hotel dining rooms of equivalent quality.

Original hotel bills are always required as documentation for reimbursement of lodging expenses.

OTHER TRAVEL EXPENSES

Registration Fees

Registration fees will be paid directly to the sponsoring organization upon submission of a properly completed Student Assembly Reimbursement/Payment Envelope form with documentation attached. These fees should be listed on the Expense Report and noted as a prepaid expense, but no additional documentation will be required.

If registration fees are not prepaid, the College will reimburse travelers for registration fees and conference materials when receipts are submitted with the Student Assembly Reimbursement/Payment Envelope. If a receipt cannot be obtained, conference brochures listing costs or other documentation for the expenditure should be submitted.

MISCELLANEOUS

Travel expenditures not normally reimbursable include:

  • costs incurred by unreasonable failures to cancel transportation or hotel reservations;
  • fines;
  • lost or stolen tickets, cash, or property;
  • accident insurance premiums;
  • in-room movies/games, fitness centers;
  • expenses not directly related to, or necessary for, the performance of the travel assignment.

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