Introduction
Purpose
The purpose of this procedure is to outline conditions for pre-payment of applicable travel expenses for pre-approved University business travel.
Scope of Applicability
This procedure applies to all employees (faculty, staff, employed students, senior University administrators), and non-employees (non-employed students, independent contractors, University affiliates, and guests).
Procedure
The University outlines several methods of payment for authorized travel expenditures prior to the event: Travel & Expense (T&E) Card, Purchasing Card (P-Card), and Travel Advances.
The University prefers that conference registrations are paid via T&E Card or P-Card. Student travel for University business, including lodging and ground transportation, may be charged on a P-Card by request or on an employee's T&E Card if the employee is traveling with the Students. T&E Card and P-Card limits may be increased and/or P-Card Travel purchase restrictions may be temporarily lifted by the Payment Card Services Department to accommodate student travel costs.
Employees that do not have a T&E Card or who are traveling internationally may request access to the cash advance feature in Concur to request a travel advance. Students may receive travel advances as necessary to travel on official University business. These advances are, in effect, loans made to travelers. The traveler is responsible for prompt repayment of any advance or loan and completes their payment by filing an Expense Report in Concur.
Travel advances are available only to permanent or temporary employees (limited to those on payroll with the university), and students when of the following conditions exists:
- Traveler has not been issued a T&E Card.
- A P-Card cannot be used for a conference registration (see Finance Procedure 1252.1 - Procedure on Obtaining a Purchasing Card).
- Trip is for out-of-country travel.
Requesting a Travel Advance
Employees
To request access to submit a Cash Advance Request, employees must contact the Travel Services Department in writing to explain their need for an advance. If approved, the cash advance must be included on the Travel Request in Concur prior to the travel event. Once access has been provided, the travel advance is added to the Travel Request prior to submitting for approval. Instructions can be found in the Concur Step-by-Step Guide on the Travel Services website.
Travel Advances are issued to support out--of-pocket expenses incurred by the individual traveler during their trip including, but not limited to, lodging and meal per diems. Travel advances are not issued for social activities, conference registrations, or airfare.
A traveler may only receive one Travel Advance from the University at a time. Travel Advances must be reconciled in full before another advance may be approved and processed.
Students
Students traveling for University business may request a travel advance via the Concur system, similar to the process for employees. To request an advance for a student, the department will need to contact the Concur Support Desk for assistance.
Reconciling Travel Advances
Travel Advances are issued for a specific travel event and must be reconciled in full. If the travel event is cancelled for which the advance has been issued, the traveler must remit the funds back to the University within 30 days. Travelers must send or drop-off a check made payable to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to the Travel Services Office for deposit.
If the travel event occurs but the traveler did not utilize the entire cash advance, the unused portion must be remitted back to the University:
- Employees must send or drop-off a check made payable to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to the Travel Services Office prior to submitting the Expense Report in Concur. Upon confirmation of receipt, the employee must submit an Expense Report within 30 days of the trip end date to reconcile the portion of the cash advance which was utilized.
- Students must send or drop-off a check made payable to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to the Travel Services Office for deposit prior to submitting the Travel Reimbursement in Web Travel. The amount due by the traveler in Web Travel must be received by Travel Services before the Reimbursement can be reviewed.
If the travel event occurs and the traveler utilized the entire cash advance, the traveler must submit an Expense Report in Concur or Travel Reimbursement in Web Travel within 30 days of the trip end date to reconcile the cash advance in full.
Employee Travel Advances which have not been reconciled in full or have not been reconciled in a timely manner may be deducted from the employee's paycheck via Payroll. Student Travel Advances not settled 60 days after the trip will result in an automatic settlement using the department's funds.
Exceptions
Travel advances will not be issued to non-employees.
Travel advances must not be used for social activities, conference registrations, or airfare.
Definitions
Please refer to Finance Policy 1501 - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Policy on Business Travel for a list of common definitions.
Related Requirements
External Regulations and Consequences
NC Office of State Budget and Management - State Budget Manual, Chapter 5.1: Travel Policies for State Employees
University Policies, Standards, and Procedures
Contact Information