How to Schedule a Student Organization Trip

Student Travel Policies

Generally speaking, students are advised to travel as if they were travelling at their own expense. The travel policies as established by the University Controller’s Office are available at www.uakron.edu/busfin/controller/travel.php.

Getting Permission

Before scheduling a trip, you must submit a Travel Authorization Form, which is available at www.uakron.edu/law/students/studentorgs/forms.dot. This form is intended to force you to put together a travel budget and to determine whether or not the trip is realistic within your organization’s budget. Your Travel Authorization Form must first be submitted to your advisor for a signature and then to Adam Messner for final approval.

Funding

EAF funds may be used to partially fund one student organization trip per year (Moot Court and Mock Trial teams are exempt from the one trip limit). The total amount of EAF funds that may be used is determined by the number of students going on the trip, as follows:

• 1 student: $500
• 2 students: $750
• 3 or more students: $1,000

Any expenditures above and beyond allowable EAF funds must be covered from personal funds or SAF.

A student organization that has good reason to take a second trip may do so with advance permission; however, the total amount spent from EAF on travel in a given year may not exceed $1,000.

Making Travel Arrangements

You may ask Adam Messner (apm@uakron.edu, 330.972.7334) help you make travel arrangements (hotel reservations, flight reservations, rental car reservations, etc.), because he can use a University Visa card for these reservations. Contact Adam to set up an appointment when you are ready to make travel arrangements.

If your student organization has a Visa card, you may check the card out to make travel arrangements. Note that if you make reservations using your personal credit card, you will not be able to seek reimbursement until AFTER your travel is completed. This is especially important to note for pre-paid travel arrangements.

Receipts

All expenses claimed on your travel expense report must be substantiated with ITEMIZED receipts, so please save all of your receipts, and please remember to ask for receipts, especially after cash transactions (e.g., cab rides, toll booths, etc.). Expenses that are not substantiated by itemized receipts will not be reimbursed.

Meals

Note that meal reimbursements are only available to students traveling with competition teams. Student organizations attending non-competition team related events (job fairs, conferences, etc.) are not eligible for meal reimbursement unless the members of the organization have agreed to spend SAF to assist with meals (EAF cannot be used to purchase food).

Students must provide ITEMIZED receipts for all meals and will receive the lesser of the actual cost of the meal (including tip, not including alcohol – see below) or the per meal/per diem limit for the destination city.

For example, assume an organization is traveling to Chicago. The per diem/per meal limit for Chicago is $12 for breakfast, $16 for lunch, and $43 for dinner. If a student spends $9 on lunch one day, that student would be reimbursed $9. If the student spends $20 on lunch, the student would be reimbursed $16.

If one person buys a meal for more than him/herself, please list everyone that was included on that particular check.

If a meal is provided at the competition, you will not be reimbursed if you choose not to attend that meal.

See http://www.uakron.edu/controller/travel.dot for a list of per diems for partial days, as well as a state-by-state listing of cities eligible for per diems higher than that allowable within Ohio.

Alcohol

The University does not reimburse for alcohol purchases.

Miscellaneous Purchases

The University generally does not reimburse for miscellaneous purchases (e.g. tissues, gum, etc.). If a competition team participant purchases something directly related to the competition (e.g., photocopies of a brief), such an expense may be included on the travel expense report.

Parking

The University will reimburse for parking at the airport, so please save the receipt you get on the way out of the parking facility.

Mileage and Tolls

The University will reimburse for round-trip mileage between the airport and the University (not your home!) at a rate set by the University Controller’s office (see www.uakron.edu/busfin/controller/travel.php for the current rate). If you take the turnpike to the airport and want to be reimbursed the dollar or so it will cost you round-trip, please remember to ask for a receipt.

Side Trips

The University does not reimburse for side trips. For example, if your team or organization goes to Chicago for a competition or conference and you take a side trip to the Shedd Aquarium, this is not a reimbursable expense, and neither is the cab or train fare you paid to get there.

How to get Reimbursed for Travel

You may only be reimbursed for travel after you have returned from a trip. If you pre-pay for airfare, hotel, or other travel-related items, you cannot be reimbursed for them until after you return.

1. Fill out a Standard Travel Expense Report, which is available at http://www.uakron.edu/controller/travel.dot. The form looks very complicated at first glance, but detailed instructions on completing the form are available within the Excel file, on the tab labeled “Travel Rpt Instructions.” Please read the instructions carefully before completing the report.
2. Save it using the format Travel_RPT_Lastname_Firstname_MMDDYY_MMDDYY.xlsm. For example, Sally Smith would submit a travel expense report for travel during September 28 through October 3 as Travel_RPT_Smith_Sally_092811_100311.xlsm.
3. Scan your receipts into PDF file format. The law school has two scanners in the law library that students can use. If you have questions about how to use them, please ask one of the librarians or ask Eli Eubanks, who manages the computer labs and technical support for law students, faculty, and staff. Mr. Eubanks’ office is right next to room 152.
4. Email your report and scanned receipts to Mary Ann Garrett at mgarret@uakron.edu.  
5. Ms. Garrett will check your expense report for accuracy and completeness. If your expense report is incomplete or something is incorrect, she will send it back to you and ask for it to be corrected.
6. If no further information is needed, Ms. Garrett will forward your report and receipts to your faculty advisor for approval.
7. Once your faculty advisor approves, he or she will forward your report and receipts to Adam Messner for final approval and submission to Purchasing for payment.

It usually takes about 2 weeks to receive a reimbursement check after your expense report has been submitted to Purchasing.

Student Travel Policies

Generally speaking, students are advised to travel as if they were travelling at their own expense. The travel policies as established by the University Controller’s Office are available at www.uakron.edu/busfin/controller/travel.php.

Getting Permission

Before scheduling a trip, you must submit a Travel Authorization Form, which is available at www.uakron.edu/law/students/studentorgs/forms.dot. This form is intended to force you to put together a travel budget and to determine whether or not the trip is realistic within your organization’s budget. Your Travel Authorization Form must first be submitted to your advisor for a signature and then to Adam Messner for final approval.

Funding

EAF funds may be used to partially fund one student organization trip per year (Moot Court and Mock Trial teams are exempt from the one trip limit). The total amount of EAF funds that may be used is determined by the number of students going on the trip, as follows:

• 1 student: $500
• 2 students: $750
• 3 or more students: $1,000

Any expenditures above and beyond allowable EAF funds must be covered from personal funds or SAF.

A student organization that has good reason to take a second trip may do so with advance permission; however, the total amount spent from EAF on travel in a given year may not exceed $1,000.

Making Travel Arrangements

You may ask Adam Messner (apm@uakron.edu, 330.972.7334) help you make travel arrangements (hotel reservations, flight reservations, rental car reservations, etc.), because he can use a University Visa card for these reservations. Contact Adam to set up an appointment when you are ready to make travel arrangements.

If your student organization has a Visa card, you may check the card out to make travel arrangements. Note that if you make reservations using your personal credit card, you will not be able to seek reimbursement until AFTER your travel is completed. This is especially important to note for pre-paid travel arrangements.

Receipts

All expenses claimed on your travel expense report must be substantiated with ITEMIZED receipts, so please save all of your receipts, and please remember to ask for receipts, especially after cash transactions (e.g., cab rides, toll booths, etc.). Expenses that are not substantiated by itemized receipts will not be reimbursed.

Meals

Note that meal reimbursements are only available to students traveling with competition teams. Student organizations attending non-competition team related events (job fairs, conferences, etc.) are not eligible for meal reimbursement unless the members of the organization have agreed to spend SAF to assist with meals (EAF cannot be used to purchase food).

Students must provide ITEMIZED receipts for all meals and will receive the lesser of the actual cost of the meal (including tip, not including alcohol – see below) or the per meal/per diem limit for the destination city.

For example, assume an organization is traveling to Chicago. The per diem/per meal limit for Chicago is $12 for breakfast, $16 for lunch, and $43 for dinner. If a student spends $9 on lunch one day, that student would be reimbursed $9. If the student spends $20 on lunch, the student would be reimbursed $16.

If one person buys a meal for more than him/herself, please list everyone that was included on that particular check.

If a meal is provided at the competition, you will not be reimbursed if you choose not to attend that meal.

See http://www.uakron.edu/controller/travel.dot for a list of per diems for partial days, as well as a state-by-state listing of cities eligible for per diems higher than that allowable within Ohio.

Alcohol

The University does not reimburse for alcohol purchases.

Miscellaneous Purchases

The University generally does not reimburse for miscellaneous purchases (e.g. tissues, gum, etc.). If a competition team participant purchases something directly related to the competition (e.g., photocopies of a brief), such an expense may be included on the travel expense report.

Parking

The University will reimburse for parking at the airport, so please save the receipt you get on the way out of the parking facility.

Mileage and Tolls

The University will reimburse for round-trip mileage between the airport and the University (not your home!) at a rate set by the University Controller’s office (see www.uakron.edu/busfin/controller/travel.php for the current rate). If you take the turnpike to the airport and want to be reimbursed the dollar or so it will cost you round-trip, please remember to ask for a receipt.

Side Trips

The University does not reimburse for side trips. For example, if your team or organization goes to Chicago for a competition or conference and you take a side trip to the Shedd Aquarium, this is not a reimbursable expense, and neither is the cab or train fare you paid to get there.

How to get Reimbursed for Travel

You may only be reimbursed for travel after you have returned from a trip. If you pre-pay for airfare, hotel, or other travel-related items, you cannot be reimbursed for them until after you return.

1. Fill out a Standard Travel Expense Report, which is available at http://www.uakron.edu/controller/travel.dot. The form looks very complicated at first glance, but detailed instructions on completing the form are available within the Excel file, on the tab labeled “Travel Rpt Instructions.” Please read the instructions carefully before completing the report.
2. Save it using the format Travel_RPT_Lastname_Firstname_MMDDYY_MMDDYY.xlsm. For example, Sally Smith would submit a travel expense report for travel during September 28 through October 3 as Travel_RPT_Smith_Sally_092811_100311.xlsm.
3. Scan your receipts into PDF file format. The law school has two scanners in the law library that students can use. If you have questions about how to use them, please ask one of the librarians or ask Eli Eubanks, who manages the computer labs and technical support for law students, faculty, and staff. Mr. Eubanks’ office is right next to room 152.
4. Email your report and scanned receipts to Mary Ann Garrett at mgarret@uakron.edu.  
5. Ms. Garrett will check your expense report for accuracy and completeness. If your expense report is incomplete or something is incorrect, she will send it back to you and ask for it to be corrected.
6. If no further information is needed, Ms. Garrett will forward your report and receipts to your faculty advisor for approval.
7. Once your faculty advisor approves, he or she will forward your report and receipts to Adam Messner for final approval and submission to Purchasing for payment.

It usually takes about 2 weeks to receive a reimbursement check after your expense report has been submitted to Purchasing.