The goal of this page is to fully inform MAE faculty and students of the steps that need to be taken to comply with the authorization & reimbursement processes associated with travel. All travelers must be familiar with University of Florida travel policies prior to any official travel and are advised to carefully review all relevant UF policies here.
Topics
Prior to Travel
Prior to travel and prior to making travel-related purchases, all travelers must complete the online Travel Authorization Request (TAR) form:
For student group travel, please complete the following form:
The online form automatically routes a copy of the TAR request to our travel processing team, the person requesting the travel, and the PI listed for funding approval if other than the traveler.
For all International Travel, in addition to the TAR request, travelers must register their trip with the UF International Center for the CISI Insurance (free) and complete the MAE International Travel Checklist Form.
- UF International Online Travel Registration
- International Travel & CISI Insurance Registry
- Note: Requires Gatorlink log in; traveler must select ADD a New Trip
- CISI Insurance Policy Coverages
- MAE International Travel Checklist Form
- International Travel with any UF Equipment or laptop computer requires advance approval from UF as these items may be subject to Intellectual Property Policy, ECCN, ITAR, Division of Research Compliance or other restrictions. For more information please refer to the following website http://www.fa.ufl.edu/directives/completing-foreign-travel-or-shipment-requests/
P-Card Use Prior to Travel
- Only after approval of the TAR, travel related P-Card purchases can be made
- All P-Card charges must be signed and submitted within 3 days of purchase, and receipts may be emailed to receipts@mae.ufl.edu or brought to room 237 in MAE-B, including details of the expense (e.g. conference registration or airfare) and the associated travel (e.g. travel destination or TAR)
- Avis and Budget are the official rental car for UF travel as of October 1st, 2020, and the use of other rental companies is not allowed unless it can be shown that Avis or Budget did not have a car available. Justification must be provided for a larger class of rental car.
While Traveling
Travelers must collect all relevant receipts for reimbursable expenses and P-Card purchases made during travel, including taxis and shuttles, parking and rental car gas.It should be noted that meals provided by the conference as part of the registration fee are generally deducted from the daily Per Diem, and that the payment of any meals directly with a UF P-Card is not allowed.
P-Card Use During Travel
- All P-Card receipts should be submitted within 3 days of purchase if possible, and may be emailed to receipts@mae.ufl.edu, mentioning associated trip or TAR
- For relatively short trips (one week or less), it is reasonable to submit all receipts together promptly upon return from travel
Upon Return from Travel
Travelers must complete a Travel Reimbursement Request (TRR) upon return from travel. Submit the completed TRR in excel format along with a scanned copy of all supporting documents to the travel team email, travel@mae.ufl.edu.
Pcard receipts related to your travel that are in need of processing are to be sent to the receipts team email, receipts@mae.ufl.edu.
The following table shows typical expense categories and what receipts/documentation should be included to ensure accurate reimbursement to the traveler:
| Expense category | Documents to attach |
| Airfare | Itemized receipt showing amount paid (see note 1) |
| Rental Car Avis or Budget as of October 1st, 2020 | Receipt showing Compact class or smaller (see note 2) |
| Taxi | Receipt including “Tips” paid (see note 3) |
| Train/Bus | Receipt |
| Gas | Receipt |
| Parking | Receipt (including Gainesville Regional Airport parking) |
| Toll | Receipt needed if greater than $25 |
| Baggage | Receipt needed if greater than $25 |
| Lodging | Itemized receipt showing single occupancy (see note 4) |
| Cell/Internet | Receipt needed along with justification |
| Registration | Receipt (see note 5) Copy of Registration Form Copy of the Agenda |
Notes:
- The University reimburses commercial airfares for economy/coach accommodations. First class transportation is not allowed. Business class travel will be acceptable on flights lasting longer than 9 hours, although if direct charging to project, traveler must ensure sponsor approval.
- Avis and Budget are the official rental car for UF travel as of October 1st, 2020, and the use of other rental companies is not allowed unless it can be shown that Avis or Budget did not have a car available. Justification must be provided for a larger class of rental car.
- Actual tips paid to taxi drivers which shall not exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the fare will be reimbursed. Taxi fares $25 and under per fare do not require receipts.
- If room occupancy is shared with another UF employee, both the TRR and the receipts must be submitted together.
- One of the biggest challenges for the travel processing staff has been “Registration”. We are required to find out how many breakfasts, lunches, and dinners are included in the registration fee and subtract them from Per Diem. Though this is often more work for the money saved, we must comply with the State of Florida requirement. Thus, along with the “Proof of Payment” for the registration, copies of the Registration Form and Agenda are required to get a complete breakdown of charges.
