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Travel

BEFORE You Travel

Review the University’s Travel Policy Manual at http://www.finadmin.unh.edu/controller/travel.html or contact the Business Service Center to discuss travel policies relating to your trip.

Complete the Pre Approval/Advance Form OR obtain a green Travel Approval Form available from the BSC. These forms will help you to estimate the cost of your travel before obtaining the following approvals.

  • Department chair’s approval for use of department funds
  • Dean’s approval for use of central WSBE funds, via department chair or director
  • OSR approval if foreign travel is being charged to a grant account (contact the BSC if you don’t know your OSR representative).

USNH travelers are expected to exercise good judgment when incurring travel costs, regardless of funding source. Business travel expenses will be paid by USNH if they are reasonable, properly authorized, appropriately documented with a well-defined, compelling business purpose, and within the guidelines of the USNH travel policies.

ARRANGEMENTS for Travel

Air and rail reservations - Make your air/rail reservations with the travel agency of your choice, provided there is no conflict of interest. Once you have made your reservations, submit the following information to the Business Service Center:

  • A copy of the itinerary
  • Traveler’s name
  • Departure and return dates
  • Departure and destination locations
  • Airline or rail line
  • Cost
  • Travel agency name and phone number
  • Business purpose of trip

Your reservations need to be confirmed by the BSC within 24 hours, so it is important to get this information to the BSC as soon as possible.

Conference Registrations & Hotel Reservations - With a completed registration form and hotel information, the Business Service Center can prepay your conference registration and process a deposit for your hotel room.

Travel Advances - With a 48-hour notice, the BSC can also provide you with a travel advance of up to $200 in cash to cover miscellaneous travel expenses. For more than $200, please allow five (5) business days for a check to be processed. A Travel Expense Voucher and original receipts must be submitted to the Business Service Center within ten (10) business days after your trip to clear the advance. Note: Advances are typically not granted for airline tickets, lodging or conference fees. Advances are used for incidental business expenses that cannot be readily paid for by a credit card such as taxi fares and parking fees. Advances are generally limited to $300 per person per week. Dean/director/department head approval is required for travel advances.

DURING Your Trip

Receipts: Receipts are not required if you use the meals per diem or for incidental expenses (tolls, parking, taxi, bus, etc.) that are less than $25 per item. Detailed receipts are required for all other expenses.

Lodging Per Diem: Allows reimbursement of up to $25/night without receipts. This may be used when staying with friends or family in lieu of a hotel. When requesting reimbursement for actual lodging expenses, an itemized hotel bill is required.

Meals: The standard meal allowance per diem should be used when business related travel involves overnight stays. The amount should not exceed the Federal per diem rates for meals and incidental expenses (M&IE).  Please refer to the Controller's Office for per diem rates.

Tips - Tips exceeding approximately 15% of the cost of the meal will not be reimbursed. The per diem rate includes an allowance for tips. Tips up to approximately 15% of the fare may be made to taxi drivers.

See Travel Reference link http://www.finadmin.unh.edu/controller/travel.html for domestic and foreign per diem rates.

*When requesting reimbursement for meals involving day trips or that exceed the standard per diem rate, a legible receipt indicating the business purpose and the Five "Ws" (who, what, when, where, and why) is required.

Rental Cars: Use your University MasterCard for car rentals and decline the CDW (collision damage waiver) and LDW (loss damage waiver) as this coverage is provided under the MasterCard contract. Travelers who are eligible for the USNH MasterCard will not be reimbursed for CDW or LDW charges if they accept the coverage or choose to use another means of payment. Contact the BSC if you would like an application for a USNH MasterCard card.

Free Parking at Manchester Airport for Business Travel: Parking at the Manchester Airport, available in the parking garage and the long term parking lots, is free to USNH employees while traveling on USNH business. The airport requires an original, dated letter of authorization that states the employee is traveling on official business. This letter of authorization is available from the BSC. The Airport Communications Center will validate the parking ticket only if they receive this written authorization, which will be retained at the airport.

Note: Please take the signed parking authorization form and your parking receipt with you on your trip. Do not leave them in your vehicle. You will need to bring both to the Airport Communications Center for validation upon your return.

AFTER Your Trip

To request reimbursement for travel expenses after your trip, complete a Travel Expense Voucher form that is available from the BSC or you may complete the on-line version at: http://www.finadmin.unh.edu/pol_proc/chapter_07/pro07_121.html and bring to the Business Service Center. Be sure to attach the original receipts when requesting reimbursement (lodging bill, registration fee, airline ticket, etc.). Your department chair’s signature is required on the form if there is no pre-approval on file. Remember, the Travel Expense Voucher must be completed within 10 business days if a Travel Advance was issued.

Mileage Rate: Effective January 1, 2004, the mileage reimbursement rate for the use of personal vehicles increased to 37.5 cents per mile. The mileage reimbursement rate for the period January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2003 was 36 cents per mile. The following link provides the most up-to-date mileage reimbursement rate and a mileage chart for distances from the UNH campus to all New Hampshire cities and towns: http://www.finadmin.unh.edu/controller/travel.html

Non-Reimbursable Expenses

The following items are generally not reimbursable. Note: This list is not all-inclusive.

  1. Alcoholic beverages
  2. Portion of per diem for conference meals paid as part of registration fee (see Procedure 7-007, Travel Meals)
  3. Movie rentals, theater tickets, newspapers, magazines, prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, etc.
  4. Insurance on rental automobiles for USNH employees (see Procedure 7-011, Insurance on Rental Automobiles)
  5. Trip/Flight insurance
  6. Parking tickets and fines for traffic violations
  7. Personal expenses
  8. Personal portion of airfare while on USNH business
  9. Personal-use portion of a car rented for USNH business
  10. Repairs or towing of personal vehicles used for USNH business. These costs are included in the mileage reimbursement rate
  11. Expenses incurred by spouses, partners and families or rate increases occasioned by presence of spouses, partners and families (see Procedure 8 - 007, Business Expenditures, Spousal Expenses )
  12. Laundry service for trips of five days or less
  13. Personal aircraft usage
  14. Extra baggage charges for personal items, such as golf clubs, skis, etc.
  15. Childcare or pet care costs
  16. Loss or theft of cash advance money or airline tickets
  17. Locksmith charges
  18. Lost baggage, luggage, and briefcases
  19. Souvenirs and personal gifts
  20. Health club fees