Travel Information

Summary of Allowable Expenses and Reimbursement Policies - Updated 12/28/05.

These are the general university policies. If your funding comes from a sponsor outside the university, the sponsor's policies will apply if they are more restrictive. Individual departments may choose to have more restrictive policies, including lower dollar thresholds on receipts.
 

Expense Type

  

Reimbursement Policies

 Receipt Required?
Abstracts, Conference Proceedings Actual expense for copies of conference materials or related abstracts and papers. Yes, if $75 or more.
Airfare Actual cost of the least expensive class available. Business class and first class are not reimbursable.

Air tickets must be purchased with an Air Travel Requisition form through a contracted university travel agency, unless meeting one of the three exceptions below.

  1. "Consolidator" tickets for foreign destinations may be paid by voucher, even if not purchased from one of ISU's contracted travel agencies.

  2. Travelers can charge tickets to their personal credit cards or American Express Corporate cards in emergencies or other unusual situations.

  3. Travelers can charge tickets to their personal credit cards or American Express Corporate cards if using an Internet site to realize significant savings.
    Please review the Travelers' Responsibilities and Unallowable Expenses sections before purchasing tickets from a source other than ISU's contracted travel agencies.
Only the second and third items can be claimed on a travel reimbursement.

Acceptable documentation for a travel reimbursement includes the Passenger Receipt coupon or a copy of the E-ticket confirmation showing the amount paid. International air tickets require a secondary proof of payment (e.g., a copy of the credit card statement), as the amount printed on the ticket often is higher than the amount paid.

 Yes, if $75 or more.
Airport Shuttle Actual expense, including gratuity. No
Airport Tax Actual expense may be claimed when not already included in the cost of the ticket. Sometimes charged at foreign airports. Receipts often are not provided. No
Car Rental Actual expense. Charges must be prorated if part of the trip was not business-related. Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) insurance is provided through a Regents self-insurance fund. Therefore, CDW charges will not be reimbursed, except when renting cars outside the U.S., or when a driver age 25 or under is required to purchase the coverage by the rental agency. [Some car rental companies use the term Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) coverage rather than CDW.]. Yes, if $75 or more.
Car Repairs, Car Maintenance, Car Accidents, Car Washes, Oil Changes, Locksmith Charges Not reimbursable. N/A
Child Care, Dog Boarding Not reimbursable. N/A
Currency Conversion Fees Actual amount necessary for university travel. Yes, if $75 or more.
Exit Fees Actual expense may be claimed when not already included in the cost of the ticket. Sometimes charged at foreign airports. Receipts often are not provided. No
Faxes Actual expense necessary for university business.
(See "Telephone" below.) 		Yes, if $75 or more.
Film Developing Actual cost of business-related film developing. Business purpose should be explained on the reimbursement. Yes, if $75 or more.
Flight Insurance Not reimbursable. Coverage of $350,000 already is provided by American Express when tickets are purchased by means of an Air Travel Requisition form. Additional coverage is provided by our travel agencies, although the amount varies by agency. N/A
Gasoline Actual expense. May not be claimed in addition to a mileage claim. Usually only for rental vehicles. Yes, if $75 or more.
Gifts (Representation Allowances) Actual expense of a gift when it is considered customary to present a gift to a host, especially in international travel. Yes, if $75 or more.
Gratuities (Tips) Actual amounts paid for cabs, skycaps, bellmen, etc. will be reimbursed. Meal gratuities cannot be claimed separately as a means of exceeding meal maximums. No
Group Meals Actual expenses, including gratuity, excluding alcohol. Yes, if $75 or more.
Laundry, Dry Cleaning Actual expenses. Usually allowed only for extended trips. Not allowed when claiming a lodging per diem for foreign travel. Yes, if $75 or more.
Lodging – Domestic Single rate. Itemized hotel receipt required. Charges for staying with friends or relatives are not reimbursable. In-room movies are not reimbursable. Charges for parking and business-related long-distance calls must be listed as Miscellaneous Expenses. Always, regardless of amount.
Lodging – Foreign Actual single rate or U.S. State Dept. per diem. ( Per diem rates are available at http://www.state.gov/m/a/als/prdm/ )

A receipt is required even if the per diem rate is claimed. Charges for staying with friends or relatives are not reimbursable.

Always, regardless of amount.
Meals – In-State Actual expenses, subject to limits (B = $5, L = $7, D = $14). For travel taking place on or after September 1, 2005 the Board of Regents increased the allowable limits to (B = $6, L = $9, D = $16). The new limits do not apply to travel that took place before September 1, 2005 but is being submitted after September 1, 2005.

Gratuities may be included. Alcohol must be excluded.

Must be in travel status from 7:30 a.m. through 8:00 a.m. to claim breakfast, noon through 1:00 p.m. to claim lunch, and 5:30 p.m. through 6:30 p.m. to claim dinner.

Meals not requiring overnight travel must be reported as taxable, unless the primary purpose of the meal was to discuss business. The Web Travel System automatically records non-overnight meals as taxable. If the primary purpose of the meal was to discuss business, you can override the default setting by changing the taxable meals indicator for that meal to No, and stating the reason for the overriding the default setting in the Additional Comments box at the bottom of the screen. 		No
Meals – Out-of-State Actual expenses, subject to limits (B = $8, L = $12, D = $20). Although the Board of Regents increased the limits for in-state meals for travel taking place on or after September 1, 2005, the out-of-state meal meal limits have not changed.

Gratuities may be included. Alcohol must be excluded.

Must be in travel status from 7:30 a.m. through 8:00 a.m. to claim breakfast, noon through 1:00 p.m. to claim lunch, and 5:30 p.m. through 6:30 p.m. to claim dinner.		 No
Meals – Foreign Actual expenses or U.S. State Dept. per diems. (Per diem rates are available at http://www.state.gov/m/a/als/prdm/ )

Gratuities may be included. Alcohol must be excluded.

No
Mileage – Personal Vehicle

For travel taking place before September 1, 2005

$.25 per mile if the round-trip is 100 miles or more.

$.31 per mile if: 1.) the round-trip is less than 100 miles, 2.) the traveler is permanently based off-campus, 3.) the traveler was unable to reserve a vehicle from Transportation Services, or 4.) if the traveler is not an ISU employee or student.

For travel taking place between September 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005 the mileage rate increased to:

$.285 (from $.25) if the round-trip is 100 miles or more.

$.485 per mile (from $.31) if: 1.) the round-trip is less than 100 miles, 2.) the traveler is permanently based off-campus, 3.) the traveler was unable to reserve a vehicle from Transportation Services, or 4.) if the traveler is not an ISU employee or student. For future years the ISU rate will be automatically adjusted to match the IRS rate.

For travel taking place on or after January 1, 2006:

the default mileage rate remains at $.285.

the higher mileage rate decreased from $.485 to $.445. The traveler can qualify for the rate higher than the default rate of $.285 if: 1.) the round-trip is less than 100 miles, 2.) the traveler is permanently based off-campus, 3.) the traveler was unable to reserve a vehicle from Transportation Services, or 4.) if the traveler is not an ISU employee or student.


If you did not record an odometer reading, you can refer to the Mileage Guide - Iowa or the Mileage Guide - Out-of-State. A road atlas also may be consulted for the reasonableness of mileage claims to out-of-state destinations. The official station (starting point) will be the location of the traveler's permanent office or home, whichever is less. Whenever an employee travels other than by the shortest route, an explanation must be indicated on the Reimbursement.

 No
Newspapers Actual expense. Business purpose of newspapers should be stated on the reimbursement. No
Parking Actual expense. Yes, if $75 or more.
Passports, Visas Actual expense, if necessary for university travel. Yes, if $75 or more.
Personal Grooming Items Not reimbursable. N/A
Photocopying Actual expense, if necessary for university business. Yes, if $75 or more.
Registration Actual expense, excluding extra costs for spouse or events that are purely for entertainment purposes. Prepayment of registration by an ISU Voucher or ISU Purchasing Card is encouraged. Yes, if $75 or more.
Safe Arrival Call Actual costs of one brief telephone call home on the date of arrival. See "Telephone" below. No
Safe Deposit Boxes Actual cost of rental of a hotel safe deposit box required for business use. Storage of personal items is not reimbursable. Yes, if $75 or more.
Shipping Actual expenses for materials that must be shipped while in travel status. Yes, if $75 or more.
Snacks Should be claimed in the "Meals" column and should not be used as a means of exceeding the meal maximums. No
Taxis, Cabs, Buses, Airport Shuttles, Subways Actual expense including tip. Not to be used solely for going to dinner. Using a taxi to travel to the Des Moines airport is discouraged. No
Telephone (also see "Safe Arrival Call" above) Actual expense of business-related calls. If not detailed on the hotel receipt, a copy of the traveler’s phone bill must be attached. Yes, if $75 or more.
Tolls Actual expense. Receipts often are not given. No
Tours, Cruises Actual expense of business-related tour or mandatory conference events are reimbursable. Optional or pleasure tours are not reimbursable. Yes, if $75 or more.
Traveler’s Checks Fee Actual expense if required for university travel. No
Vaccinations Actual expense, if necessary for university travel. Must claim only the amount not reimbursed by insurance or a Flex plan. Yes, if $75 or more.

 

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