How can I get a travel advance?

Generally, travel advances are not available to university employees for routine business travel within the United States or Canada. Only graduate students should request advances for domestic travel. Other employees should apply for a university American Express card by contacting Kathy Emmel in the Controller's Office at 294-2555. The employee pays no fee for the use of this card. Advances for foreign travel may be requested by all employees. Requests for travel advances of less than $100.00 will not be processed, as the costs of processing do not justify the minimal benefit to the employee.

To request an advance, submit the following documentation:

1. An ISU Voucher (an original and one copy), payable to the traveler, which states the period of the trip and the destination. Neither the traveler's SSN nor the ISU ID number need to be on the voucher. The voucher must be signed by the departmental executive officer or other authorized personnel. The traveler does not need to sign the voucher. However, the traveler does need to sign the "Cash Advance / Payroll Authorization Form," which must be attached to the voucher. (Please note that the Cash Advance / Payroll Authorization form was changed in January 2006 to use the ISU ID number instead of the SSN. Please download and use the revised form.) All travel advance vouchers should be charged to 207-00-21 using class code 914-00, regardless of the funding source to be used for travel expenses. Click here to see an Adobe Acrobat version of a properly completed ISU Voucher for a travel advance.

2. A Cash Advance/Payroll Authorization form if the traveler is an employee, or a Cash Advance Authorization for Non-Employees for other persons. A statement on the voucher that the department will be responsible for the repayment of the non-employee’s advance, as well as which fund account will be charged, may be submitted in lieu of the Cash Advance / Payroll Authorization form.

Is there a limit to the amount that can be issued as an advance?

A travel advance should cover a maximum of one month's lodging and subsistence. If the employee is to be gone for an extended period of time, the monthly advance can be rolled over by monthly submission of reimbursements on the Web Travel System. Exceptions to the one month rule can be made for persons in remote locations overseas. Contact the Accounting Office (294-5181) for more information. Requests for travel advances of less than $100.00 will not be processed, as the costs of processing do not justify the minimal benefit to the employee.

When is the travel advance due?

Advances to employees should be repaid within 10 days of the completion of the trip, with 30 days allowed for non-employees. The traveler will receive a statement from Accounts Receivable if the advance becomes overdue. A 1% per month finance charge will be assessed for past-due advances. Travel advances are considered past-due if not completed within ten business days of the completion of the trip. Past-due travel advances are subject to finance charges and payroll deductions.

Graduate students should be aware that the presence of a delinquent travel advance on their Accounts Receivable account will hinder their ability to register for classes. Students should bring copies of their Web Travel Reimbursements to the Accounts Receivable Office when they register to alleviate any potential timing problems.

How do I clear a travel advance?

To clear an advance, the traveler must enter expenses on the Web Travel System. No special entry is needed to clear the advance. When the reimbursement procedure is run on Wednesday and Friday nights, our system checks the Accounts Receivable balances of all travelers for any outstanding advances. The amount of the advance will be deducted before the net amount is reimbursed. The e-mail sent to the traveler will reflect the net amount of the reimbursement, and mention that an amount has been deducted for the travel advance. If the expenses submitted are not enough to clear the advance, the traveler should send a personal check to the Treasurer's Office, 1220 Beardshear, to pay the difference. Do not send cash to the Accounting Office or through Campus Mail.

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Last Updated: January 26, 2006.