FER Travel Workshop

September 26, 2024

​

Brody Hall

rbhall@ncsu.edu

DFER_Travel@ncsu.edu

​

Travel Manual

​

​

​

​

​

The Travel Center

• MyPack Portal / Employee Self Service / Travel Center

​

When setting up your travel profile, add/update your information.

Travel Authorization (TA)

• Should be submitted at least 1 week prior to a planned trip, but travel purchases should not be made until it is fully approved.
• Exception: Travel that will only involve reimbursement for personal mileage and parking expenditures does not need a TA.

​

• TA’s should estimate the total cost of a trip including both prepaid expenses (i.e., PCard/direct bill) and personal expenses that will require reimbursement from NCSU.

​

• Enough detail should be provided to give an approver an idea of the purpose of the trip, what you will be doing, and which expenses you will incur.

​

Enter Basic Travel Details

TA00298819

Mr. Wuf TA########

• Name
• Travel type
• Begin/End date & time
• Purpose description
• Purpose category
• Destination (US/Non-US)
• Personal travel (Yes/No)
• Destination and dates of personal travel
• Student Travel Details

Estimated Expenses

• Transportation
• Airfare/taxes
• Baggage/other fees
• Parking
• Taxi/ground transportation
• Rental cars
• Lodging
• Lodging fees/taxes
• Internet
• Photocopy charges
• Conference fees & meals
• Conference/registration fees
• Workshop/training fees
• Other expenses - Description and amount

​

​

TA’s should estimate the total cost of a trip including both prepaid expenses (i.e., PCard/direct bill) and personal expenses that will require reimbursement from NCSU.

If an expected expense is not included, leave a comment explaining why.

• Meals are paid at a flat rate - No need to save meal receipts.
• By default, all meals are included. Check boxes to exclude meals that will not be needed (e.g., provided by conference/host).
• Only overnight trips allow for meal per diem.

​

​

Meal Per Diem

Special Authorizations

If any of the special authorizations relate to the nature of your travel, make sure to have the appropriate box checked.

If you will be renting a 4x4 people make a comment at the top of the TR. The department head will then be added to the approval routing.

This box should usually be checked because the subsistence allowance rates are very low. Effort should still be made to stay at an economical accommodation.

A Mileage Map showing the route will need to be included,

Documents to Upload

• Upload Conference/Workshop/Meeting Agenda:
• Upload a PDF version rather than just a website link
• If personal travel is included, a travel itinerary is required. If a flight is involved, include a flight comparison.
• When driving a personal vehicle, include a mileage map.
• If staying in 3rd party lodging (e.g. AirBnB), upload approval from the Controller's Office.

​

​

​

Funding and Approval Routing

• Discuss funding with your supervisor
• Funding can be split between multiple sources if needed. Use the plus symbol.
• Insert additional approvers when appropriate. Make sure to press “Save Workflow Changes,” after adding approvers.

Personal Travel

• You can include personal travel within a university trip but it cannot make the trip more expensive.
• What is required for approval?
• Travel itinerary
• Comparison costs for transportation directly to the conference and return to Raleigh, versus travel for the trip that combines personal days.
• Meals are included for business travel dates only - with the exception of the end of trip travel day.

How to do a flight comparison

Personal Travel

Even if someone else is using a PCard to purchase your flight, it is your responsibility to make sure the flight comparison is validated and that a PCard can actually be used.

Travel Insurance

• Domestic travel insurance → not allowed
• Medical
• Flight
• Life
• Vehicle Rental (unless vehicle meets the thresholds specified here…)
• International
• Study abroad insurance - reimbursable
• Car rental insurance - mandatory and reimbursable
• Flight insurance - not reimbursable with state funds. Please consult DFER_Travel@ncsu.edu if purchasing to make sure you’re eligible for reimbursement.

​

• Enrolling your travel with the NCSU Study Abroad office is mandatory but is also beneficial as a traveler. Enrollment will provide you with international health coverage while abroad and will also allow for NC State risk management response should any emergencies arise.

​

• If you are on a study abroad trip or are a TA on a study abroad trip, you will be auto enrolled.

​

• Non-Credit activities such as conferences or research will require you to use the the International Travel Gateway.
• Direct questions to Intl_gateway@ncsu.edu with CC to DFER_Travel@ncsu.edu

​

​

Any student traveling outside of the US on NCSU business is required to enroll their travel with the Study Abroad Office at least 4 weeks before departure.

Purchasing - Before/During Travel

• No purchases should be made prior to the full approval of the TA
• Exception: Conference registration with an “early bird” rate pre approved by the department head

​

• When possible, expenses should be prepaid with a PCard. Ask your supervisor or your unit’s administrative staff member to help you.
• Exception: PCards cannot be used for per diem meals, vehicle expenses when claiming personal mileage, and personal travel.

​

• Save all receipts. It is best to scan/take a picture as soon possible.
• Exception: Per diem meals, expenses related to using a personal vehicle, and personal travel

Tip

Documents can be uploaded to the TA while you are on your trip, and they will automatically be pulled into the TR once it is created.

Travel Reimbursement (TR)

• Travel Reimbursement (TR) should be submitted within 30 days of returning from a trip.

​

• Create your reimbursement using the link beside the existing TA

​

Travel Reimbursement (TR)

• Verify basic information about the trip is still accurate (date/times often change).

​

​

​

• Use the “Reimburse Me” boxes to enter the expenses that you personally occurred.

​

Travel Reimbursement (TR)

• Upload receipts for all NCSU expenses — both prepaid expenses and personal expenses.
• Any expense in a foreign currency should also include currency conversion documentation.
• Upload a final itinerary.
• Upload other documentation such as updated mileage maps and flight comparisons.
• Your travel documentation should tell an accurate story of your travel and should leave little guesswork for your approvers.
• Utilize the comment boxes within the TA/TR to clarify details about expenses. Alternatively, you can also add longer explanations within PDF uploads
• Especially make sure to include comments for expenses that are unusually high or unusually low.

​

Funding and Approval Routing

• Discuss funding with your supervisor
• Funding can be split between multiple sources if needed. Use the plus symbol.
• Insert additional approvers when appropriate. Make sure to press “Save Workflow Changes,” after adding approvers.

TA/TR Form Tips

• When completing the TR/TA form, save often or you might lose your work.

​

• Utilize the + and - buttons to add additional expense lines, funding lines, and attachments as needed.

​

• Ensure conference and hotel* provided meals are excluded.
• If the conference agenda makes it seem like it was covered, but it actually wasn’t, explain in the comments.

• Make sure your business purpose is accurate and does not include acronyms.

​

• Make sure your TR/TA start/end time are accurate
• When flying, the start time should be 2-3 hours before.

Common Issues

​

• Don’t charge food to a hotel room that was booked with a PCard unless you have added a personal card to the room.
• Don’t purchase insurance on a domestic rental vehicle unless it meets these criteria.
• Don’t forget to enroll with the study abroad office if you are a student traveling internationally.
• If you are traveling internationally and the area may not typically provide receipts, bring a personal receipt book.
• An actual receipt rather than a confirmation should be used. Credit card statements are not acceptable.
• Make sure the agenda uploaded to the TR is accurate.
• Both personal receipts and PCard receipts are required
• PCard receipts are required even if it wasn’t your PCard

Miscellaneous

• If your trip is long and/or costly, consider applying for a travel advance. If approved, funds will be transferred to your prior to your trip. Submit at least 1 month in advance at least

​

• Non-employees have a slightly different travel process. They must use the AP104 form.

​

• Blanket TAs can be created to cover recurring/similar trips.

​

​

Resources

• Contact DFER_Travel@ncsu.edu

​

• Consult the Travel Manual and FER Travel Guide.
• Section on Using the TA and TR form within MyPack Portal
• Today’s presentation and recording will be posted on the FER Travel Guide.

​

• Use the Expenses by Day Template for long/complicated trips