71-03 Reimbursement for Travel

Procedure Description

The travel and subsistence reimbursement procedures contained herein apply to all College employees conducting official business for the College. Reimbursement for expenses will be authorized only when the activity is officially justified and pre- approved and by those means which meet State requirements consistent with good management practices.

An employee traveling on official business of the College will exercise the same care and prudence in incurring expenses and accomplishing an assignment as if traveling on personal business. Excess costs, circuitous routes, delays, or luxury accommodations unnecessary or unjustified in the performance of an assignment are not considered as exercising prudence.

Reimbursement

Employees of the State of South Carolina or any agency thereof while traveling on State business shall be allowed reimbursement of expenses, after receiving prior travel authorization (FDTC Travel Authorization Form is available on the Intranet), in accordance with the following guidelines:

Single Calendar Day

1. No reimbursement shall be made for meals for same day travel.

2. Receipts for all expenditures, except taxis and meals, shall be submitted to BusinessOffice@fdtc.edu upon return. Please attach an agenda to reimbursement requests.

The South Carolina Comptroller General’s Office travel regulations state “mileage between the employee’s home and his/her place of employment is not subject to reimbursement. However, when an employee leaves on a business trip directly from his/her home, and does not go by the employee’s headquarters, the employee shall be eligible for reimbursement for actual mileage beginning at his/her residence.”

(Example: Business travel from home to Columbia for a meeting will be reimbursed at the actual mileage beginning at the employee’s home.)

The travel regulations also state “When an employee is assigned to work a particular territory or district, and such territory or district and his official headquarters are in different localities or sections of the State, expenses may be allowed for the necessary travel to this official headquarters.” Therefore: All temporary (adjunct) and permanent employees, who travel from home to a site other than their official headquarters, will be reimbursed for actual mileage traveled minus the normal mileage from home to their official headquarters. Employees may be assigned to different campuses on particular days. The assigned campus is considered the official headquarters for that day. Example: Work Tuesday/Thursday at Hartsville campus and Monday, Wednesday, Friday at Lake City campus.

An employee who leaves his/her official headquarters to go to another location to teach or work and is required to return to the official headquarters on the same day will be reimbursed actual mileage to and from the other location.

An employee who leaves his/her official headquarters to go to another location to teach or work and returns home will be reimbursed actual mileage to the other location plus the difference in the mileage (if greater) from the other location to home and official headquarters to home.

If a College vehicle is not available, the employee may use his/her personal vehicle and be reimbursed at the standard business mileage rate established by State of South Carolina. However, if a College vehicle is available, but employee chooses to use a personal vehicle, a reimbursement of 4 cents per mile less than the standard business mileage rate will be allocated for use of the personal vehicle.

Only actual miles driven on official State business will be reimbursed.

Requests for reimbursement for travel expenses must be submitted at least monthly.

Overnight

1. The costs of meals will be reimbursed up to a maximum amount as provided for in- state or out-of-state guidelines, which are subject to change. Refer to the College’s current travel reimbursement forms for the schedule of the maximum amount of subsistence for meals, which may be reimbursed. Meals that are included in the registration fee will not be reimbursed. No receipt is required. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed for reimbursement.

Lodging:

Lodging may NOT be charged to a College purchasing card.

Three weeks prior to the travel event and after the Travel Authorization form is approved, employee should contact the hotel to make reservations. Lodging costs should not exceed the maximum lodging rate, excluding taxes, established for the area by the United States General Services Administration (www.gsa.gov). If the hotel rate exceeds the GSA maximum, employee should inform the hotel that State employees are subject to regulations established by the GSA and ask if the hotel will honor the GSA rate. Any exceptions to current maximum GSA lodging rates must be requested by the department head and be documented on the Travel Authorization Form, taking into consideration location, purpose of travel, or other extenuating circumstances.

If the hotel requires a credit card to guarantee the reservation, a personal credit card may be used. Employee will request an e-mail reservation confirmation from the hotel.

If the hotel will accept a check from the College to pay the lodging bill it can either be paid at the time of employee’s check-in or if it could be mailed directly from the College prior to employee’s arrival. Specifications of how the check is to be presented needs to be documented on the email confirmation receipt from the hotel to present along with Purchase requisition.

Employee will submit the hotel reservation confirmation along with a “Purchase Requisition” to Purchasing to request a check payment for the reservation. The request should include the hotel’s mailing address and phone number, the total amount due (including taxes and fees), and instruction as to whether the check will be delivered to the hotel by the employee or should be mailed directly to the hotel. Accounts Payable will issue a check for employee to pick up or will mail the check to the hotel in time for it to be received and processed prior to employee’s arrival.

At the time of check-out, employee will need to pay for any additional incidental hotel charges using either cash or a personal credit card. No lodging-related expenses may be charged to the State Procurement Card (P-Card).

In lieu of having the College issue a check to pay the hotel bill, employee may choose to use cash or a personal credit card and request reimbursement for out-of- pocket expenses using the “Travel Reimbursement” request at the conclusion of the trip. The original paid printed/emailed (detailed) hotel receipt must be submitted with the reimbursement request.

If two or more people share a room, a copy can be made of the original receipt showing how the charges were shared, and indicating with which reimbursement request the original receipt was filed. Each person shall claim his/her own share of the lodging expenses since two or more individuals cannot file on a single reimbursement request. Copies of credit card receipts are not acceptable substitutes for hotel/motel receipts.

All hotel/motel charges must be supported by an original receipt even when the lodging has been prepaid by the College.

All employees will request reimbursement through the Intranet using the Travel Reimbursement Form and route to their supervisor for approval.

Original receipts are required for hotel bills, and car rentals. Prior travel authorization approval must be submitted to BusinessOffice@fdtc.edu for reimbursements.

Air travel may be purchased by the individual if the cost is less than $1,500. If purchased by the individual, the reimbursement can be made two weeks before the trip has occurred. All receipts and documents must be attached. Air travel may also be purchased with a Purchasing Card. The College will not reimburse for first class. Personal automobile usage, if previously authorized, is reimbursable at the current rate by the most direct route.

No reimbursement for overnight accommodations will be made within fifty (50) miles of the traveler’s official headquarters and/or residence.

At the conclusion of an overnight travel event, a “Travel Reimbursement” form must be completed, approved, and submitted to Accounts Payable to request reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses. A copy of the conference or meeting agenda, along with original itemized receipts for all expenses (except for taxi/ridesharing and meals) for which reimbursement is requested, must be attached.

All travel outside the continental U.S. must be approved by the President.

Registration Fees:

Registration fees for approved travel may either be prepaid by the College by completing a Purchase Requisition and submitting to the Purchasing office, or by charging to a State Procurement Card (P-Card).

Dependents Accompanying Employee:

If a dependent accompanies an employee on an authorized business trip, only those expenses directly attributable to the employee may be reimbursed.

Other Travel Expenses:

Parking Charges - Parking fees for state-owned and privately-owned vehicles are reimbursed upon presentation of a paid receipt.

Fines - No reimbursement shall be made to operators of state-owned or privately- owned vehicles who are assessed fines for moving or non-moving violations.

Toll Charges - Receipts for toll charges must be presented for reimbursement.

Rental cars - Rental cars will be permitted if the cost of the car rental is less than taxi/ridesharing fares. Approval of a rental car should be obtained in advance.

Taxi/Ridesharing and Shuttles - Receipts should be requested, but if not available, reimbursement will be made for taxi/ridesharing and shuttle costs. The reimbursement request must indicate the reason for taxi/ridesharing/shuttle expense.

Porterage and Tips/Gratuities – A gratuity is not an allowable reimbursement; however, when included as part of a billing for a banquet, luncheon, etc., gratuities will be allowed. Porterage, in general, is not an allowable reimbursement. It may, however, be reimbursed when an employee has heavy, excess equipment needed to conduct official state business and there is no option for baggage handling. The reimbursement request must indicate the reason for porterage.

Cancellation of Travel:

If a planned trip is cancelled, the trip request originator must: Cancel flights directly with the airline, prior to the date of travel, to ensure proper cancellation and credit to the College.

Contact the lodging and registration vendors to cancel arrangements and request that refunds be made payable to Florence-Darlington Technical College and sent to the attention of Accounts Payable in the Business Office, or credited to the PCard account, if applicable.

Notify the motor pool of the cancellation, if applicable.

Inform Accounts Payable in the Business Office of trip cancellations and any expected refunds.

Penalties assessed as the result of trip cancellations will be charged to the supervisor’s department. Failure to properly cancel travel plans with vendors in a reasonable and timely manner may result in the employee being charged for the full cost of air transportation, lodging, registration fees, etc.