1. Travelers are expected to use prudent judgment in the selection of hotels and restaurants while traveling on official university business. Expenses for lodging and meals are reimbursed, as explained below, either on an actual, reasonable expense basis or on a per diem basis. Personal expenses, such as guest accommodations, room service, entertainment and other non-business charges, are the responsibility of the traveler.

   1. Lodging
      

      Lodging reimbursement is limited to single occupancy unless rental accommodations are shared by more than one authorized traveler. The university may require justification for a single room rate that exceeds the maximum lodging amount per the GSA Domestic Per Diem Schedule unless a conference/convention hotel rate is used or the rate claimed is less than the stated conference/convention rate. The traveler may use the University of Florida purchasing card or personal funds to pay the lodging bill. If using personal funds, the traveler will be reimbursed for the actual expense of the lodging. To secure reimbursement following completion of travel, the itemized hotel bill showing the actual amount paid or a $0 balance due and method of payment must accompany a properly completed Travel Expense Report in the Travel and Expense Module.

      A traveler may not claim per diem or reimbursement for lodging for overnight travel within 50 miles of his headquarters or residence, unless the circumstances necessitating such overnight travel are fully explained by the traveler and approved by the agency head. Criteria for approval shall include late night or early morning job responsibilities and excessive travel time because of traffic conditions.

   2. Meals
      

      The state agency rate is required to be used for reimbursing travel related meal expenses. The State of Florida reimbursement rates for meals on UF domestic travel (including Alaska and Hawaii) are as follows:

      Breakfast		$6
      Lunch		$11
      Dinner		$19
      Total		$36

       

      For travel dates prior to July 1, 2007, meals are reimbursed during the travel period based on the General Services Administration (GSA) rates based on the destination city of the travel. The current rates can be found at the following website: http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentType=GSA_BASIC&contentId=17943&noc=T

      The table below represents GSA meal rates broken down by meal. The total reimbursement for a day's meals equals the sum of the individual amounts shown for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The additional $3 for incidentals is not reimbursable by the University. Incidental expenses will be reimbursed based on an itemized accounting for each expense.

      M&IE	$39	$44	$49	$54	$59	$64
      Breakfast	7	8	8	10	11	12
      Lunch	11	12	13	15	16	18
      Dinner	18	21	24	26	29	31
      Incidental	3	3	3	3	3	3

       

      No one, whether traveling out of state or in state, shall be reimbursed for any meal or lodging included in a convention or conference registration fee paid by the University. Meals included in the cost of registration to be reimbursed by the University must be deducted from the per diem reimbursement and may not be claimed for subsistence.

      No allowance shall be made for meals when travel is confined to the city or town of the official headquarters or immediate vicinity (50 miles).

      The University of Florida does not reimburse for Class C meals (Travel for short or day trips where the traveler is not away from his/her official headquarters overnight).

      The University may reimburse authorized travelers for foreign travel at the current rates of per diem as specified in the federal publication "Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians, Foreign Areas)". These rates may be obtained from the Travel Office or at the following website: http://www.state.gov/m/a/als/prdm

   3. Per Diem Allowance (in lieu of actual expenditures)
      

      In certain cases, it may not be practical or possible to establish actual reimbursable expenses for lodging and/or meals. In such cases, a per diem charge in lieu of actual expenses may be reimbursed. Per diem reimbursement for these expenses is the payment to the traveler of a fixed amount per day to cover the cost of lodging and/or meals and all related incidental expenses necessarily incurred.

      The University of Florida's per diem rate is $80 per day for both domestic and foreign travel. With a per diem allowance, the traveler is not required to provide documentation and an itemization of actual lodging. Meals and/or lodging may not be claimed in combination with per diem. All meals provided to the traveler must be deducted from the per diem rate of $80 per day.

   4. Business Expenses
      

      Other expenses normally associated with travel that are reimbursable regardless of whether a traveler receives lodging and/or meal reimbursement on an actual expense or per diem basis include registration fees, business telephone calls made while on approved travel, and miscellaneous expenses clearly related to the purpose of the travel and fully documented as such.

   5. Registration Fees
      

      University employees are frequently required to pre-register for conferences and workshops. Prepayment for registration fees may be done with a University of Florida purchasing card, by personal funds or the department may request an unencumbered voucher payment through Accounts Payable. Whether registration fees are paid by pre-payment or paid at the conference or workshop, the registration form and/or conference brochure stating the amount of the registration and what is included (meals, lodging, etc.) must accompany a properly completed Travel Expense Report. The method of payment used to pay the registration fees must be clearly communicated within the Travel Expense Report. All travelers who attend a conference, convention, workshop, seminar or meetings requiring a registration fee are required to submit a copy of the agenda with the Travel Expense Report.

   6. Communication Expenses
      

      Communication expenses incurred as a result of University business and substantiated by receipts, are allowable. Communication expenses include telephone, wire, email and/or fax.

      Communication expenses to contact the traveler's family or for other non-business purposes is not eligible for reimbursement. Any calls to a traveler's personal residence for which the traveler is asking reimbursement must be justified.

   7. Portage
      

      Portage charges shall not exceed $1 per bag or a total of $5 per occasion. Each occasion should be reported separately on the Travel Expense Report. Tips for maid services are not reimbursable.

   8. Incidental Travel Expenses
      

      The traveler may be reimbursed upon presentation of a receipt for the following:

      1. Actual laundry, dry cleaning, and pressing expenses when official travel extends beyond seven days and such expenses were necessarily incurred to complete the official business portion of the trip.
      2. Actual passport and visa fees required for official travel.
      3. Actual and necessary fees charged to purchase traveler's checks for official travel expenses.
      4. Actual fee charged to exchange currency necessary to pay official travel expenses.
      5. Actual cost of maps necessary for conducting official business.
      6. Gas receipts for AVIS rental, state vehicle, or personal car (when not claiming mileage and showing cost savings).
      7. Airline baggage fees require a receipt.
      8. Any item that is not listed requires a receipt.