Travel

Finance Department Travel Procedures

Prior to travel, please familiarize yourself with The University of Connecticut Travel and Entertainment Policies and Procedures. Please visit UConn’s Travel Services website for further information.

Pre-Travel

STEP 1. OBTAIN FUNDING - Confirm or request funding; there are four sources for funding travel:

  • OVPR/AAUP: OVPR/AAUP provides funding for travel to research-related meetings and workshops. There are separate funds for “active participation” and “non-active” attendance. Please see Faculty Funding Guidelines & Online Form to view policies and request a faculty travel award. If approved, OVPR/AAUP will send an email indicating the amount and breakdown of the travel award. Please include a copy of the email with your reimbursement materials to the Department Assistant. Please note that these funds are limited, and awards are not guaranteed. Faculty are encouraged to request funding as soon as they know they will attend a conference or professional workshop.
  • Outside Funding: If all or a portion of travel will be funded using outside funds, such as CIBER, research grants, or host institutions, please provide a copy of correspondence showing the award/funding when you submit your travel request to the Department Assistant.
  • STAR: Approved expenses not covered by the above funding sources can be covered by your STAR account, as long as there is an available balance.
  • Self-funded: If no funding is available, then you are responsible for the cost of your trip; this is considered an “out of pocket” expense.

STEP 2. ALWAYS SUBMIT A PRE-TRIP FORM .

  • Once the Department Head has approved travel, and funding is secured, please fill out the Pre-trip Travel Webform (NetID and password are required to sign in).  Please include the following on the form:
    • Click Pre-Trip button at top of form.
    • If traveler is NOT utilizing Direct Payments, keep the "UConn Direct Payments: KFS Accounts to charge Direct Payments" section blank.
    • KFS Processor: Choose the following:
      • Unit: Academic Department
      • KFS Group: Finance
    • Notes: Under “Pre-Trip Note” section please enter total expenses expected for trip and funding sources.   Example: Total Expense: $1500 - Funding Source: STAR and AAUP
    • Please also indicate and make notes about personal days.

STEP 3. BOOK YOUR TRAVEL

  • Book your travel and save your receipts which show proof of payment. Be sure to follow the current travel policies for airfare, car rental, personal mileage, and train travel. When renting a car, you must use Enterprise via Sanditz.
  • IMPORTANT MESSAGE REGARDING AIRFARE BOOKINGS:
    • UConn encourages travelers to use Sanditz to book their airfare:
    • If the traveler books their airfare with another service - such as Orbitz, Kayak, and Southwest.com, etc. - The traveler must provide a comparable quote from the Sanditz system for the SAME TIME AND DATE. The quote from Sanditz should show that the price was the same, or higher, than another booking agency
    • Travelers can now charge airfare directly to their own credit cards with Sanditz.
    • AAUP/OVPR travel awards MUST charge travel to personal credit cards and apply for reimbursement. Airfare cannot be charged directly to AAUP/OVPR travel award accounts.
    • Travelers who are charging their funds to STAR or other department accounts can use Sanditz to charge the account directly for air, hotel, train, car rental, etc., voiding out-of-pocket expenses, as long as travel does not include any personal time. Before doing this, confirm that you have sufficient funds in the account to cover your expenses.

AIRFARE POLICY

Travelers are strongly urged, but not required, to use the University’s contracted and preferred agency (currently, Sanditz) to book airline travel.

Travelers who do not to use Sanditz are required to submit, along with their reimbursement requests, a list of alternatives from Sanditz for the purposes of price comparison.

A traveler’s failure to conduct such a comparison and attach it to the DV requesting travel reimbursement will result in a reimbursement equal to the lowest reasonable airfare at the time of processing, to be determined at the sole discretion of the Office of Travel Services.

Please refer to airfare travel policies for more information.

During Travel

STEP 4. SAVE RECEIPTS

  • During your travel, save all original receipts, boarding passes, etc. Receipts should show proof of payment (e.g. a credit card charge or proof of cash payment).
  • If you require parking at Bradley International Airport, please request a parking pass using the Pre-Trip Form and one will be sent to you from parking services. Note that parking expenses from BDL cannot be reimbursed unless they are in excess of the two weeks provided by the parking services pass.
  • If your trip does include personal time, you cannot be reimbursed for any expenses on those days. You can only receive reimbursement for travel to and from the business destination.

Post-Travel

Within 10 days of return of travel, submit a completed copy of the Travel Checklist and all required supporting documents to your department administrative assistant.

STEP 5. SUBMIT DOCUMENTATION
Note: All receipts are to be itemized and show payment in full.

Per UConn's Travel Policy, examples of Supporting Documentation are:

  • Updated Finance Department Travel Checklist to include:
    • Actual time of departure from traveler’s home or place of business
    • Actual time arrived at home (or ended University School of Business)
    • Breakdown of expenses
  • Conference Registration Receipt
  • Flight Itinerary and Receipt
  • Flight Boarding Passes
  • Baggage Receipts
  • Itemized Meal Receipts (if not using Per Diem method)
  • Hotel Check-out Receipts
  • Mileage Reimbursement
  • Itemized receipts for travel-related expenses: taxis, tolls, internet, etc.

STEP 6. POST TRIP FORM: The Department Assistant will do the Post Trip Form using your original Pre-Trip Form and supporting documentation. You will be notified by email when the form is ready for review and electronic approval.

  • Approved Post Trip Forms will be submitted through the KFS System by the Department Assistant and reimbursement will be sent by check or ACH/direct deposit (recommended method).