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Before You Travel

Turn in to the department a completed State Travel Request (1A) form. The University requires this form to be submitted a minimum of five days before you leave. The earlier the better!

• Should you have professional development funds available or other departmentally approved funds for your trip, you may request a Travel Advance on the Travel Request form. To make this request:
  • Enter the requested amount in the Travel Advance line.
  • Attach any receipts or quotes for your expected travel expenses.
  • Attach a brief itinerary of your trip.
  • Attach a document that shows the purpose of travel (i.e. conference invitation, email correspondence for business meetings, etc.).
  • Submit your travel request at least two weeks early! State accounting takes a full week to process travel advances, and that is without any delays or issues.
• If you are traveling out of the country, your claim must be reviewed by the Provost’s office, and will thus take more time to be approved. Please submit your request form a minimum of two weeks in advance.
  • If you are requesting an Advance for your trip out of the country, submit it at least three to four weeks before you leave to make sure you receive your money in time!
• If your trip includes personal travel, and you are traveling by air, Corporation needs a “real time” quote document obtained at the time travel arrangements are being made that indicates what the airfare would be without the personal travel.

During Travel

Be sure to keep all original, itemized receipts related to your trip, such as:

• Meal receipts.
• Airfare receipts (if online receipt, include boarding passes to provide proof of payment).
• Transportation receipts (if you are taking a cab, be sure to ask for a receipt from the driver).
• Rental car receipts (include final credit card receipt, not just the initial estimate).
• Conference registration receipts and materials to prove that you attended the conference/event (such as brochures, event programs, etc.).

Special documentation is required for the following types of receipts:

• Emailed Invoices / Receipts
  • Email from vendor stating invoice  /receipt attached or some sort of documentation from vendor that no other invoice is mailed.
  • Printed out invoice / receipt.
  • Original packing slip(s) or other proof that you received the item / attended the event.
• Faxed Invoices / Receipts
  • If a faxed invoice / receipt is the only copy a vender will supply, then a notation to that copy must be included on the invoice / receipt submitted for payment, signed and dated by the submitting party.
  • Original packing slip(s) or other proof that you received the item / attended the event.
• Web Purchases
  • Item description and prices.
  • Confirmation showing method of payment.
  • Original packing slip(s) or other proof that you received the item / attended the event.

After Returning from Travel

Complete a Travel Expense Claim (if you are requesting and were approved funding for your trip) within 10 business days of your return. Turn your claim in to the accountant in the Department office. Here is how to complete your claim:

• First you must consult the Department accountant to see if the funds you are requesting will come out of Corporation or State accounts. This will determine which form you use.
  • Note: Professional Development and Studio Support funds generally come out of Corporation accounts.
• Next complete the form, entering in all pertinent information. You can obtain a copy of the State Travel Forms or Cal Poly Corporation Travel Forms in the Faculty Copier room or by clicking on the preceeding links.
  • Be sure to list the departure and return dates and times, purpose and destination(s).
  • Do not claim more than the maximum meal allowance unless you hosted a meal and the department head approved this expense before you left. If you do host a meal, you will need to provide justification for that meal on a separate page and list all attendees.
  • If you are claiming hotel costs, separate any parking, meal, or other incidental expenses from the total price. List only the room rate under the lodging field and all other items under the section titled “Other.”
  • The accountant will complete the necessary fund information based on what the trip was for, so you can leave the ORG Key/Object Code field blank.
  • Indicate any advances you received for this trip in the “Less Advances” field, and be sure to calculate your total.
• Attach all original, itemized receipts to the form.
  • For all items purchased online, you are required to include additional proof of payment, such as a credit card or bank statement highlighting the item purchased. 
  • If you purchased airfare online, include boarding passes or original tickets from airport.
  • If you rented a car, provide the final credit card receipt, not just the initial estimate.
  • If you traveled out of the country, you will need to provide proof of the currency conversion. If you used your credit card to pay for items, a copy of this will clearly show the conversion amount and any associated fees, which are reimbursable. If you paid in cash or traveler’s checks, you will need to use this website to get an accurate conversion rate: http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic. Enter the amount spent in the foreign country, the date of the receipt, and submit the conversion. Print the result page and include it in your travel claim.
• If you did not attach the appropriate supporting documents with your Travel Request, you must include the following:
  • A brief itinerary of your trip.
  • A document that shows the purpose of travel (i.e. conference invitation, email correspondence for business meetings, etc.). Please note that your Travel Request does not count as a document that shows purpose of travel.
• Include any important notes in the Comments section.
• If you are submitting a Corporation/Foundation Travel Claim, indicate if you want your reimbursement check mailed or if you want to pick it up at the department office. If you submit a State Travel Claim you can only pick up your check at the State Cashier’s Office.
• Remember to sign and date your form in the “Signature of Claimant” field.

After turning in your Travel Expense Claim, your claim will be reviewed by the accountant for accuracy and submitted to the department head for approval. Then it will be sent to either the State or Corporation accounting office for processing.

• State accounting takes 5 full business days to process your claim from the time they receive it.
• Corporation accounting takes 3 full business days to process your claim from the time they receive it.
• Your reimbursement will arrive in the form of a check. If you opt to pick up your check at the department office you will receive an email from the accountant informing you that it has arrived.