Travel Updates

• Per Diem Rate Change- Effective October 1, 2024. Please refer to the BMSS on Oct 2, 2024 for guidelines.
• Travel Updates & Changes- Domestic Lodging Limit Increased to $333 - Effective Apr 18, 2024. Please refer to the BMSS on Apr 18, 2024 for guidelines.
• Mileage Rate Increases for Personal Car and Moving & Relocation Jan 1, 2024. Please refer to the BMSS on Dec 21, 2023 for guidelines.
• Travel Updates & Changes - Effective Jan 1, 2024. Please refer to the BMSS on Dec 18, 2023 for guidelines.
• Banned States were repealed. Effective for travel starting on 9/14/23. Please refer to the BMSS on September 18, 2023 for guidelines.

Understand Your Responsibilities 

• Will you be traveling to conduct business on behalf of Sacramento State: attending conferences, participating in meetings, performing research, etc.?
• Will you be authorizing travel for someone else and approving reimbursement for travel expenses? Or, preparing claims and processing payments?

For any of these conditions, it is your responsibility to become familiar with what is expected of you regarding official University travel. For comprehensive information, please review the CSU Travel and Business Expense Reimbursements Policy, in addition to Sac State's Travel Policy. To better understand your role in complying with the University's travel regulations, please review the outline of Traveler's Responsibilities for travelers, approving officials and the University Accounts Payable & Travel Office.

• Things to do Before- During- and After Your Trip

Financial Services maintains and updates the travel policy and the travel procedures and regulations based on CSU policy and procedures.

Rental Car Information

The University has a negotiated contract with Enterprise. Renting vehicles from a non-contracted vendor is prohibited, unless vehicles are unavailable from a contracted vendor.

• Enterprise Website
• Enterprise Rental Car Cheat Sheet
• Driving on University Business
• Vehicle Accident Reporting

Foreign Travel

Prior to reporting travel and requesting insurance, faculty members should first complete a travel request within Concur.

It is important that Sac State faculty and students traveling internationally on University business do so in a safe manner. One such safe practice is to report to the University when a faculty member plans to travel abroad, but it is also important that insurance is in place before making such a trip.

All employees who travel internationally on CSU business are required to purchase insurance through the Foreign Travel Insurance Program (FTIP) via the California State University Risk Management Authority (CSURMA) and report planned trips as soon as practical.

Approval

Approval for all international travel must be approved by the campus President.

As per Chancellor's Office memorandom RM 2014-01, the campus President and their designee may now approve travel to designated "High Hazard Countries" or countries on the US State Department Travel Warning List for all faculty, staff, or students who travel on CSU business.

Travel to designated "War Risk" countries must be approved by the Chancellor's Office.

Reimbursement Rates

• U.S. State Dept Per Diem (Foreign)
• DOD Per Diem (Domestic)
• International Currency Conversion (calculator)

Moving & Relocation

The moving and relocation process has been moved to Payroll effective 9/1/2021.

For more information visit the Human Resources Moving and Relocation page .

FAQ

• Q. What is the first thing I should do if I am planning on traveling on University business?
  A. Go into Concur and submit a Request to travel. Once the request is approved, then you can start to make your travel arrangements through Concur's online Booking Tool under the Travel tab.
• Q: How can I get an advance check for travel expenses?
  A: In most cases a travel advance is no longer needed as most travelers will have a have a Concur Travel card. However, cash advances will still be available in exceptional cases (specifically for team/group travel) and may be entered on the travel request. To be eligible to request a cash advance an approval from the Accounts Payable department is needed (Concur Cash Advance Setup Request form). Your Concur settings must be updated to reflect this option by your campus Concur Admin. Cash advances will be issued no more than 10 days prior to the date of travel. Once the advance is processed it is the traveler’s responsibility to pick the check up from the Cashier’s Office in Lassen Hall, Rm.1001. Note: If you do not have a Concur Travel Card, and are eligible, refer to Concur Reference Guide Travel Credit Card and allow 2 weeks for delivery. Make sure you allow yourself enough time to obtain the card before your travel dates.
  

• Q: How long can I expect to wait for my reimbursement check?
  A: Generally checks will be mailed two days after the expense report has been approved by Accounts Payable/Travel.
  • For more efficient reimbursements, employees have the option to be reimbursed by electronic funds transfer (EFT) via a direct deposit to your personal bank account. Please see the following information for EFT sign-up EFT Instructions and form. The form is located within the Accounts Payable & Travel section of the ABA Forms webpage.
• Q: Which rental car companies offer discounts to state of California employees?
  A: Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National are the official car rental company for state employees traveling on official business. They should be utilized whenever possible. Use Concur to book your rental car and discounts will be applied. For Direct Billing, see the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Booking instructions.
• Q: Is there a limit on how much I can be reimbursed for lodging?
  A: The current domestic maximum lodging rate is $275 (excluding taxes); VP (or Pres.) must pre-approve higher rates via an email or memo. Please see the Travel Policy Exception Justification form.
• Q: If I’m on personal time while traveling on business, how do I separate the hotel and car rental charges from my personal time?
  A: Generally, you will deduct the expenses incurred on your personal days of travel from the total amount on the travel expense claim. Utilizing a different method of transportation and extending travel for person reasons are two reasons for altering business related travel.
• Q: What is the procedure for reimbursement of approved expenses? What are the typical expenses I can be reimbursed for? What receipts must I provide?
  A: An individual must have departmental approval to travel on University business and follow appropriate University procedures for requesting authorization to travel. Itemized receipts are required for the following expenses: airline, lodging, rental car, parking, meals; and any reimbursable item costing more than $75.
• Q: What is an itemized receipt?
  A: A receipt that shows what was purchased and provides proof of payment by showing how it was paid. If the receipt doesn't provide proof of payment a bank or credit card statement can be submitted.
• Q: What are typical errors in travel expense reports, and how can I avoid them?
  A: Please do the following:
  
  • Make sure all necessary ITEMIZED receipts are attached to the expense report.
  • Include expenses that were paid by the University and their receipts in the expense report.
  • Make sure that the traveler’s vehicle license plate number is loaded in their Concur profile if traveler is claiming mileage.
  • No lodging, meals, or incidental allowance may be claimed if travel is within 25 miles for the employees normal work location.
  • Locating lodging where discounted state rates are given is encouraged and also getting the occupancy tax exemption when allowed by hotel.
• Q: How soon do I have to turn in my expense report?
  A: All expense reports must be submitted within 60 days of returning from a trip. After this time frame an Travel Policy Exception Justification form must be completed, Approved by the VP, and attached to the expense report submitted within Concur.