Travel Review Procedures for Authorized Signors
1. Ensure all identifying information required for processing is completed (Name, Social, Address, Trip Info and Travel Receivable account, center and Individual ID#).
2. Compare “Estimated Reimbursable Travel Expense” (Estimated) to “Total Actual Expenditures” (Actual). If Actual is significantly higher than Estimated, determine the cause for the variance. (If Actual is less than Estimated, the variance may relate to registration or other items estimated but paid by demand check or procurement card.)
3. Familiarize yourself with University or if applicable, sponsored contract/grant or more restrictive guidelines established at the school or division level travel reimbursement policies. Review each expenditure for compliance with the appropriate policy. Items requiring special review include:
Alcoholic beverage costs (if approved, requires separate account classification)
Entertainment (requires documentation of names of individuals, business purpose and separate account classification)
Foreign travel (if supported by sponsored program contracts or grants, may require advance written agency approval).
Spouse or other dependent travel (requiresadvance approval traveler’s Executive Director, Dean, Vice Chancellor/Provost)
Travel by private aircraft (requiresadvance approval by traveler’s Executive Director, Dean, Vice Chancellor/Provost)
Travel by rail, bus, private or rental automobile in lieu of commercial aircraft (requires support of beneficial pricing)
Weekend Travel to avail of discounted airfare (requires analysis confirming thatdiscounted airfare, weekend lodging and meal costs are more economical than the next best available airfare)
4. Review each expense claimed for reasonableness. Unreasonable costs would include airfare for local travel, mileage reimbursement along with airfare, rental car or gasoline reimbursement, excessive meal or lodging costs, claiming of personal item expenses, etc.
5. Ensure that each expense item (including ticketless airfare) in excess of $25 (or more restrictive guideline established at school or division level) is supported by an original receipt in the amount claimed. Perform a cursory review of each supporting document agreeing amount and date of document to amount claimed and trip dates.
In the event that multiple meals/cab fares are supported solely by tear off receipts with hand-written totals, ensure that the various receipts aren’t sequentially numbered.
6. Ensure that all advances are reported and any amounts paid by the University are appropriately reflected.
7. For travelers with Procurement Cards, Procurement Card activity should be reviewed to ensure that expenses are not paid by VU via Procurement Card and submitted for reimbursement.
8. Verify mathematical accuracy of the report and calculation of amount due to traveler/University.