Regulations and Policies

Departmental Administration

Work-related Travel Policies

Submission Procedure: The travel request process must be initiated with the submission of the Economics Travel Request Form (linked above). It should be submitted to Office Manager no less than two weeks prior to travel. The Department Office will then initiate the formal travel request on your behalf. They will then notify you via email once the travel request has been approved. Only after the travel request has been approved can any travel-related purchases be made. The Department Office can assist with booking flights, hotels, and/or rental cars in UF GO as needed. After travel is concluded, you must provide receipts and conference programs (if relevant) to the Office Manager for processing. The Department Office will process all post-travel reimbursement requests within one week of their receipt. It may take the university an additional week to disburse funds. Reimbursement requests should be submitted timely.

Important Policies:

1. The Department cannot reimburse many travel expenses for which personal funds are used. All flights, hotels, and car rentals must be purchased through UF GO. Any exceptions must be approved by the department chair in advance and will typically require documentation of 20% or more in savings, relative to UF GO pricing.

2. Hotels prices must fall within the pre-approved maximum expense. This amount is set by the U.S. Federal Government and differs based on location. Consult the Department Office to request the approved amount for your specific travel destination(s).

3. Meals are reimbursed according to a standard per diem For domestic travel, breakfast is reimbursed at $6 and requires that travel begin by 6:00am and not end before 8:00am, lunch is reimbursed at $11 and requires that travel begin by 12:00pm and not end before 2:00pm, and dinner is reimbursed at $19 and requires that travel begin by 6:00pm and not end before 8:00pm. International per diem rates differ based on destination and are determined by the U.S. State Department.

4. The Travel Request Form asks you to provide the Business Purpose for your travel. This should convey the benefit to the university and state. It should also explain the purpose of travel during a future audit, even if you were not available to provide additional information. The university has gotten increasingly strict on these justifications.