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Travel Advances

Travel Advances

Status:  Adopted July 1, 2003, last revised March, 2015

Purpose

This policy covers cash advances to employees for University business travel when a Commercial Card is not available or appropriate.

Policy

DePauw University makes cash advances to faculty and staff members (who work 20 hours or more per week) so they do not have to use personal funds when traveling on official University business.  

Procedures

The following procedures must be adhered to regarding travel advances:

  1. Submit an “Expense Request” through Business e-Services by selecting “Request Type” of Cash Advance to the Business Office.    
  2. An advance will not, as a general rule, be provided more than two weeks prior to the departure date for the travel but request should be submitted by noon on Tuesday for Friday payment.  Advance requests must be submitted electronically to accountspayable@depauw.edu per University policy.  Circumstances necessitating an earlier advance should be specified on the request for advance.
  3. An advance request must be signed by the supervisor with budgetary authority as well as the requesting faculty or staff member.  Signatures may be electronic per University policy.  The advance is charged to the employee signing the request for the advance, even though the advance may be for another payee/vendor.
  4. All travel advances must be settled within 60 days upon completion of the trip. To clear the advance account and charge the proper department budget or grant code for the travel expense incurred, the appropriate expense request form must be completed in accordance with the Expense and Travel Policy, Policy Number 130.1.  The Director of the Business Office should be notified, in writing, of any such special circumstances at the time the travel advance is requested. *
  5. Itemized receipts, as well as charge card slips, should be attached to the Expense Request when clearing the advance through Business e-Services.

* Expenses should be submitted for reimbursement and/or reconciliation within 60 days of being incurred.  IRS regulations require reimbursements that are requested after the 60 day period to be reported as wages to the employee and included on the individual's form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement.