NITLE PARTICIPANT TRAVEL GUIDELINES
The following policies and procedures have been designed to provide cost-effective travel and lodging for participants in NITLE activities, while minimizing out-of-pocket costs. These policies apply to participants from comprehensive participating colleges, are effective January 27, 2006, and may be revised periodically. Please note that the transitional comprehensive participation program concludes on June 30, 2008.
When out-of-pocket expenses are incurred, participants are asked to submit documentation in a timely manner. The expense reimbursement form (.xls, 53KB) and accompanying original receipts must be submitted within 14 days of occurrence, using the NITLE expense form, to:
Terri Coahran, Participant Relations
NITLE
1001 E. University Avenue
Southwestern University - Box 7385
Georgetown, TX 78626
TRAVEL TO NITLE EVENTS
- Participants are expected to use the most cost-effective form of transportation.
- Driving should generally be considered when the destination is no more than 4 hours away. Use of personal vehicles (including travel between home and the nearest airport) is reimbursed at the rate set by the Internal Revenue Service (currently $0.505 per mile), plus tolls and reasonable parking charges.
- Driving extremely long distances may be less economical than flying and may create additional expenses for lodging and meals. Participants are encouraged to consider the entire cost of the trip when making travel plans.
- Please consider traveling by train where possible, especially when traveling between destinations in the Northeast corridor.
- When air travel is called for, NITLE staff will put you in touch with a travel agent, who will make your reservations and bill airline charges directly to us. Please note that spousal/companion tickets cannot be purchased through the direct-bill travel agency arrangement.
- We ask that you make reservations as soon as travel plans are finalized, and accept the lowest reasonable fare available.
- There may be occasions when it is not reasonable for a participant to make reservations through NITLE (e.g., when a participant is traveling on to another commitment rather than making a simple round-trip flight). In such cases, the participant may submit receipts for reimbursement for the relevant portion of the trip.
- If a participant cancels after a non-refundable plane ticket has been issued, the participant is expected to reimburse NITLE for the cost of the ticket. (The participant should then be able to pay a ticket-change penalty to the airline and use the ticket on a future NITLE trip.)
GROUND TRANSPORTATION
- NITLE staff will provide participants with information about the form of ground transportation (shuttle service, taxi, public transportation, or rental car) most appropriate for a given event.
- If rental cars are required, NITLE staff will refer participants to a preferred rental car service. Participants should pay for the vehicle with a personal credit card and submit the receipt for reimbursement. Sharing of rental cars is encouraged where possible: please choose economy, compact, or midsize unless the number of riders warrants a large car or van.
- Whenever possible, rental cars should be refueled before drop-off to avoid refueling charges.
- Taxi or car service expenditures must be documented by a computerized meter receipt, or a paper receipt when meter receipts are not available.
LODGING
- NITLE staff will arrange for participants to be housed in a local hotel or college housing, depending on locale, season, transportation, and various other factors.
- Rooms will be billed directly to NITLE whenever possible. When direct billing is not possible, participants may be asked to charge their rooms to personal credit cards and request reimbursement.
- Hotel expenditures should be itemized on expense reports, with the costs of accommodations, meals, and any other charges listed separately.
- Personal charges, such as for phone calls, in-room movies, mini-bars, health clubs, spas, laundry, or other personal services or entertainment are not reimbursable.
- Whenever possible, participants should minimize the number of hotel nights required. However, it is understood that sometimes an extra night in the hotel can result in hundreds of dollars of savings on airfare. In such cases, NITLE will reimburse the additional night's lodging.
- Participants who are accompanied by spouses, partners, or other family members are responsible for travel costs for those persons, including any additional charges for lodging and meals. If additional rooms are required, the participant is responsible for reserving them.
- Participants who are accompanied by children are expected to make arrangements for the care of the children during the event and to assume all costs associated with their presence.
MEALS
- NITLE staff will let you know what meals are provided at the event you plan to attend.
- Documented costs for other meals during the course of your attendance will be reimbursed by NITLE, as long as appropriate receipts are provided. In general, these costs should not exceed $50 per day.
- Alcohol expenses will not be reimbursed.
- Original printed receipts, clearly showing date and establishment name, are required for reimbursement. The names, titles, and institutions of all participants covered by a meal receipt should be listed on the front of the receipt.
DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED
To comply with IRS regulations and governance policies, the following documentation should be provided when an expense has been incurred:
Travel Expense Required Documentation
Hotels: Itemized hotel bill and charge receipt
Airfare: Passenger coupon receipt or e-ticket stub
Taxi: Metered receipt or paper receipt
Certain expenses that are impossible to document with receipts (tips, coin tolls, food purchased from vending machines, etc.) may be submitted up to a limit of $25 per expense.
If you should have any questions about these policies and guidelines, please feel free to contact:
Terri Coahran, Office Management
NITLE
1001 E. University Avenue
Southwestern University - Box 7385
Georgetown, TX 78626
terri.coahran@nitle.org
