Travel/Expenses

Please review the information below and take advantage of these resources or reach out for assistance to Shelley Allen shelleyallen@ufl.edu or Karrie Patrick k.patrick@ufl.edu.

• Before You Travel

  To enter your own travel – or even if somebody will enter it on your behalf – you must first complete the UF online Travel Training course, PST930.

  Here are the instructions on how to register for this online training and then instructions on navigation to complete it. 

  1. Login at “Access myUFL”
  2. Type in Gatorlink Username and Password (if you are a new employee, you will have to set this up first)
  3. Click on “My Self Service”
  4. Click on “Training and Development”
  5. Click on “My Training”
  6. On the top left of your screen, see blank search box next to a magnifier
  7. Type in PST930 and Enter
  8. Click on the blue Register button to access your online Travel & Expense course
  9. Click on the blue Submit button and follow the steps to complete your training

  Please read the info carefully to know what score you need to pass the test.

  When you have completed the training, please email Karrie Patrick at k.patrick@ufl.edu and she will initiate the process to obtain your travel security role (typically in 3-5 business days).

  Confirm funding source – ChartField

  Submit a TA if: the trip includes a Reg Fee, it is a National Conference, or it is foreign travel. Be aware that foreign travel does have special requirements. Learn more about expenses for foreign travel.

• After Your Trip

  As soon as possible – and no longer than 60 days – submit your myUFL, online ER (expense report0. Even if all your expense items were paid via a UF Pcard and not on Personal funds (therefore, $0 Due to Traveler), you must still submit an ER.

  You must attach all corresponding travel documents to the ER, even if some of those have already been included with a Pcard verification. Refer to the UF Travel Directions or Travel brochure, for a list of expense items ($25 or under) that may not require an attached receipt.

  • UF Travel Directives
  • UF Travel Guide
  • UF Airfare Guide
• In-Service Trainings (ISTs)

  When you are going to attend an In-Service Training (called IST’s), please utilize the Program Development & Evaluation Center (PDEC) website to locate everything you need to register for an IST, review course information, travel dates and obtain the agenda. Acess PDEC.

  Once at the PDEC home page, click on current year In-Service Trainings, then current year Programs, then All Trainings; you can sort the IST information by IST course number, Title or Start Date.

  • Adherence to UF Travel Policies and Guidelines is crucial for reimbursement, so that you don’t incur out-of-pocket expenses. 
  • Pre-Trip Guidelines: We follow UF’s Travel Office Guideline for ‘required’ TA’s (Foreign, Reg Fee and/or Agenda). IMPT: ‘Peoplesoft TA’ still required even if you’ve submitted a District-required hard copy TAR
  • ChartField Info: Usually obtained through PDEC website. Also provided by your CED/DED, Deans’ Office or County Operations, as needed
• FAQ’s

  Q. If somebody else is going to input my travel (TAs & ERs), do I still have to take the online travel training?

  A. Yes. Even if you are going to designate a ‘Travel Originator’ to input your TAs and ERs, you still need to complete PST930 training course first.

  Q. If I submit and forget to include an expense item or attach a travel document, what can I do?

  A. ER: withdraw the ER (steps) to recall the ER back to you, to revise and resubmit.

  Navigate to the same place where you create and modify a TA/ER. Choose ‘View a TA’ or ‘View an ER’. Locate the TA/ER by number (ex: TA #43123). Select that TA and look for a bold red comment at the top of the page. Click once to reveal the send-back comment, which should provide the reason it was sent back. Then, navigate to the Create/Modify TA/ER choice, locate your TA/ER # and click on it, to make the revision (or attach requested supporting travel documents, etc.). Remember to resubmit your TA/ER for approval.

  The benefit to this is: you do not have to contact your expense manager (approver) to return it to you. It is a timesaver and gives you the freedom to withdraw & revise when it is convenient. For a TA, you will have to contact the expense manager to send it back to you, because you cannot do the ‘Withdraw’ function for a TA.

  Q. What if I submit my ER and I forget to create it from my Approved TA?

  A. The preference is for you to always create an ER from an Approved TA. You should withdraw your ER, delete it and then create an ER from your TA.

  Q. What if I return from my trip and realize I did not do the require TA prior to traveling?

  A. After your trip, when you create your ER, provide a ‘No TA Justification’ comment in the blue ‘Notes’ hyperlink in your ER.

  Q. Can I use multiple Chartfields in one ER? If so, how can I do that?

  A. You may include multiple ChartFields in your ER. The easiest way to do that is: create an expense item, click on the blue ‘Accounting Details’ hyperlink and add as many rows as you need, to utilize multiple ChartFields. To add a row: at the bottom of your computer screen, drag the scrollbar all the way to the right. You should see a ‘plus box’ next to the first ChartField line. Click the plus box to add additional rows, if necessary.

  Q. What should I put in the TA/ER Report Description line?

  A. Something simple, that tells the story of what you are attending. If it is an In-Service Training (IST), please include the IST # in the Description line, ex: IST #31519. Or a conference, like EPAF or NACAA, etc. Or a district or area meeting.

  Q. If I submit my own travel, do I have to sign the Expense Report Summary/Signature page?

  A. No. Submitting your own ER is considered an electronic signature. Along with the box you check in your ER that states you ‘certify all expenses are for UF business purposes.’

  Q. If my expense report contains ‘just prepaid/Pcard charges’ – and no personal funds – do I still need to enter an ER?

  1. Yes. Even if there is no reimbursement amount due to a traveler, you still need to enter a corresponding ER for the expense items that were placed on a Pcard (typically, Airfare, Reg Fee, etc.)
  2. Pending
  3. Submitted for Approval
  4. Approvals in Process (ie, typically multiple exp mgrs.)
  5. Approved (paid within 10 business days)
  6. Staged
  7. Paid

  Q. Do I still have to attach travel documentation in an ER, even if have already included that as backup with my Pcard verification?

  A. Yes

  Q. If a TA/ER is returned to me for revision, how do know why it was returned?

  A. In the same place where you Create or Modify a TA/ER, navigate to ‘View’ a TA/ER. At the top of the page, click once on the bold red, send-back comment to see the reason your TA/ER was returned. Then go to Modify your TA/ER and make the necessary revisions. Then submit your TA/ER for approval.

  Q. If I don’t like what’s served for breakfast at my hotel or conference – and buy my own breakfast – can I be reimbursed $6 for that?

  A. No, unless there is an extenuating circumstance.

  Q. What is Per Diem and how do I utilize it?

  A. Open this tab and search for Per Diem.

  Q. If I drive my personal vehicle to a business meeting, can I submit a fuel receipt?

  A. You have two options: you can submit for mileage reimbursement or a fuel receipt, if it does not exceed what the mileage reimbursement would be.

  Q. When inputting MapMileage reimbursement in an ER, how do I determine my Originating city?

  A:  Your Origination point is calculated from your work business address, not your residence.

  Review what each Status means:

  Q. What is the approximate turn-around for my ER reimbursement to be direct-deposited?

  A. Ten business days.

  Q. What if reimbursement not received within 10 business days?

  A. Email travel@ufl.edu with ER # in Subj Line to ask about the status of your reimbursement.

  Q. Is there a deadline to submit an ER after my trip?

  A. Yes. Expense reports should be submitted as soon as possible, after a trip. UF Travel compliance guidelines state that all ERs must be submitted within 60 days from the last date of your trip. Any ERs that exceed the 60-day deadline will be reported to UF Travel and Payroll and Tax Services as income. View the Timeliness of Travel, Entertainment and Employee Reimbursements.