Travel

UC San Diego policy requires that all business travel, including employees and guests, is booked in Concur through Concur Travel.  Concur Travel is also available for personal travel. Before booking any travel, your trip should be authorized by the University by creating a trip request. 

The following information is required when creating an event number (trip request) and before you book travel. Incomplete information will delay processing. Please gather the following information and then complete the Financial Services Request Form linked at the top of this page (yellow button). 

To have staff complete financial entries on your behalf, please follow these steps to assign them as your delegate in Concur. Concur is the campus system for processing travel and reimbursements of any kind. 

1. Log in to Concur
2. Click 'profile' in the top right corner
3. Click 'Expense Delegates'
4. Select ‘add’ and enter the email jrgreenlaw@ucsd.edu 
5. Select the checkboxes (do not check, Receives Emails for Approver)
6. Save

It is possible for department fiscal staff to book airfare on behalf of a traveller for those who desire this. To do this, gather the full trip details and payment method then complete the Financial Services Request Form linked at the top of this page (yellow button).

For those booking their own airfare:

• Book airfaire from the Concur home page. Your travel profile in Concur should be completed in profile settings before booking travel. Additional booking guidance can be found here. 
• Airfare is highly recommended to be purchased through Balboa Travel Agency in your Concur profile or by calling (858) 678-3752.
• Since Concur is only accessible for UC employees, business travel for non emplyee guests (Colloquium, event guest speakers, ect) will be set up in Concur with the assistance of the department fiscal staff. A guest can book business travel directly with Balboa Travel after initially contacting the staff.
• When booking business travel through Concur, you are automatically enrolled in UC’s traveler insurance program, covering a wide range of incidents and accidents across the globe.
• Information for booking personal travel in Concur can be found here.

Note: Before booking airfare for business travel, you must have a trip request event number following preauthorization requirements

Coach fare or the equivalent should be used whenever available and practical. Reimbursement will be based on the actual fare. 

Exceptions

• Business and first class airfare is allowed only under the following conditions when:
  • Business or first-class service is the only service offered between two points;
  • Coach class would be more expensive or time consuming (such as when scheduling difficulties would require an unnecessary hotel expense, circuitous routing, or an unduly long layover when making connections);
  • An itinerary involves overnight travel without an opportunity for normal rest before the commencement of working hours
  • A medical need or disability requires accommodation. The need/disability must be certified by a physician and chronic conditions updated annually, except in the case of permanent conditions which require a certification stating such.
  • For additional information please see UCSD's Exceptions to Coach and Economy Class Travel
• Fees for early check in, priority boarding, or seat selection are reimbursable only when the original ticket is booked in Concur or with the Travel & Entertainment Card and there is no change to the class of travel.  A business purpose for the purchase is required.
• Consider the fund source. Some fund sources may restrict first class, business, or other higher cost service of travel. In cases where the fund source policy is more restrictive than UC/ UC San Diego policy, the more restrictive policy applies.

The information below is for lodging within the Continental U.S. and for travel that last fewer than 30 days. It is possible for staff to book local hotels for guests if desired. It may be possible for staff to book and pre-pay hotel expenses on bahlaf of those traveling out of the San Diego area. This is a lengthy process and must be approved by the participating hotel. 

Staff Booking: 

If you want staff to make hotel arrangements on behalf of yourself or a guest, complete the Financial Services Request Form linked at the top of this page (yellow button).

Traveller Booking:

Before you book a room, find out how to get discounted hotel rates through Concur Travel. Note that:

• Effective October 15, 2017, the UC maximum lodging rate for reimbursement is $275 before taxes and mandatory hotel fees. You won’t be reimbursed for in-room charges such as gym or movie fees. An expense for lodging within the vicinity of your home or headquarters is generally not eligible for reimbursement unless an early start time is combined with a distance greater than 40 miles from the headquarters or home, whichever is closest. 

Reserve a room using one of these methods:

• Follow payment instructions using Concur.
• Use a personal form of payment.

Pay for your hotel using a personal form of payment and requesting reimbursement after your trip.

After your trip, your expenses will be reconciled in Concur:

• Add Jessica Greenlaw (jrgreenlaw@ucsd.edu) as delegate in Concur
• Complete the Financial Services Request Form linked at the top of this page (yellow button)

• Meal costs can be claimed only for travel longer than 24 hours
• Claim the actual amount spent up to maximum of $79 per day for trips up to 29 days in the continental U.S.
• Provide receipts and/or a Travel Log

Per diem is a daily allowance given to employees by the University so that expenses can be covered while travelling for business. To see if your travel qualifies, please visit UCSD's Per Diem For Travel. 

• For travel outside the continental U.S., or that lasts 30 days or more, per diem applies.
• The claim should reflect the traveler's actual costs up to the per diem rate. Although receipts are not required, they are often provided as a way to confirm actual costs. See Per Diem (Travel Allowance). In place of receipts, travelers may instead show bank records with the expenses highlighted (all personal and confidential information will be redacted) or keep a log of expenditures and use it to calculate expenses. A sample log is provided for those wanting to show actual expenses without providing all of the individual receipts. 
• An exception to per diem when actual expenses exceed per diem and required conditions are met.

If you are traveling to a remote location and/or conducting long-term travel, please reach out to department fiscal staff on setting up a potential cash advance for your trip. Cash Advances may be setup upto 2 weeks in advance of the trip start date and should be reconciled monthly with the trip. A partial cash advance is generally for meals, incidental expenses, and ground transportation. The requested amount must be appropriate for the nature and duration of the travel.

If you have any additional questions on these policies, please contact vis-fiscal@ucsd.edu. 

• Does not need preauthorization
• For multiple-trips reimbursement, use a UCSD mileage log (sample mileage log is HERE)
• For single trips, use Google Maps
• Effective 07/01/2022 reimbursement rate 62.5 cents per mile for privately owned automobile

• Approved Travel Request is required for guest traveling on UCSD business
• Any non-Employee must register in PaymentWorks, even if they are not personally receiving a reimbursement, there are no exceptions. Complete the Financial Services Request Form linked at the top of this page (yellow button) with name and email of a Guest Traveler to start the approval process.
• More information on registering Travelers is HERE
• Travel must be reconciled within 60 days of the completion. Provide all itemized receipts for reimbursement and reconciliation of a Travel Expense Report.

Prior to participating in a department-funded trip, complete the UCSD Student Certification for Business-Related Travel form in addition to the requirements outlined in the table above. Be sure to check the first box "Directly supports the faculty/PI project or research program" or the second box "Presenting at a conference." If second box is checked, attach a copy of the program listing your name and UCSD. Obtain your faculty advisor's signature.

If travel is being funded by your departmental research and travel funds, prior to travel please check in with department fiscal staff to learn what is and is not reimburseable. If you do not review the campus policies and/or check-in with department staff, you risk spending inappropriately and not being eligible for reimbursement.

GPSA Travel Grant is a travel grant allocated through the Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA) for Graduate Student travel expenses.

When applying for the grant the required form may ask for a chartstring. The department fiscal staff has reached out to the GPSA and you can put “N/A” or “I am a graduate student and do not have a project number. In terms of who must sign the form it needs to be a faculty member. Either a faculty member from your advising committee or the overall degree faculty head.

Processing the Grant

If you receive the GPSA travel grant please submit a Financial Services Request Kuali Form (Kuali) for a Travel Request in advance of your trip if possible, or if not possible, then as soon as you can, attaching the award letter and your email for reference.

Once you have received your Travel Request ID AND completed your trip then submit a Financial Services Request Kuali Form for Travel Reimbursement.

Please note you will be reimbursed up to the maximum amount in your award letter and no more. If your receipt goes over the amount awarded that is fine, but you will only be reimbursed up to the maximum amount of the award.

Move and Relocation requires a special approval from the department CAO, Chair and Dean's Office. Please contact Jessica at jrgreenlaw@ucsd.edu to discuss process and details of your relocation. UCSD Move/Relocation Expenses could be found here.

How do I register/Do I need to register for travel insurance?

• If you or a staff member booked your travel directly through Concur or Balboa Travel, your trip is automatically enrolled in the UC Travelers Insurance plan. If you completed bookings yourself outside of the Concur system or Balboa Travel, you need to follow the steps below to register for travelers insurance.
  1. Complete the online UC Business Travel form. Important! Site is compatible with IE version 11, Chrome or Firefox.
  2. Click Save Changes, which sends the registration information to the UC insurance program.
  3. Print the form for your reference during your trip. The completed form will:
     • Verify eligibility
     • Provide confirmation of coverage
     • Provide emergency information and travel tips

What is the turnaround time for a travel request for myself? For a guest?

• 4-8 weeks depending on workload and the complexity of information that needs to be gathered in advance of the trip. For a guest this time can increase depending on the timeliness of their response.

How will my guest get reimbursed?

• For expenses not paid directly by UCSD, they will provide receipts via email to vis-fiscal@ucsd.edu

What are UCSD travel guidelines?

• Here’s a link to a pdf that is a quick guide to travel guidelines: Travel Policy Highlights pdf
• Full UCSD Policy can be found here: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3420365/BFB-G-28
• Further questions? Email the fiscal team at vis-fiscal@ucsd.edu. Better to check than to risk it and not be reimbursed.

What if I requested $X amount of money for my trip and I spend less or spend more?

• If you spend less money that’s no issue at all. When your trip is over and has been fully reconciled then the fiscal team closes the travel request. This releases all funds and removes the note saying money is planned to be spent on travel.
• If you spend more money then make sure you have enough in your funding source to pay for the trip or that you have an alternate funding source to be able to supplement it. UCSD accounts do not go into the negative. If you overspend the account you will either not be reimbursed or you will be expected to pay back the university to make the account $0.00.

Can I request a partial reimbursement?

• Yes. Just specify what you would like reimbursed when you fill out your travel report Kuali.

What if I used both a Travel & Entertainment Card and personal funds thereby needing reimbursement on my trip?

• You will need to submit two separate Kualis. One for reimbursement and one for reconciliation of the T&E Card expenses.

What is a business purpose?

• A detailed business purpose is the who, what, when, where, and why of your trip. This should be a full sentence that details what the purpose of your travel is per campus policy.

I booked travel via Concur, what are these extra fees?

• Bookings made via Concur are completed by Balboa Travel. See a list of service fees associated with a Concur booking.

What is personal travel?

• Personal travel is a trip you take for yourself and not for business purposes.

Further Questions?

• Email vis-fiscal@ucsd.edu for any unanswered questions or further support.