Frequently Asked Questions

What is the partial per diem breakdown if, for instance, someone is traveling to Omaha, Nebraska? (Refer to the partial per diem chart on Meals and Lodging)

EXAMPLE OF OUT-OF-STATE TRAVEL WITH MEALS PROVIDED

FACTS: Pablo Picasso travels to Omaha, NE for a two-day conference. This conference begins on Monday morning at 8:00 AM and ends on Tuesday at 3:00 PM. Pablo flies to Omaha on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 PM and arrives at the hotel at 5:30 PM. There is a Sunday evening banquet provided at the hotel for the conference attendees, and the cost was included in the registration feel. Lunch and dinner are provided on Monday, and lunch only is provided on Tuesday. He arrives back in San Antonio at 7:00 PM on Tuesday. The locality per diem for meals is $49.00 (see GG1 in DEFINE).

He is entitled to claim a total of $49 as follows:

1. Sunday: $49 less $7.00 (breakfast reimbursement disallowed) = $42.00 less $17.00 for the dinner provided and paid for with the registration fee = $25.00
2. Monday: $49 less $12 for the lunch provided and less $17.00 for the dinner provided = $20.00
3. Tuesday: $49 (full per diem because he arrived back in San Antonio after 5:00 PM) less $12.00 for the lunch provided = $37.00

If no meals had been provided, the meal allowance would be $140.00 as follows:

1. Sunday: $49 less $7.00 (breakfast reimbursement disallowed) = $42.00
2. Monday: $49
3. Tuesday: $49 (full per diem because he arrived back in San Antonio after 5:00 PM).

EXAMPLE OF IN-STATE TRAVEL WITH MEALS PROVIDED

FACTS: Albert Einstein travels to Ft. Worth, TX for a two-day conference. This conference beings on Monday morning at 8:00 Am and ends on Tuesday at 3:00 PM. Albert leaves San Antonio on Sunday morning at 8:30 to drive to Ft. Worth, and he arrives at the hotel at 4:30 PM. (He determined that his mileage reimbursement would not exceed the state contracted airfare rate plus the cost of a rental car.) There is a Sunday evening banquet provided at the hotel for the conference attendees, and the cost is included in the registration fee. Lunch and dinner are provided on Monday, and lunch only is provided on Tuesday. He arrives back in San Antonio at 11:00 PM on Tuesday. The locality per diem for meals is $36.

(SeeGG1 in DEFINE)

He is entitled to claim a total of $50 as follows:

1. Sunday: $36 (full per diem because he departed before 9:00 AM) less $17.00 for the dinner provided and paid for with the registration fee = $19.00
2. Monday: $36 less $12 for the lunch provided and less $17.00 for the dinner provided = $7.00
3. Tuesday: $36 (full per diem because he arrived back in San Antonio after 5:00 PM) less $12.00 for the lunch provided = $24.00

If no meals had been provided, the meal allowance would be $108.00 as follows:

1. Sunday: $36.00 (full per diem because he departed before 9:00 AM).
2. Monday: $36.00
3. Tuesday: $36.00 (full per diem because he arrived back in San Antonio after 5:00 PM).

Do I still submit the Governor Approval form for Foreign Travel?

Foreign travel is final approved by the appropriate Vice President. This is for all accounts (refer to page 4).

What happens if I did not save my meal receipts on Foreign Travel?

There is no meal per diem on foreign travel. This includes Alaska and Hawaii. You must submit actual receipts for all expenses. It is the responsibility of the traveler to know the rules and regulations of travel before traveling.

May someone traveling on behalf of UTSA  request direct billing with Omni Hotel interest?

NO. UTSA employees, prospective employees, students or guest of UTSA are prohibited from direct billing with any Omni Hotel chain. This is due to a conflict of interest laws, as a member of the UT Board of Regents is the president and owner of a company that owns the Omni Hotel chain. For complete details, please go to the Meals & Lodging section of this Traveler's Aid website.

My colleague and I are traveling to a conference in Los Angeles, Ca. He does not have the funds to pay for his trip and does not have a personal credit card. May I pay for his expenses and get reimbursed upon our return?

NO. Per Section 2.07 from the State of Texas Comptrollers Travel Allowance Guide:

             A state agency may not pay or reimburse a state employee for a travel expense incurred by or on behalf of a 

             private person or another state employee.

Please contact the UTSA travel office for assistance with available options for paying travel expenses.

There are 8 members of our staff all attending the same conference in Austin, Tx. May we rent a 12 or 15 passenger van so that we can all drive to this meeting together?

NO. In April 2001 the UTSA police department reviewed the Consumer Advisory from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and determined that the 15-passenger vans lacked safety features that are found in mini-vans and school buses. Based on this information it has been determined that the use of the existing 15-passenger University owned vans be restricted to the immediate campus area only, and the only exception would be for fueling or repair. This ruling also applies to 12-passenger vans as well and rentals are also prohibited.

I am attending a conference and want to pre-pay my registration, hotel and airfare, however, my request for travel authorization (RTA) has not yet been fully approved. May I proceed with my prepayment request?

NO. All travel must first have a approved RTA on file before anything is paid for. If the traveler is faculty/staff, then a electronic voucher must be final approved in DEFINE. If the traveler is a student, a manual RTA must be completed and submitted to the Office for the Vice President of Student Affairs (VPSA). Once that department has signed off on the manual form, the original will be sent to the Travel Mgmt Office to be filed in our files.

Several staff members in our department use their personal vehicle to conduct UTSA business within the city and surrounding areas. May they be reimbursed for the miles traveled?

YES, you may get reimbursed at the present reimbursement rate as set by the State of Texas. The miles should be recorded on a log sheet which reflects the dates of travel, orgin/destination, business purpose, odometer reading, OR, printed sheets from Map Quest or a similar sight should be submitted. Please keep in mind that if the orgin and destination of their travel are listed on the Texas Mileage Guide, then this guide should be used to calculate the mileage. Example, UTSA to Boerne, both the orgin and the destination are listed in the Texas Mileage Guide, therefore the miles reimbursed should be recorded using this guide.

Page Updated January 5, 2007