Travel regulations are issued by the Illinois Higher Education Travel Control Board and apply to all employee travel regardless of source of university funds. For additional information and for the most up to date travel regulations please visit the Illinois Higher Education Travel Control Board website. This procedure is intended as a guide and summary of the Illinois Higher Education Travel Control Board regulations.
The official headquarters is the post of duty or station at which official duties require the employee to spend the largest part of working time. Headquarters shall ordinarily be the corporate city limits in which the employee is stationed or may be a designated geographical area. Headquarters shall be designated by the University in accordance with policies established by Illinois Higher Education Travel Control Board.
The President shall designate official headquarters for each employee. Generally, the official headquarters of an employee is the place where official duties will require the largest part of the individual's working time to be spent during the coming fiscal year. For most employees, the city of DeKalb is their official headquarters. Form TA-2 will be completed and filed with the Legislative Audit Commission for any individual whose headquarters has been designated as a location other than that at which official duties require the largest part of working time. The reports shall be filed no later than July 15 for the period from January 1 through June 30 of that year and no later than January 15 for the period July 1 through December 31 of the preceding year. If an agency has more than one facility or institution, the report shall indicate on its face to which facility or institution the data pertain.
The University is responsible for maintaining a system of controls over travel expenditures to adhere to budget requirements and to allow travel when necessary to meet the needs for the efficient and economical conduct of its business. Authority to travel is established by the Department Head for members of a given department. Travel by department heads is approved by a dean or division head. Travel by a dean or division head is approved by the appropriate vice president.
The following sections V. and VI. of these regulations establish two distinct categories of allowable expenses: Transportation Expense and Living Expense. Subject to availability of funds, travel shall be reimbursed in accordance with the provisions contained in sections V. and VI. of these regulations. It is likely that resource limitations will permit the reimbursement of only a predetermined part of travel expenses. The university should, of course, administer such reimbursement as equitably as possible.
Reimbursement for the cost of automobile parking fees and bridge, road and tunnel tolls shall be allowed.
Personal living expenses for all employees while traveling shall be reimbursed on the basis of either "expense incurred" or a per diem allowance.
|
|
Within the State of Illinois | Outside the State of Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | $5.50 | $6.50 |
| Dinner | $17.00 | $19.00 |
Please see the Travel Day Trip Meal Eligibility (PDF) flowchart to assist in determining meal reimbursements.
Employees in travel status may pay the meal expense of a guest, including lunch, in reasonable and proper amounts, so long as the expense is incurred in connection with official state business and the guest is not a state employee. For purposes of reimbursement, reasonable and proper shall mean a guest meal costing up to 50% in excess of the maximum per meal allowance as provided in the travel regulations (i.e., lunch $5.50 plus $2.75 = $8.25 total).
It is required for employees to submit receipts with their travel vouchers to support their own meal expense. They must also submit detailed receipts to support expenditures for meals purchased for guests. The name and affiliation of each guest must be included on the travel voucher. Employees may not submit receipts for meals for other state employees.
The per diem allowance for meals while traveling on official business consists of the following elements and may be authorized and approved within the following maximums:
Receipts need not be submitted to support this allowance.
Per diem shall be based on the Quarter System for computing the allowance for days or fraction thereof. Each quarter shall be 6 hours commencing at midnight, 6:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m. The traveler shall be allowed one-fourth of the allowance for each period of 6 hours or fraction thereof. The travel period commences with the departure from headquarters or the traveler’s home and ends with the return to headquarters or the traveler’s home.
| Per Diem - Meals | Per Diem Allowance (within Illinois) | Per Diem Allowance (outside Illinois) |
|---|---|---|
| Per Day | $28.00 | $32.00 |
| Per Quarter | $7.00 | $8.00 |
When the cost of meals for approved seminars or official meetings is an integral part of the registration fee or when such meals are provided free of charge, the traveler shall deduct the following amounts from the daily per diem allowance and the traveler on "living expenses incurred" shall deduct the following amounts from the per meal allowance:
| Deduct (within Illinois) | Deduct (outside of Illinois) | |
|---|---|---|
| If breakfast is included in the registration fee, or provided free or charge | $5.50 | $6.50 |
| If lunch is included in the registration fee, or provided free or charge | $5.50 | $6.50 |
| If dinner is included in the registration fee, or provided free or charge | $17.00 | $19.00 |
When an employee attends a recognized conference in the conduct of official Agency business and obtains overnight accommodations at the hotel or motel where the conference is being held, or at a hotel or motel where conference officials arrange for accommodations, the individual may be reimbursed for room cost in an amount greater than the maximum room allowance provided by the Illinois Higher Education Travel Control Board Lodging Allowances website if the room rate is the lowest available at that hotel or motel. A copy of the conference agenda depicting the hotels must be attached to the travel voucher.
State employees on travel status may stay in employee owned or controlled (rented, leased, etc.) property including motor homes and shall be reimbursed, upon request, the cost of lodging not to exceed 75% of the applicable lodging rate per day. Lodging reimbursement shall not exceed the mortgage, installment, or rental payment made by the employee. The monthly mortgage, installment or rental payment may not exceed $960.00 in the City of Chicago, $700.00 in suburban Cook County, Lake, McHenry, Kane, Will, and DuPage County, and $550.00 in the 96 downstate counties. The total reimbursement for the fiscal year shall not exceed the mortgage, installment or rental of that fiscal year. Exceptions to the monthly mortgage, installment or rental payment allowed may be granted by the Travel Control Board upon written request from the University. Once that amount is reached, further lodging reimbursement shall not be given for travel to the city or work site containing the employee owned or controlled housing. Each agency shall monitor expenses to ensure compliance with this Part and shall report to the Board when the maximum reimbursement is reached. The University shall report quarterly to the Board fiscal year-to-date expenses of the employees receiving reimbursement under this provision. Prior to receiving reimbursement, a statement giving the address of the property, mortgage, installment or rental payment, and distance from the work site must be filed with the Board. This option is not available if other costs such as mileage would make this a more expensive alternative.
Receipts with a daily listing of room and tax charges are to be submitted with travel vouchers to support accommodation expenses claimed.
Reimbursements for “special expenses” as provided in paragraph VI E.
The cost of other expenses shall be allowed, if reasonable. Expenses for which reimbursement may or may not be allowed are shown in the following table.
| Reimbursable | Not Reimbursable |
|---|---|
| Taxis including reasonable tips | Alcoholic beverages |
| Laundry and dry cleaning if on travel status for at least seven (7) consecutive days | Entertainment |
| Hire of room, exhibit space, set up, for official business | Tips incurred beyond those specifically provided in this part |
| Telephone calls on official business- including calls of 3 minutes or less to announce safe arrival or delay-change in plans | Transportation to procure meals except to procure suitable meals at the nearest available place |
| Storage and handling of baggage | Late check-out and room guarantee charges |
| The expense incurred to check one piece of luggage per flight when traveling on official business | Coat check |
| Parking tickets or other traffic violations | |
| Telephone calls to secure lodging | Meals for other State employees or officers |
All special expenses shall be itemized on the travel voucher. Original detailed receipts are required.
For other reimbursable expenses while not in travel status, please see “Reimbursable Business Expenses”.
Each properly approved travel voucher involving an exception to these travel regulations, together with an adequate explanation and justification of the exception, shall be submitted to the Accounts Payable and Travel Office. When appropriate, the Accounts Payable and Travel Office will forward the requests to the Travel Control Board. Such exceptions to these rules stated herein may be approved by the Travel Control Board when necessary to meet special circumstances or are deemed to be in the best interests of the University. Exceptions shall generally apply to situations of a non-recurring nature. Amounts disbursed for travel reimbursement claims that are disapproved by the Travel Control Board shall be refunded to the University and deposited in the fund from which payment was made.
In all cases of requests for approval for payment of hotel rates which exceed the maximum rate permitted, a diligent effort must have been made to obtain lodging in a hotel honoring the State rate. A reasonable number of hotels must be contacted. Contacting three or four additional hotels in an urban area is considered reasonable.