Navigating UCLA's Travel Reimbursement Policy: A Comprehensive Guide

UCLA's travel reimbursement policy is designed to ensure that employees are appropriately compensated for expenses incurred while conducting university business. The Business Office provides guidance on these policies and procedures, encouraging individuals to reach out with any inquiries. Understanding the nuances of this policy is crucial for faculty, staff, and students engaged in travel and entertainment activities. This article provides a comprehensive overview of UCLA's travel reimbursement policies, incorporating recent guidelines and offering practical advice for navigating the system.

Timely Submission of Reimbursement Requests

To facilitate timely processing and adherence to central campus deadlines, all reimbursement requests should be submitted within 10 days of incurring the expense or the scheduled travel. This allows the Business Office adequate time for review and processing. For non-travel and entertainment (T&E) reimbursements, compliance with IRS rules mandates submission within 60 days of the expense date.

Individual Responsibility for Expenses

University travelers are generally expected to cover their own expenses, and reimbursement for expenses paid on behalf of others is typically not permitted. Any exceptions to this rule require advance approval before the trip commences.

Pre-Approval Requirements

Certain expense types and amounts necessitate pre-approval before any out-of-pocket purchase is made. To streamline this process, an exception request form should be submitted at least one week before the intended purchase. This ensures adherence to university policies and facilitates efficient reimbursement.

Documentation Requirements for Reimbursements

Non-T&E Reimbursements

All non-T&E reimbursements must be supported by an original, itemized receipt that clearly shows proof of payment, including the amount paid and the method of payment used. If the receipt lacks this information, a secondary document providing proof of payment is required.

Registration Fees

When seeking reimbursement for registration fees, a receipt is essential. This receipt must include the form of payment, the name of the registrant, a description of the conference or event, the amount paid, and the date of registration. This documentation applies to training, development, membership fees, abstract submissions, poster printing, and similar expenses.

Lodging Expenses

Original, itemized receipts are mandatory for all lodging expenses. Additionally, any entertainment expenditures included within the lodging claim must also be supported by detailed receipts.

Meals and Incidental Expenses (M&IE)

While receipts are not required for meal and incidental expenses claimed under the travel policy, there are specific conditions that must be met. Reimbursement for M&IE is only provided if the trip's duration is at least 24 hours or includes an overnight stay, which must be verified by a lodging receipt.

Utilizing Concur for Expense Reporting

UCLA leverages the Concur system for creating and submitting expense reports for out-of-pocket expenses. Employees or their designated delegates can initiate the expense report process within Concur. For security reasons, employees must personally grant delegate access.

Partial Reimbursements

Partial reimbursements are generally not permitted. However, in limited circumstances where a valid business reason exists, a partial reimbursement may be approved following an exceptional review. To initiate this review, the partial reimbursement request should be submitted through Concur. The non-T&E reimbursement team will then assess the tax implications, business appropriateness, ownership, and data security aspects of the request.

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Wire Transfers

It is important to note that Concur does not currently support wire transfers as a method of reimbursement.

Per Diem Allowances

Per diem is a fixed payment provided in lieu of reimbursement for actual subsistence expenses incurred during travel on University business. It is applicable only for travel outside the continental United States or for trips lasting 30 days or more. The per diem period begins upon arrival at the foreign destination and ends upon departure. Per diem rates are available for both meals and lodging. When claiming the daily per diem, travelers are not required to submit receipts for expenditures. For long-term travel, defined as 30 consecutive days or more but less than one year in one location, the per diem is based on 100% of the applicable federal per diem allowance.

Entertainment Expenses

General Guidelines

Entertainment expenses must be a necessary and integral part of a business meeting, rather than merely a convenience. When creating an expense report for entertainment, users must assign specific object codes to categorize the expense within UCLA's finance system. The Express system maps unallowable expenses, such as those related to alcohol or spousal expenses, to appropriate object codes for indirect cost allocation. These designations do not necessarily mean the expenses will not be paid, but rather that they are subject to policy restrictions.

Hosted Event Meals

UCLA provides specific reimbursement rates for hosted event meals, which includes the cost of food and beverages, labor, sales tax, delivery charges, and other service fees.

Meal Details	Reimbursement Rate for Costs Per Person (Expenses incurred on or after January 1, 2026)
Breakfast	$34
Lunch	$59
Dinner	$103
Light Refreshments	$24

A buffet reception is reimbursed at the applicable meal rate, depending on the time of day it is held. Brunch is reimbursed at the lunch rate.

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UCLA's Cost-Saving Measures

In response to financial challenges and directives from UC President Drake, UCLA is actively implementing cost-saving measures, including a review of all non-essential travel and entertainment activities. These guidelines apply to all funding sources, including self-supported programs, campus recharges, and federal, gift, and endowment funds.

Travel and Entertainment Guidelines

The primary focus of the travel and entertainment guidelines is to reduce non-essential travel. Essential travel, such as faculty, researcher, and student travel for scholarship, remains unaffected. Non-essential travel includes retreats, team-building trips, and select conferences that can be postponed or conducted virtually. If non-essential travel has already been booked, travelers are encouraged to consider canceling the trip and will be reimbursed for nonrefundable costs. Departments are also urged to reduce entertainment expenditures wherever possible and cease providing sponsorships for events hosted by other organizations. The University will not pay for or reimburse costs for meals involving only UCLA employees unless the business purpose cannot be accomplished during working hours.

Pre-Approval Requirements and Exclusions

To ensure thoughtful spending, select travel and entertainment expenses require pre-approval from a unit’s or department’s CAO or CFO, and in some cases, Travel Accounting. This matrix is not exhaustive and is subject to updates. Conference hotels should be booked through the conference or conference partner to ensure attendees receive discounted rates.

Reimbursements

CAO/CFO approval should be attached to the Concur expense report, confirming that the expense has been reviewed and deemed essential.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The following FAQs address specific questions regarding the travel and entertainment guidelines:

Is this a mandate or request? The campus has been asked to review travel and entertainment expenditures as indicated in UC President Drake’s message. Ultimately, travelers and hosts of events are responsible for determining what travel and entertainment activities are essential and understanding that all travel will be reviewed for compliance with the May 13 memo.
Are the travel guidelines intended to apply to faculty, researcher, or student travel? The travel guidelines outlined in the May 13 memo are primarily intended to reduce non-essential travel. Faculty, researcher, and student travel for scholarship remain unaffected. Departments may impose stricter guidelines and practices - check with your department to confirm the allowability of a travel and entertainment expense.
Are all funding sources subject to these guidelines? Yes, all funding sources are subject to these guidelines, including campus recharges and federal, gift, and endowment funds. Self-supported programs are also subject.
When will these guidelines be lifted? The guidelines will be in place for the foreseeable future.
How is “researcher” defined? “Researcher” includes ladder faculty, non-ladder faculty, post-doctoral scholars, as well as student researchers and may be broadly defined to include other classifications if research is the position’s primary role.
Can CAOs and CFOs delegate their approval authority to another unit / department representative? If pre-approval is required, it must come from the unit’s / department’s CAO or CFO. A dean or vice chancellor’s approval is also acceptable. Approval must be in writing.
If a department’s CAO or CFO is requesting the expense, where does pre-approval come from? Pre-approval will need to come from the CAO’s or CFO's supervisor.
Does CAO / CFO approval need to be attached to the Concur expense report? What if the CAO / CFO is already part of the expense report workflow? Yes, CAO / CFO approval should be attached to the Concur expense report and must note that the CAO / CFO has reviewed the expense and deemed it essential.
If a trip is canceled per the May 13 memo, how are non-refundable fees reimbursed to the traveler? Submit the non-refundable fees / expenses through Concur. It is imperative that the situation is clearly explained in the expense report. The reimbursement should be charged to the department FAU(s) that had originally been planned for the trip expenses.
If an event is canceled or postponed per the May 13 memo, how can the department be reimbursed for non-refundable fees? The University will reimburse the traveler or host for these costs. This determination is at the discretion of the department’s CAO / CFO.
If a conference was booked prior to the May 13 memo and is 100% non-refundable, can the traveler still attend? Every effort should be made to obtain a refund. If that is unsuccessful, the traveler can still attend the conference.
How do you determine if a conference is essential vs. non-essential? Faculty or researcher travel for scholarship or training purposes (e.g., conference attendance) is considered essential and allowable. Generally, conference attendance for UCLA administrative staff (non-faculty, non-researchers) should be limited to one regional event and one national event per year.
How is the quarterly team-building event limit calculated? Employee team-building events are limited to once per quarter per group.
Are graduation / end-of-year / commencement events subject to these guidelines? 2025 commencement activities can move forward if within BUS-79 policy.
Do entertainment events for students or alumni require CAO / CFO pre-approval? Modestly priced meals for students or alumni within BUS-79 meal limits do not require pre-approval but must go through the normal procurement process.
Should departments stop co-sponsoring events for other departments and UC campuses? The May 13 memo’s sponsorship guidelines apply to third-party (non-UC) events; however, entertainment and travel should be scaled back wherever possible.
Are programmatic activities that are held monthly / weekly subject to entertainment guidelines? UC policy BUS-79 limits meals to once per month for the same group of people. The May 13 memo indicates meals should be limited to once per quarter.
Is it allowable to take a presenter / guest speaker to dinner after they present their research? This is allowable if the meal is within BUS-79 policy. CAO / CFO pre-approval is not required.
Do the guidelines include reimbursement for mileage incurred in excess of an employee’s regular commute? Mileage guidelines are not included in the May 13 memo. Mileage in excess of an employee’s normal commute is still reimbursable at the department’s discretion.

Transportation

UC’s Travel Policy requires using the most economical mode of transportation. If air travel is essential, employees must fly regular economy unless an exception is permitted under UC G-28 Travel Regulations.

Private Automobile Usage

Employees may use their private automobiles for University travel if they carry sufficient insurance to satisfy legal state financial responsibility. When used on routes served by a common carrier, the amount of actual mileage or the lowest available airfare (or its equivalent, plus the cost of conventional terminal transportation) is allowed (whichever is less). When a privately owned automobile operated by a University employee in the course of conducting University business is damaged, reimbursement for repair expenses borne by the employee up to $500 may be allowed. Expenses recoverable from insurance coverage are not allowable. Local transportation charges (such as bus, streetcar, taxi or train) are allowable.

Occupancy Taxes

As a general rule, University employees traveling on official University business are exempt from payment of occupancy taxes imposed by certain California cities or counties on "transient" (or individual travelers') rental rooms. However, occupancy tax ordinances in a few California cities do not authorize exemptions for University employees.

Additional Guidance

In January, 2014, the Office of the Chancellor released a set of guidelines for business travel and entertainment. While these guidelines do not reflect changes to the University’s existing policies, they do provide guidance, based on our existing policies, to those who travel regularly.

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