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Travel Procedures

Reimbursement of Travel Expenses • Allotment vs. Non-Allotment • Mileage • Out-Of-State Trip Application • Travel Cards • Travel Advances • Out-of-State 4-H Trips • Reimbursement Status • Direct Deposit • Travel Policies

Reimbursement of Travel Expenses

Reimbursements are provided for travel expenses incurred while performing educational or instructional work and for obtaining information which falls within your assigned duties. The following expenses may be reimbursed:

The following expenses may not be reimbursed: membership fees (dues), personal entertainment, tips, personal telephone calls, flowers, laundry and cleaning, or other personal expenses. If you have questions or need additional details regarding reimbursable versus non-reimbursable expenses, consult the policy guide or contact the travel office.

Travel expenses fall into one of three categories: Allotment Travel, Non-Allotment Travel and Out-of-State Travel.  See Allotment vs. Non-Allotment below for additional details. Travel expenses are reported on the following forms:

Allotment and non-allotment travel are reported on a monthly basis and should be submitted to your supervisor within 3 working days after the end of the month. Out-of-State Travel forms should be prepared for each trip taken and are due within 5 working days after your return. You must attach paid receipts for any lodging or registration fees being claimed.

For additional details regarding expense accounts and reimbursements, please refer to the policy guide.

Allotment vs. Non-Allotment Travel

If you are required to travel routinely as part of your job duties you are "allotted" an amount for travel expenses. That amount is determined your supervisor. This allotment covers any travel expenses within your county or area and any approved trips outside your assigned area. Non-allotment travel is for expenses that are charged to special programs such as F-N-E-P or I-P-M. It is also used by individuals who do not travel on a regular basis and are therefore not given an allotment.

Mileage

The current reimbursement rate for official business mileage is 31 cents per mile, which is the maximum allowable by the Department of Finance & Administration. Generally, you may claim actual mileage from your point of departure to your destination. However, some exceptions do apply. If you depart from your residence, your mileage should be calculated from your official station or your residence, whichever is closest to the destination. If you are traveling outside your assigned area, you should use either the Extension mileage chart or the highway map mileage (Rand McNally) for the most direct route to your destination. Also, for travel with the Little Rock vicinity, a vicinity mileage chart has been prepared to assist you in calculating your travel.

Out-Of-State Trip Application

At least two weeks prior to departure of an out-of state trip, you should submit an out-of-state trip application (TRAV-210). This form provides a summary of the anticipated expenses for your trip and the dates that you will be away from your official station. The following may be helpful to you in answering specific questions on the form:

If you need additional assistance in competing the form, consult the policy guide or contact the travel office.

Travel Cards

The new state sponsored travel cards are available. To complete an application, go to: http://www.arkansas.gov/dfa/procurement/bus_card/ApplicationforBTC.doc

Complete the application, sign, and send to Renee Perkins in Financial Services for processing.

These cards are intended for business travel use, not for personal use. They are VISA cards, although they work like American Express cards, in that you must pay the entire balance each month. These cards are issued in your own name.

Travel Advances

The travel advance policy has changed, due to major state regulation changes. Only 50% of estimated meals and taxi/ground transportation charges is allowed to be advanced.

Travel advances are available only for out-of-state trips requiring an overnight stay and may be requested on your out-of-state trip application (Form TRAV-210). The maximum advance amount is 50% of your estimated meals and  taxi/ground transportation charges. You will receive a travel advance check five days prior to your departure date. When you submit your expenses (Form TRAV-212) after returning from your trip, the advance will automatically be deducted from the amount of your reimbursement. If your advance was more than the actual expenses, you will be notified of the amount to be repaid to Extension.

Please refer to the policy guide for more information.

Out-of-State 4-H Trips

When agents or specialists are asked to accompany 4-H groups on approved out-of-state non-competitive trips this travel should be charged to their county or department org number and a special Fund number developed to track approved non-competitive out-of-state 4-H trips . This Fund number will be supplied by the specialist in charge of the trip. Competitive out-of-state 4-H event trips should be paid by sponsors through the 4-H Foundation.

Out-of-State Trip Applications (TRAV-210) and Out-of-State Travel (TRAV-212) would need to be approved by the agent or specialist's supervisor. All forms must then be sent to the State Leader – 4-H Youth Development for approval.

Approved 4-H Non-Competitive Out-of- State Activities and Events

4HCCS - 4-H Cooperative Curriculum System
Citizenship - Washington Focus
Horse Show - Southern Region – Assigned agents & specialists only (Steve Jones)
Kansas City 4-H Global Conference (Mike Klumpp)
Mid-South Fair (4-H Day) – Assigned agents & specialists only
National 4-H Conference (Priscella Thomas)
National 4-H Congress (Priscella Thomas)
National 4-H Dairy Conference (Jodie Pennington)
National 4-H Tech Conference (Willa Williams)
NICE: National Institute for Cooperative Education (Kim Magee)
Rock Eagle Southern Region (Mike Klumpp)
Rural Electric Youth Tour
Shooting Sports Certification Training - Agents/Volunteers (Rex Roberg)

Reimbursement Status

Expense reports received by the Financial Services office are date stamped as they are received, then forwarded to the accounts payable/travel office for processing. Requests are worked in the order they are received and processing time can vary depending on the volume of expense reports. However, monthly expense reports received by the Financial Services office by the 5^th working day of the month are given priority status. The time it takes to process each expense report can be reduced by providing complete and accurate information when submitting your forms. Generally, you can expect to have your reimbursement processed within five days of when it was received in the Financial Services office. We realize that it is important that you are reimbursed as soon as possible and we will work diligently to ensure that you receive your check in a timely manner. If you feel that your reimbursement has been excessively delayed, we encourage you to contact our office. However, because delays can occur in receiving supervisory approval or in mail delivery, we ask that you allow 15 days from the time you submit your expense report before contacting us to check the status of your reimbursement.

Direct Deposit

Have you ever made frantic dash to the bank to deposit your travel check and arrive just as they lock the doors? Or dug through your mail for the third time before finally realizing that the post office still hasn't delivered your check? If so, then direct deposit may be the answer for you. With direct deposit, your reimbursement check is automatically credited to your bank account as soon as your travel account or reimbursement request is processed - no waiting, no worrying, no hassle. To sign up, simply prepare a Form Finance-224 (you knew there would be a form) and send it to the business office along with a voided blank check or deposit slip. This form is also used to change or stop your current direct deposit.

Travel policies

Remember: reimbursement is not a per diem, actual expenses should be claimed.

Receipts are now required for all miscellaneous expenses, with the exception of meals.

The current per diem rates are available at Office of Government Wide Policy 

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