Travel

How do I know if I need to submit a claim form?

A claim form, with itemized receipts, is required if:

• A cash advance is issued for expenses related to transport and lodging, e.g. hotel, taxi, shuttle, baggage fees, rental vehicle, gas, etc. Itemized receipts are also required.
• The traveler paid expenses out of pocket and seeks reimbursement. This includes Travel Pcard holders who wish to claim reimbursement for out of pocket expenses.

A claim form is not required if:

• The travel is at no cost to the college.
• The only travel expenses incurred are paid by the Travel Office to outside vendors for transportation or registration fees.

When do I submit a claim form?

After your travel is concluded, within two weeks.

• Open Ended Mileage Claims may be submitted when at least $25 or reimbursement is accumulated.
• A Teaching Mileage Claim is submitted by faculty within two weeks of their last class.

Which claim form do I submit?

The claim form you submit is based on the type of travel that took place. There are three types of claim forms:

• Standard Claim (yellow): one time travels with a “TR” travel number prefix, e.g. TR0246.
• Open Ended Mileage Claim (blue): recurring In-District travel with personal vehicle with an “OE” prefixed travel number, e.g. OE0123.
• Teaching Mileage Claim (orange): faculty travel to teach at a site away from their normal post or duty over the course of one semester. These also have a “TR” travel number prefix.

Each of these forms can be found in the Travel Workbook.

Does my claim form need approval by my supervisor?

• Standard Claim (yellow): No. You may submit these claims directly to Travel with itemized receipts if applicable.
• Open Ended Mileage Claim (blue): Yes. Submit your mileage claim to your supervisor for approval.
• Teaching Mileage Claim (orange): No. Submit directly to Travel.

How do I submit my claim?

The Travel Office will accept your claim form and itemized receipts either electronically or physically.

Choose only one of the following:

• Electronic (preferred): Please attach the claim form in Excel (.xlsx) format and itemized receipts in PDF format and send them in a single email to travel@azwestern.edu.
• Paper: Send a paper claim form along with receipts (originals or copies) to the Travel Office via intercampus mail or place them in the Travel Office inbox.

When will I receive my reimbursement?

Once the Travel Office receives your complete claim submission, it may take up to two weeks to audit your travel and an additional week for your reimbursement to be paid.

How will I receive my reimbursement?

Travelers will receive paper checks unless they opt-in for direct deposit. Travel direct deposits are entirely separate from Payroll.

In order to opt-in for direct deposit, have your bank routing and account numbers accessible, and complete the following steps:

1. Go to your Employee tab in WebAdvisor.
2. Under “Financial Information,” click on “Bank Info for Direct Deposit.”
3. Enter your information, agree to the terms, and hit Submit.

Fleet Vehicle Reservation Process

1. Have an approved travel number.
2. Read the AWC Travel Fleet Policy in the Travel Manual.
3. Reserve your vehicle online.
4. Pick up the vehicle and key bag @ AWC Main Campus, District Services, Dispatch. 

Arrive at least 15 minutes before your reservation to ensure a timely delivery.

Returning the Fleet Vehicle

1. Return your vehicle to District Services. 
   • All items and documents should be returned along with a completed log, gas receipt(s), and keys.
2. Complete the Vehicle Log.
3. Vehicles must be returned with a full tank of gas unless driven locally (less than 50 miles round trip).

DO:

• Download a “fresh” Travel Request prior to each travel.
• Start and submit your Travel Request well in advance.
• Make your own hotel and vehicle arrangements as soon as practical.
• Submit a Travel Claim form along with receipts upon return. Claims are due within 8 business days of your return date.
• Ask to be included in the next Travel Training Session (1 hour in length). Send a request to travel@azwestern.edu.

DON’T:

• Retain blank or pre-filled Travel Requests for subsequent travels.
• Submit Travel Requests with less than 8 business days of lead time.
• Book a flight without prior email authorization from the Travel Office.
• Hesitate to submit your Travel Claim form and receipts after you return.
• Submit meal receipts. Meals receipts are only required if you pay for student meals on a field trip or for student athletes during travel.

ADTRAV

A State-Contracted Travel Agency, AdTrav, may be used for airline reservations, hotel reservations, and/or out-of-state car rental reservations. Bookings may be for individual segments (e.g. flight only or hotel only) or combined segments (e.g. flight and hotel, but rental car separately).

• Contact the Travel Office for profile codes required to create a profile.
• After creating a profile, allow 24 hours before making an online reservation
• Administrative staff may be designated to be “Travel Arrangers” and make reservations on a traveler’s behalf.
• Concur Guide

YUMA SCHOOLS TRANSPORTATION CENTER (YSTC) / BUS BARN

AWC-owned vans and activity buses are maintained and dispatched by the Yuma Schools Transportation Center / Bus Barn and are available on a first-come, first-serve reservation basis. YSTC standard (black and yellow) and travel buses are also available, but at different rates.

YSTC / Bus Barn Vehicle Reservation Process

Yuma Schools Transportation Center / Bus Barn
Dispatch / Reservations: (928) 502-8844
Office Hours: Monday - Friday: 7:00am - 5:00pm
Location: 8550 E 24th St, Yuma, AZ 85365

• Please download the Vehicle Charges reference sheet below for current vehicles available and their associated charges.
• To quickly estimate vehicle costs, see the “Key” tab in the Travel Request Workbook.
• Call YSTC at (928) 502-8844 to make a vehicle reservation.
• Once a Travel Request with any YSTC dispatched vehicle is approved, the Travel Office will notify YSTC via email to release the requested vehicle(s).
• It is the traveler’s responsibility to notify YSTC of itinerary changes or cancellations. Please CC Travel on such email communications

LOCAL VEHICLE RENTAL AGENCIES

AWC has negotiated rates with two local car rental companies. Please identify yourself as an AWC employee and request the current AWC rate:

AVIS
3040 S Pacific Ave: 344-5772
Airport: 726-5737

Enterprise
2760 S 4th Ave: 344-5444
2685 E 24th St: 314-4303
Airport: 726-9923

• A traveler is eligible for meal allowance (per diem) when an overnight stay is required and if the travel is more than 100 miles away from the traveler’s post of duty.
• Look up per diem rates for the destination city/county.
• Once identified, use the daily meal rate for the city to obtain the Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner rate using the table below. This per meal rate will also be displayed on the Travel Request once the daily Meal Rate field is filled.
• If the destination city/county is not found in the link below, please refer to the default rates for meals and lodging which are, $45.00 a day for meals and $94.00 a night for lodging.

Use Travel times used for meal calculations table below to identify which meals a traveler is entitled to.

Reimbursement Rates Lookup

Travel times used for meal calculations

TRAVEL ADVANCES

• May be requested to cover out-of-pocket expenses including lodging, meals, and incidentals.
• Are generally restricted to non-Pcard holders, but may be issued to Pcard holders under certain circumstances.
• Are issued the week prior to a traveler’s departure.

REIMBURSEMENTS

• Are processed within 8 business days upon receipt of the Travel Claim form and required documentation (receipts, hotel guest folio, etc).
• If the Traveler’s expenses were less than the Advance provided, the Travel Office will inform the Traveler of the amount owed to the college, and an invoice will be generated by Accounts Receivable. Payment must be made to the Cashiers within 30 days.

METHOD OF DELIVERY

• Travel Advances and Reimbursements are issued on a weekly basis from the Travel Office and are entirely separate from Payroll.
• The default form of payment is a check.
• Travelers must opt-in to receive electronic deposits of advances and reimbursements.
• In order to opt-in for electronic deposit, please have your bank routing and account numbers accessible, and complete the following steps:
  1. Go to your Employee tab in AWC Self-Service portal.
  2. Under “Financial Information,” click on “Bank Info for Direct Deposit.”
  3. Enter your information, agree to the terms, and hit Submit.
• The above steps must be completed no later than 12pm on the Thursday prior to the disbursal week to receive an electronic deposit instead of a check.

Employees who anticipate traveling out-of-district two or more times over the course of a year are eligible to apply for a Travel Pcard. Administrative staff may be designated as “Travel Pcard Reconcilers” and reconcile charges on one or more cardholders’ behalf.

HOW TO APPLY

1. Download, fill and sign a Pcard Application (policy).
2. Submit the application to your supervisor for approval.
3. Please allow up to 4 weeks for processing and delivery.

Travel Manual

Forms

References