Office of the Comptroller

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Calculating Per Diem Reimbursements (pdf)

Please Note:

Only a faculty/staff employee's personal expenses may be listed on their travel voucher.

Student expenses paid for by a faculty/staff employee must be reimbursed to the faculty/staff on an invoice-voucher.

A student includes both undergraduate and graduate students who can be an undergraduate or graduate assistant receiving 50 percent appointment as UTA and/or GA.

If a faculty/staff employee pays for another faculty/staff employee's expense, each employee will submit a travel voucher for his or her own portion of the travel expenses. It will be the responsibility of the non-paying employee to reimburse the employee who incurred the expense.

View the Reimbursement Table.

***The maximum reimbursement rate in Cook County and in the District of Columbia is equal to the rate established by the Federal Government.

 

Travel Reimbursements/Payments

Reimbursements and payments for employee travel are made on Travel Vouchers. A travel voucher is a form submitted by a department to reimburse a University employee for approved business travel expenses. Illinois State University is legally bound to follow the rules established by the Illinois Travel Regulation Council and The Illinois Higher Education Travel Control Board.

When to use a travel voucher

  • Only to reimburse a University employee for business travel expenses.
  • Travel expenses for non-employees must be reimbursed by invoice-voucher.

How to submit a travel voucher

  • Access the University's Travel Voucher for the appropriate fiscal year.
  • Mail to 1200 - Comptroller's Business Office, or bring to 102 Hovey Hall.
  • Staple attachments to the back of the travel voucher.
  • Only one white copy of the travel voucher, with the traveler's original signature, is required.
  • Submit travel vouchers within 30 days of travel.
  • Call Jamie Waldhoff at (309) 438-5673 or Carla Dietsch at (309) 438-5696 with questions.

Completing a travel voucher:

Provide the following:

  • Purpose of travel, such as conference name, dates, and location.
  • Traveler's University Identification Number, name and address (campus address if possible). For out of state travel, include the traveler's job title.
  • Points of departure and destination, including city and state, dates and times of arrival and departure. If meals or per diem is not claimed, times of arrival and departure are not required.
  • Your headquarters, which in most cases this will be Normal, IL
  • Auto mileage, when applicable, for the most direct route to your destination. Expenses due to deviations for convenience are borne by the traveler. Mileage in and around a city of destination may be claimed as such. Mileage reimbursement is at the rate listed in the table below.
  • If the traveler is claiming mileage, the vehicle license plate number and the state in which it is registered should be listed.

Amtrak Fares

Reimbursement is limited to the negotiated State of Illinois fares. Between Springfield and Chicago - $18 one way. Between Bloomington & Chicago - $12 one way, between Macomb & Chicago - $19 one way. These fares are not available on the Internet so you must call or ask for the Government Business Travel Rate at the Amtrak ticket office.

Lodging

  • Lodging reimbursement requests must be accompanied by an itemized receipt. Tax on lodging is reimbursable and should be included in the lodging expense.
  • Conference lodging charges or lodging at official meeting hotels when pre-approved by the Agency Head in excess of the maximums allowed on the Reimbursement Schedule are considered exceptions. Please indicate on your travel voucher that the rates that are charged are for conference lodging and include a copy of the conference documentation stating the conference lodging rates. If the conference is held at a location other than the conference hotel, you must attach a list of conference hotels and conference rates.

Meals

  • Per diem & meal reimbursement rates listed in the table below include tax & gratuity.
  • Breakfast is payable when an employee is on travel status and leaves headquarters or residence (if reporting directly to destination) at or before 6 a.m.
  • Lunch is not a reimbursable expense. The amount is established for the purpose of setting a per meal ceiling on conference meals and meals purchased for Non-State officers and employees.
  • Dinner is payable when an employee is on travel status and arrives back to headquarters or residence (if reporting directly from destination) at or after 7 p.m. For employees commencing travel after the close of business, but before 6:30 p.m., dinner reimbursement is allowed if the traveler would not be eligible for per diem.

Meals (continued)

  • If a conference fee includes a meal, the meal or per diem allowance shall be reduced by the actual value of the meal or the amount of the applicable meal allowance shown in the Reimbursement Schedule below, whichever is less. Attach a copy of the conference schedule to the back of your travel voucher. Be sure the dates of the conference are on the schedule.
  • When an employee must purchase a meal at a conference as an expense separate from the conference fee and the amount is in excess of the meal allowance shown in the Reimbursement Schedule, the employee may request an exception to the Part, seeking reimbursement for the actual cost. However, if the exception is granted, the employee's meal or per diem allowance shall be reduced by the applicable meal allowance shown in the Reimbursement Schedule.

Other Expenses

  • Use the "other expenses" column for registration fees $50 or less, business phone calls, taxi fares, baggage storage and handling, car rentals, tolls and parking fees. Tips for taxi's and baggage handling are reimbursable. Collision damage waivers and personal accident insurance on rented vehicles are not reimbursable. The University does not assume responsibility for theft or loss experienced by employees while on business travel.
  • The maximum amount allowed for registration reimbursement on a travel voucher is $50. Registrations over $50 should be reimbursed on an invoice-voucher. The invoice-voucher should include the attendee's name, dates of the conference, the city and state in which the conference is held, and the name of the conference. Registrations may be pre-paid on invoice-voucher (or electronic vouchers). Staple the completed registration to the back of the invoice-voucher (or for electronic vouchers, forward the registration form with the Datatel voucher number written on it) to 1200 Comptroller's Office.
  • Telephone calls on official business are reimbursable including calls of 3 minutes or less to announce safe arrival or delay-change in plans.

Receipts

  • Receipts are required for transportation, lodging, taxis and all other business related expenses in excess of $10, except for meals.
  • Required receipts must be stapled to the back of the voucher. Receipts should clearly indicate vendor, date, itemized purchases, and a total amount spent.
  • If required receipts are not available, a statement, signed by the traveler, certifying the amount paid will be accepted.
  • Sales tax is not reimbursable. Contact the Comptroller's Business Office for the University tax exempt number.
  • Vouchers for international travel must indicate the monetary exchange rate that was current at the time of travel, and be prepared in U.S. dollars. For help in converting currency, visit the Universal Currency Converter Web site.

 

Calculating Per Diem Reimbursements

When business travel is greater than 18 hours, travelers are reimbursed using the Per Diem method. Per Diem reimbursement for days of departure and return is calculated in terms of four six-hour quarters, as shown in the table below.

Per Diem Calculation Table