Procurement Services

Subsistence

The University provides subsistence to staff while traveling on official business for the University per federal CONUS and OCONUS rates based on location of lodging.

Subsistence* is a fixed amount of daily reimbursement provided for meals, tips to waiters/waitresses, porters, bellhops, stewards, etc.; and is paid to the traveler after the trip.  Subsistence begins the day the traveler departs for the business through the day of return as long as all days in between are business related.

Subsistence is paid at the rate applicable to the 'location of lodging' obtained for the night and date of travel.  On the day travel ends, (traveler returns to official station) the rate will be the same as the preceding calendar day or last place of lodging for business.

Generally travel begins the day prior to business and ends the day after end of business. The department head may authorize an additional rest period (not greater than 24 hours) if the flight and stopovers is greater than 14 hours, the destination is foreign travel, airfare is coach/economy, and follows a direct usually travelled route.

Any meals provided should be deducted according to policy.

All other reimbursable expenses are listed in Reimbursable Miscellaneous Expense table.

*Also referred to as Meals & Incidental Expenses (M & IE) or per diem.

Some examples of items to be paid from subsistence:

6. How do I find rates for Alaska, Hawaii & U.S. territories & possessions?

1. Go to Department of Defense Per Diem, Travel & Transportation Allowances. 

2. On the right-hand side of the page under 'OUTSIDE CONUS,Non-Foreign Overseas and Foreign', use the dropdown boxes to select country/state and date of travel (under Published).

3. Click on 'EXECUTE'

4. IMPORTANT:  Add amount in 'Local Meals' and 'Local Incidental' columns to arrive at the correct per diem rate.

Foreign Travel -- Overnight

ATTENTION FOREIGN TRAVELERS:

All foreign travel will be reimbursed using Federal Foreign Travel Reimbursement Rates (OCONUS) unless the source of funds requires the travel be reimbursed using state foreign travel reimbursement rates.

Definition of Foreign Travel

Foreign travel is defined as travel to, between, or within countries 'outside' the United States and its territories and possessions.

The department head may authorize a rest period not in excess of 24 hours at either an intermediate point or at the traveler's destination if:

1. Either origin or destination point is OCONUS (outside the continental United States);
2. Scheduled flight time, including stopovers, exceeds 14 hours;
3. Travel is by a usually traveled route; and
4. Travel is by coach-class service

If the traveler has authorization from the Director of Procurement Services to use a higher class airfare, they are not eligible to be reimbursed for the rest period expenses.

Per diem is defined as the allowance for meals and related incidentals.   

• Meals and incidental expenses (M&IE) will be paid at the foreign destination rate from the time an individual leaves their official station until they arrive back at their official station.  

• M&IE will be paid each day at the destination rate where lodging is obtained that evening. On the day travel ends, (return to official station) the M&IE rate will be the same as the preceding calendar day.

• Hours of departure and arrival recorded on the Form 25 (Travel Reimbursement Request) must be those of the standard time at the place involved. When the International Date Line is crossed, actual elapsed time will be used rather than calendar days. 

• Stops involving business within the United States including Alaska & Hawaii, to or from a foreign destination will be paid at the domestic subsistence rates for the time at/between the domestic stop and their official station.  

• Layovers will continue to be paid at the foreign destination rate unless lodging is obtained.

State Travel Per Diem Rates

State travel regulations are defined as the policies established by the Department of Administration and approved by the State Budget Agency.  All travel required to follow state regulations will be reimbursed at the approved state rates. 

For other information about traveling reimbursed using state funds go to the State Funded Travel.

A subsistence rate will be reimbursed as follows:

DOMESTIC

FOREIGN

The maximum allowable reimbursement rates for travel in all other foreign countries is $50.00.

Same Day Travel

'Same Day Travel' is when the traveler returns to the official station or home without purchasing lodging.  Travel generally begins and ends in the same day.  Some 'same day' travel may take the traveler out of state and/or they may not return until the early morning hours of the next day, but lodging is not purchased, so it is considered 'same day' travel.

If Registration Fee for same day travel includes meals, or the traveler is furnished meals gratis, the standard deduction for these meals should be reflected in the reimbursement request.

Any required same day business travel on Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, will be reimbursed if travel is 12 hours or more.

Part-time employees or employees interrupting vacation leave for a morning or evening meeting would not qualify for meal allowances if travel is less than 12 hours.

For Same Day Travel

To qualify for subsistence for same day travel, employees must be in travel status (not combined work and travel) away from their *official station/tax home twelve hours or more without purchasing lodging.

• Employees in travel status twelve hours or more, but less than sixteen hours are entitled to 75% of the CONUS rate, based on the business destination.

• Employees in travel status sixteen hours or more are entitled to 100% of the CONUS rate based on the business destination.