Meals

The university provides a fixed meal allowance to staff while traveling on official business for the University at the rate paid by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Per Diem Rates for travel inside the Continental United States and outside the Continental United States. If a funding source (e.g. grant) requires the Indiana state fixed meal allowance, those rates are based on the Indiana Department of Administration Travel website Reimbursement Rates. 

• The fixed meal allowance provides a daily reimbursement amount for meals and gratuity.
• The rate is paid based on the location of university business.
• The traveler is paid after the trip, upon submission of an expense reimbursement request.
• The fixed meal allowance begins the day the traveler departs for business and continues through the day of return, as long as all days in between are business related.
• An individual department may reduce a per diem allowance due to funding restrictions (e.g. grant) by entering a reduction of expenses on the travel expense report. This reduction must be consistent and equally applied across all dates of travel. 
• The provision of food, beverages, activities or events for the purpose of promoting and furthering the mission of the University is considered a Hospitality expenditure and is defined in the Hospitality Expenses (II.A.1) policy. 
• The fixed meal allowance is prorated based on travel time. The below chart must be used to determine the correct allowance.  

An employee who chooses to drive rather than fly long distances may be paid a fixed meal allowance for a total of two full driving days: one day before and one day after official business.