Learn everything you need to know to get your travel approved!

1. Get Your Travel
Approved!
How to Avoid Common Errors In TEM

2. Types of Travel Documents
oTA = Travel authorization
oTV = Travel advance
oTR = Travel reimbursement
(expense report)

3. Approval Process
Approvals flow automatically from one approver to the next.
TA’s go through three stages of approval:
1) Travel Services: Ensures no violations of travel policy
2) Supervisory: Approves the purpose & business need
3) Budget authority: Approves estimated expenses
TR’s go through two stages of approval:
1) Travel Services: Ensures no violations of travel policy
2) Budget authority: Approves actual expenses
(Grant or Foundation Funds will require an additional approval step.)
Approver listings available here: www.wwu.edu/bs/travel/tem/reports.shtml

4. Check with Your
Department First!
• PROBLEM: Budget authorities are the last to approve the Travel
Authorizations/Reimbursements. A change in funding means the
document will need to go through the entire approval process
again, doubling the time to get your document approved.
• SOLUTION: Please check with your department to ensure you
have the correct funding & are following department policies
before you submit your document.

5. Make Sure Your TA Is Approved
Before Requesting Reimbursement
• PROBLEM: All Reimbursements require a
Travel Authorization. Sometimes this step
is forgotten, sometimes it is not connected to
the reimbursement.
• SOLUTION: Please generate your Expense
Report directly from your approved TA.

6. Be Clear About The
Business Need
• PROBLEM: Sometimes this information is left out because
it was included on inter-departmental forms sometimes
acronyms are not explained.
• SOLUTION: Include a brief explanation in the comments
section to justify the travel expense. If you have a pre-
authorization form be sure to reference it. You may also add
documents in Nolijweb.

7. Always Enter a Reimbursable
Expense
• PROBLEM: TEM is designed to encumber funds for your
trip. If there are no reimbursable expenses, the program gets
confused. If a document is completely approved with no
reimbursable expenses, it will not show ‘Approved’. Instead, it
will show ‘Error’.
• SOLUTION: To get a document approved with no real expenses,
please add a ‘Miscellaneous’ expense for $0 and note that you are
not expecting to be reimbursed.

8. Include Airfare Funding
• PROBLEM: Airfare booked through a travel agent is released by Travel
Services, who assigns billing at that time. If there is no funding in the
description for the airfare, this can delay the release of your ticket or
cause the ticket to be billed to the wrong fund. The traveler would then
need to process a Journal Voucher to correct the billing.
• SOLUTION: Please include the fast index for your airfare funding in
the description in the non-reimbursable expense. If you are paying with
a department travel card, please note that.

9. Know Your Transportation
Expense Types
• Gas: Available for refueling rental vehicles. Requires a receipt.
• Mileage: Available when using a personal vehicle for your travel. Please use the
Washington State Mileage rate $.56, enter the miles in the “Unit” field, and enter a
brief description to explain the mileage calculation. (i.e. Bellingham to Seattle
Round Trip.)
• Ground Transportation: Buses, trains, rental cars require receipts. Taxis & shuttles
do not require a receipt.
• Miscellaneous: Ferries, boat transportation, bike taxis (plus other non-
transportation related miscellaneous expenses.) Requires receipts over $50 per item
per day.
• Airfare: Flight costs, including change fees. Requires receipt and itinerary.

10. What is a “Miscellaneous” Expense?
Miscellaneous travel expenses do not require receipts if less than $50 per item per day.
Allowable “Miscellaneous” expenses include but are not limited to:
• Ferries
• Internet
• Bridge Tolls (not HOV tolls)
• Parking
• Baggage Fees

11. Enter US Currencies
• PROBLEM: Western does not reimburse travelers in foreign
currencies.
• SOLUTION: Please use the OANDA converter. (The exchange
rate is not calculated until the bell rings the next day at the trade
center so to get the rate you need please enter in the day after).
• You may also post a credit card statement showing what rate your
bank used.

12. Per Diem vs. Actual - Meals
• Per Diem means “For the Day” in
Latin. If you claim Meals per Diem
you do not need receipts. This
includes Incidental Expenses.
• “Actual” meals claimed require detailed
receipts and may not exceed per diem
rates.

13. Day Trip Meals are Taxable
• PROBLEM: Day Trip meals are often listed as “Per Diem”.
• SOLUTION: Please use the “Day Trip Meals – Taxable” for
your Day Trips and note which meals you are claiming if not a
full day.
• Please Note: You are eligible to be reimbursed for meals on day
trips if your travel exceeds your normal shift by 3 hours. For
example, if you normally work an 8 hour day, you must travel at
least 11 hours to be eligible for meal reimbursements. You will
be eligible for the same per diem meal rates.

14. Per Diem vs. Actual vs. Exceeds Per Diem-
Lodging
• Per Diem rates for lodging do not include tax. If you are unsure of the lodging
rate or it will meet per diem when completing your TA, please choose “Per
Diem”.
• Please adjust your TR to “Actual” to reflect at or under per diem rates + tax.
• If your room rate is higher than per diem and a state-approved exception
applies, please use “Exceeds Per Diem” and request an exception with a lodging
exception memo.
• If your room rate is higher than per diem and no exception applies, please
request “Actual” lodging for the per diem rate + tax.

15. Avoid Paying
Unnecessary Taxes
• Reimbursements requested 60 days after travel are taxable.
• The 60 days begins at the end of your trip and ends the day you
click “Submit”.
• This timeline is not affected by returns for correction.
• If you submit your request after 60 days please choose “Taxable
Reimbursement – Over 60 Days” and note what it is for in the
description.

16. Need Cash Up Front?
• Advances are paid out in the same manner as your reimbursements and should
be requested at least 10 days before your travel.
• Individual Travelers are eligible for 80% of per diem meals and lodging for an
advance.
• Travelers taking a group of students are eligible for 100% of per diem meals
and lodging.
• ALL travelers must reconcile their advance by the 10th of the month following
their trip.
Please file your Reimbursement Request as soon as possible.

17. Questions? Please contact:
Samantha Zimmerman
Samantha.Zimmerman@wwu.edu
x3341
Travel.Services@wwu.edu