Expenses and Reimbursement

All travel reimbursements at UCI are processed through the Kuali Financial System using the Travel Reimbursement (TR) e-document. Because each department and unit has its own procedures for processing travel reimbursements, travelers should first inquire in their unit about how best to proceed.

Travel Reimbursements must be submitted, approved and received by Accounting no later than 45 days after the trip end date to avoid delinquency. When a document reaches 120 days past due the initiator is unable to submit, accounting must be contacted in order to submit.

University employees may use their personal vehicles for travel or university related business, but are subject to certain limitations and guidelines. The means of transportation you use should be determined by the most economical mode and most commonly traveled route.

Below are the current and past allowable mileage rates for various types of vehicles. These rates are set according to IRS rules and can vary annually. For the most up-to-date rates, keep in mind that the information on this page can also be found on the IRS standard mileage rates page.

University of California’s Meal and Incidental Expenses (M&IE) guideline. M&IE sets the daily maximum you can be reimbursed for meals and tips. Before your trip, ask your department's travel preparer or approver if you must turn in receipts. UCI travel policy doesn't require meal receipts for M&IE, but departments may.

A Per Diem is given to travelers for lodging and meal expenses when travel is 30 days or longer or when the destination is outside the continental United States. Per diem is a daily amount to cover meal and lodging expenses. You will need to calculate your per diem before the trip.

Employees can request reimbursement for travel expenses by submitting an Travel Reimbursement (TR) e-document in the Kuali Financial System. Accounting has created this user guide for the TR eDoc, which is intended for reimbursement processors.

This guide was created to help Kuali Financial System users quickly determine which common expenses need additional or exceptional approval and learn how that approval is granted. For general information about how to get reimbursed for travel or business expenses, check with your financial manager.