AP 8-61c – Travel Process

Arapahoe Community College
Series 8 – Fiscal
AP 8-61c – Travel Process

Originated: June 13, 2025

Revised: June 13, 2025

Effective: July 1, 2025

References: State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (SBCCOE) Board Policy (BP) 8-60, Delegation of Signature Authority; State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (SBCCOE) Board Policy (BP) 8-61, Accounting and Internal Controls; Colorado Community College System (CCCS) Procedure (SP) 8-60a, Delegation of Signature Authority; Colorado Community College System (CCCS) Procedure (SP) 8-61c – Travel Procedure; State of Colorado Fiscal Rules;
State of Colorado Commercial Card Program;
 Mileage Reimbursement State Controller Policy;
 Taxability of State Travel Reimbursements;
 State Controller Travel Policy; 
Internal Revenue Service Regulation;
 Template Form on System Finance Webpage

Approved:

Stephanie J. Fujii, Ph.D.
President, Arapahoe Community College

PURPOSE

This Process is a reference doc outlining the rules for required documentation for ACC-related enterprise journey.
This Process comprises pertinent info affecting staff, present by means of the date of its issuance.  BPs and SPs are topic to alter all year long and are efficient instantly upon adoption by the Board or System Chancellor, respectively. 
Employees are anticipated to be accustomed to and cling to BPs, SPs in addition to College directives, together with however not restricted to this Process.
 
Nothing on this Process is meant to create (nor shall or not it’s construed as creating) an categorical or implied contract or to ensure employment for any time period. The College reserves the proper to change, change, delete or add to this Process as it’s deemed acceptable.  
To the extent that any provision of this Process is inconsistent with State or Federal regulation, State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education Policies (BPs) or Colorado Community College System Procedures (SPs), the regulation, BPs and SPs shall supersede and management. 
 
This course of incorporates the necessities established in BP 8-60, BP 8-61, SP 8-60a, SP 8-61c, State of Colorado Fiscal Rules, State of Colorado Commercial Card Program, Mileage Reimbursement State Controller Policy, Taxability of State Travel Reimbursements, State Controller Travel Policy, Internal Revenue Service Regulation, and Template Form on System Finance webpage that apply and are referenced above.

SCOPE

Application

This Process applies to all travel-related funds made to staff, college students, and distributors inside Arapahoe Community College (ACC). This Process supplies path for processing journey prices related to staff touring with college students, college students touring on their very own for programmatic wants and Student Life, non-employees touring to interview for employment with ACC, or non-employees/distributors touring to attend packages and actions administered by means of ACC. 
 
All travel-related funds have to be processed by means of Fiscal Services, whatever the funding supply.
 
Basis
 
Template kinds will be discovered on the myACC portal (myACC portal). Some of the paperwork discovered within the hyperlink could also be required for journey functions. Documents embody however usually are not restricted to the next record:

• Travel Request Form (TRF)
• Out-of-State / Country Travel Request & Authorization Form.
• Waiver of Liability for Domestic/International Travel (Student Only).
• Emergency Contact List (Student Only).
• Travel Card Application
• Travel Expense Reimbursement Form

DEFINITIONS

For definitions relevant to this Process, seek advice from Appendix A. 

PROCESS

Travel Authorization
Pre-Approval of Travel:
Travel is taken into account a delicate and nonessential expenditure and will be simply perceived to offer a private profit, thereby warranting acceptable inner critiques and pre-approval of the journey and related prices, plus shut monitoring for budgetary functions. It is anticipated that every one journey prices incurred are cheap, obligatory, and supply profit to ACC. 
 
Travel on behalf of ACC without charge to ACC is required to have pre-approval by means of the necessities of this course of for the needs of legal responsibility and accountability of time. 
 
Employee Travel:
The following chart outlines what documentation is required from an worker previous to journey, relying on the scope of the worker’s journey:

1. A Travel Request Form (TRF) is required for all journey. The following info have to be offered on the TRF:
   • Business goal
   • Location of journey (metropolis/state)
   • Date(s) of journey
   • Name of traveler(s) (e.g., class or workforce roster, if relevant).
   • Org code to be charged
   • Authorizing signatures
   • Estimated prices for airfare, lodging, transportation, and different allowed journey bills
     • Any requests for different preparations on account of private choice are restricted to reimbursement based mostly on probably the most environment friendly and cheap transportation price accessible.
     • Estimates must be accompanied by backup documentation.

   • Calculation of anticipated per diem ought to embody all meals for every day, nevertheless, per diem reimbursement will exclude any meals offered on the convention or occasion.

     The TRF have to be submitted for approval and accomplished previous to registration and date of journey. The TRF should even have documented approval from the worker’s division Vice President, and the worker’s supervisor. All out-of-state journey have to be authorised by the worker’s College Business Officer or the College President. All out-of-country journey have to be authorised by the worker’s College Business Officer or College President and the System Office Vice Chancellor of Administration and Finance.
     Any in-state and out-of-state journey by a President have to be authorised the Vice Chancellor of Administration and Finance.

2. For grant-funded journey by an worker, contact acc [dot] fiscalgrants [at] arapahoe [dot] edu for extra info.
3. Waivers of Liability and emergency contact info have to be offered by staff touring with college students or college students touring as staff. The worker touring with the scholars should get hold of the finished pupil legal responsibility waivers and the scholar emergency contact info and retain it till the journey is accomplished.

Student Employee Overnight or Single-Day Travel and Student Travel:
A pupil touring as an worker or a pupil touring for programmatic and/or Student Life functions should submit the next documentation:

1. Student staff or college students touring for programmatic and/or Student Life functions should submit a TRF for each in-state and out-of-state journey.
2. The waiver of legal responsibility, emergency contact record, estimate of price, proposed journey itinerary, and occasion info have to be submitted by each the scholar worker and pupil traveler to the approving authorities.
3. The TRF have to be submitted for approval and accomplished previous to registration and date of journey. The TRF should even have documented approval from the scholar worker’s division Vice President or authorised by the suitable division’s Vice President. All out-of-state journey have to be authorised by the College Business Officer or the College President. All out-of-country journey have to be authorised by the College Business Officer or College President and the System Office Vice Chancellor of Administration and Finance.
4. Payment of journey bills to college students is taken into account a taxable transaction, as it’s not lined by CCCS’s Accountable Plan.

Non-Employee / Vendor Travel:
Certain packages and actions administered by means of ACC require journey by events not employed by ACC and, subsequently, usually are not lined beneath CCCS’s Accountable Plan. These packages and actions would come with non-paid audio system, Board members, and interview candidates. A TRF and different kinds could also be requested by an worker for fee of journey for non-employees which is totally taxable to the seller. Where fee for journey of a vendor is being requested, a Contract and/or Purchase Order is required as set forth in State Fiscal Rules.
 
A non-employee touring for ACC should submit the next documentation:

Travel Expenses and Travel Cards

Student Request for Travel Advance (Foreign Travel Only):

Travel advances are the advance of funds to a pupil traveler for authorised journey bills. Travel advances are authorised on a case-by-case foundation and have to be authorised by the suitable division Vice President and College Business Officer. 

A journey advance might be requested for 75% of eligible per diem, as much as the $2,500 statutory restrict. Please embody the per diem calculations with this request in addition to a accomplished W-9 type from the scholar. Request for advance should attain ACC Accounts Payable not less than 2 weeks previous to journey departure. A examine might be offered to the scholar on the Thursday of the week previous to departure. Coordination with Accounts Payable is required for the scholar to select up the examine. 

The scope of approval for a journey advance have to be documented in accordance with expectations outlined within the Office of the State Controller’s Travel Policy for Advance Payments. Approval must be documented previous to the primary day of journey and with ample time for processing the advance by means of accounts payable. The settlement for compensation of journey advances with the Accounts Payable division is required inside ten (10) enterprise days after coming back from journey. Students might settle journey advances by finishing the Travel Expense Reimbursement Form and attaching itemized receipts with all obligatory documentation. Failure to settle a journey advance throughout the specified timeframe will end in recognition of the advance as taxable earnings to the scholar and revocation of the privilege for receiving future advances. Travel reimbursements have to be lowered by any advances made and meet the documentation requirements required.

Commercial Cards (Travel Card) for Travel Options Available to Employees, with Supervisor Approval: 

Once staff are authorised for journey, there are two sorts of business playing cards accessible for fee of worker journey bills:

1. ACC Travel Card –- These could also be requested for a everlasting worker who travels regularly and/or who has duty for reserving journey (lodging, airfare, and business transportation) on behalf of different licensed vacationers. Generally, Travel Cards might not be used to pay for meals except staff buying group meals with college students through which case a Fiscal Rule Waiver type will need to have been obtained from the State Controller’s Office. To obtain an ACC Travel Card, staff should submit a Travel Card Application (TC Application) and signal the “Travel Cardholder Agreement” type after obligatory coaching has been accomplished with the Purchasing Department. Training will cowl the method for reconciliation, audit, and violation motion for the centrally billed journey playing cards, much like the necessities of the Procurement Card (P-Card). Completed Travel Cardholder Statements are on account of Fiscal Services no later than the fifth of every month.
2. Ghost Card – This is a sort of card account whereby an account quantity is issued or offered to a selected provider for the fee of purchases made by ACC staff. ACC’s Ghost Card is managed by means of the Purchasing Department and might solely be used with lively State Price Agreement distributors for rental automobile reservations.

P-Cards can solely be used for convention or occasion registration charges. Follow normal buying processes.

Reimbursable Travel Expenses

Scope of Employee Travel Reimbursement: 

Employees could also be reimbursed for the next journey bills:

1. Lodging – Travelers could also be reimbursed for the precise prices of business lodging. The first night time reserve/advance resort cost could also be reimbursed previous to journey, when advance fee is required by the resort. Proof of fee and an itemized bill is required. No reimbursement might be given for keep at private residences or for business bookings by means of third events (i.e., Vacation Rental by Owner (VRBO), Airbnb, and so on.).
2. Meals and Incidentals – Per Diem for Employee Overnight Travel
   • ACC reimburses the usual per diem charge and never precise prices per State Fiscal Rule 5-1.
   • Employees at conferences and trainings the place the meal is offered and is taken into account ample by the traveler, should present a discount to per diem requested. Employees can’t get a meal and get per diem if a meal was lined at a convention or coaching.
   • Employees touring away from residence in a single day are reimbursed 75% of the vacation spot metropolis’s per diem charge, together with incidental bills, for the day of departure and 75% of the departing metropolis’s per diem charge, together with incidental bills, on the day of return.
   • Per diem doesn’t must be supported by a receipt. Per diem is used rather than precise meal prices for administrative ease.
   • Tips can’t be claimed individually on a reimbursement request.
     • Tips paid to porters, baggage carriers, bellhops, resort housekeepers, and skycaps for airport check-in throughout particular person journey are included within the incidental expense per diem.
     • Tips paid along side particular person meals are included in the usual meal allowance.
     • Tips for business transportation, corresponding to taxi and shuttle drivers, shall be reimbursable as a part of and shall be included in the price of transportation. Tips are reimbursed at a most of 20% of the transportation price.

3. Meal Reimbursement for Employee with Students Overnight Travel
   • Employee with college students –- Employees which have meals with college students are reimbursed for precise prices capped at per diem.
   • Tips paid along side group meals with college students are reimbursed at a most at 20% of meal price.

4. Transportation – A traveler shall be reimbursed just for the greenback equal of probably the most economical technique of transportation accessible to the traveler that satisfactorily accomplishes state enterprise. Reimbursement shall be restricted to the precise price of business transportation.
5. Airfare and Fees
   • Airfare must be bought by means of designated journey companies of state worth agreements (FROSCH). Travelers shall use probably the most advantageous airline based mostly on price, time, and schedule.
   • Baggage charges shall be reimbursed if not included within the airfare.
   • The following could also be reimbursed when pre-approved:
     • Fees not included within the airfare.
     • Seats with further leg room and assigned seats if there’s a justifiable motive.
     • The traveler shall be reimbursed for charges not included within the airfare, provided that pre-approved. This consists of reimbursement of 1 carry-on bag plus one checked bag, if charged by the airline. Luxury gadgets corresponding to early boarding charges, first-class, journey cancellation insurance coverage, and so on., won’t be reimbursed. Seats with further legroom shall solely be reimbursed if there’s a justifiable motive, corresponding to ADA lodging, and it’s pre-approved.

       Documentation of airline journey prices must be submitted with the journey expense reimbursement request.

6. Personal Vehicles and Mileage Reimbursement – Mileage is reimbursed for enterprise journey based mostly on precise miles from the traveler’s residence to the traveler’s short-term place of business, much less the traveler’s regular commute to work. Travel for enterprise functions consists of conferences, conferences, coaching classes, and so on. Traveler should present documentation, corresponding to on-line net mapping (Google Maps or MapQuest), of the enterprise journey mileage and the traveler’s regular residence to work commute, when obligatory. If an worker travels throughout the metropolitan space from one work location to a different work location for enterprise functions, ACC might reimburse the worker for mileage solely. A minimal threshold for mileage should exceed two miles for journey inside a metropolitan space for administrative effectivity.
   • If an worker travels exterior the metropolitan space for enterprise functions and the worker is taken into account to be touring away from residence (see Appendix A “Metropolitan Area” and “Traveling Away from Home”), ACC might reimburse the worker for mileage, meals, and lodging.
   • Distinction: When an worker travels from/to their private residence and common work location, that is thought of commuting, and ACC shall not reimburse the worker for these journey bills.
   • Example: The distance between the traveler’s residence and the enterprise journey location is 35 miles, the traveler’s regular commute is 15 miles, the traveler’s reimbursement of mileage is 20 miles (35 miles – 15 miles = 20 miles).

7. Fleet Vehicles and Rental Cars – Travelers are inspired to make use of Colorado State fleet automobiles when they’re accessible and meet the wants of the traveler. Contact State Fleet Management for Fleet’s Motor Pool rental directions.
   Travelers shall use state worth agreements for car leases with a purpose to guarantee sufficient legal responsibility insurance coverage protection except the value settlement doesn’t meet the wants of the traveler. For situations the place a state worth settlement isn’t used for the car rental, the traveler shall buy legal responsibility insurance coverage within the quantity of $1,000,000 by means of the car rental firm. If there’s a enterprise goal for using a rental automobile relatively than a fleet automobile, and the acquisition of further insurance coverage is required by State Risk Management, then the price of the extra insurance coverage is reimbursable.
   • A traveler shall submit receipts for rental automobiles as documentation of the expense and shall be reimbursed for the precise prices of rental automobiles. Personal legal responsibility insurance coverage isn’t a substitute. Various upgrades offered at further price by automobile rental corporations usually are not reimbursable.
   • The Ghost Card is used for car rental reservations for one more particular person and utilizing one of many State Price Agreements. The card getting used have to be registered with the awarded auto rental company. This course of permits leases to be positioned on a Ghost Card with out having the cardboard current on the time of rental, whereas guaranteeing all related contract phrases and circumstances apply. Contact the Purchasing Department for extra info.
   • Fuel for fleet automobiles have to be paid on the State fleet card. Fuel bought for rental automobiles might be reimbursed at precise prices with itemized receipts.

8. Taxi, Shuttle, and Ride Share
   Travelers might require transport, corresponding to taxi, shuttle, or journey share, when touring away from residence on enterprise. Gratuities to not exceed 20% will be included in the price of this transportation and a receipt might be required for reimbursement.
9. Bus, Passenger Rail, and Mass Transportation
   In sure situations, chartering a bus or procuring group transportation is critical and allowable for reimbursement when pre-approved and cheap.
10. Programmatic and/or Student Life Related Entertainment with Students
    Entertainment prices have to be pre-approved on TRF. Entertainment prices are solely allowable when in journey standing with college students and should embody tickets, excursions, and different actions that align with this system or curriculum for which the scholars are touring.

Non-Reimbursable and Non-Chargeable Items:

The following bills incurred whereas in journey usually are not reimbursable and never chargeable on Ghost Cards or centrally billed playing cards:

1. Alcohol
2. Entertainment bills (private leisure, magazines, resort in-room films, and so on.)
3. Political bills
4. Travel insurance coverage, together with any further or supplemental journey or rental automobile insurances
5. TSA pre-check, world entry, or precedence seating charges
6. Traffic fines and parking tickets
7. Personal bills which might be primarily of profit to the traveler and never immediately associated to the enterprise journey
8. Roadside help
9. Upgrades, corresponding to upgraded seat assignments, rental automobile upgrades, lodging upgrades, and so on. except there’s a justifiable enterprise motive that’s documented.
10. Meals for single-day journey

Certain different limitations and exceptions exist and a extra full record of reimbursable and non-reimbursable gadgets is famous in State of Colorado Fiscal Rule 5-1 
 
Travel Expense Reimbursement Form:

A Travel Expense Reimbursement Form have to be used for reimbursement. The following info have to be included on the shape:  

• Amount – The quantity of every separate expenditure incurred whereas touring, corresponding to the price of transportation or lodging
• Travel Dates – Dates of departure and return from the enterprise journey
• Home Campus location and traveler’s residence tackle
• FOAP info
• Place – Destination or locality of journey, described by title of metropolis or city or different related designation
• Purpose – Reason for journey or an outline of the enterprise being performed throughout the journey
• Additional supporting journey documentation together with the authorised TRF, receipts, agenda, GSA per diem, and so on.
• Signed certification by the traveler and org proprietor authority.

Receipt Requirement:

All worker travel-related bills, apart from per diem, require a receipt for reimbursement or help for fee on a journey card. If a receipt can’t be obtained, written notification by the traveler must be ready documenting the main points of the expense and why the receipt couldn’t be obtained. 

All requests for reimbursement or help for journey card transactions for which there aren’t any receipts will want approval by the worker’s Division Vice President.

Scope of Student Employee Travel and Student Travel Reimbursement:

The scope of what will be paid to college students touring as staff is similar as what is printed beneath the “Employee Travel Reimbursement” part. 

Travel Reimbursement Request Process

Reimbursement for Employee Travel:

Upon completion of journey, the traveler should submit a Travel Expense Reimbursement Form, which might be reviewed for the next:

1. Timing – For full reimbursement, the request have to be submitted no later than 60 days from the final day of journey. Any reimbursement requests submitted past 60 days from the final day of journey might be thought of taxable earnings to the worker, if reimbursed. Any reimbursement requests submitted after 90 days from the final day of journey won’t be reimbursed per State Fiscal Rule 5-1.
2. Appropriate expenditures – The ORG proprietor is required to overview expenditures and approve the place acceptable.
   • If the quantities requested for reimbursement are acceptable and don’t exceed the Travel Request Form (TRF) inside a ten% overage threshold, no additional critiques are required, and reimbursement might be authorised and processed.
   • If remaining journey prices exceed the TRF, further overview from the ORG proprietor is required.

Reimbursement for Student Employee Travel: 

Students touring as staff for functions of ACC employment have to be handled constantly with worker journey pointers. Upon approval, pupil staff will obtain reimbursement for journey bills and the reimbursement won’t be taxable if submitted throughout the required timeframe.

Reimbursement for Student Travel: 

Students touring for programmatic or Student Life functions might be reimbursed to the scholar after journey. This fee might be thought of 1099 eligible. 

Reimbursement for Non-Employee and Vendors:

When non-employee journey is negotiated as a part of a contract or assertion of labor, corresponding to paid audio system or different employed impartial contractors, an bill have to be generated from the seller. The bill ought to embody their private companies charges and the full journey prices. These non-employee funds could also be topic to 1099 IRS guidelines. 

Revising this Process

ACC reserves the proper to alter any provision or requirement of this Process at any time and the change shall turn into efficient instantly.
 

APPENDIX A

DEFINITIONS

Accountable Plan – A plan that follows IRS Regulations for reimbursing staff for enterprise bills through which reimbursement isn’t counted as earnings.  

Approving Authority – An worker who has authority to approve journey for state enterprise and associated issues.  
Commercial Card – State issued fee playing cards together with procurement playing cards and journey playing cards (together with Ghost Cards).

Commercial Card Program – All card (Procurement, Travel) accounts and companies offered to the State and taking part entities by a financial institution.

Employee – Individuals employed by ACC. 

Expenses Incurred for the Benefit of ACC – Expenses incurred that allow an worker or official to carry out assigned duties or allow ACC to hold out obligations required by regulation.

Foreign Travel -Travel to any out-of-country vacation spot not included throughout the definitions of In-State Travel or Out-of-State Travel.

Ghost Card – Type of card account whereby an account quantity is issued or offered to a selected provider for the fee of purchases made by ACC staff.

Incidental Expenses – Tips given associated to journey bills (e.g., porters, baggage carriers, bellhops, resort housekeepers, skycaps for airport check-in, and so on.).

In-State Travel – Travel throughout the State of Colorado and to the quick space exterior the state that could be a obligatory a part of an in any other case “in-state” journey. 

Lodging – Any business lodging accessible or supplied to be used for which a charge schedule has been established, and fee is required, as described within the State Controller Travel Policies.

Metropolitan Area – A area together with a metropolis and the densely populated surrounding areas which might be socially and economically built-in. For the State of Colorado, the metropolitan space shall be outlined because the 50-mile radius surrounding the traveler’s common work location, whatever the location of the traveler’s residence. 

Out-of-State Travel – Travel throughout the United States, aside from in-state journey, together with journey to the District of Columbia, Alaska, or Hawaii.

Per Diem – An allowance for funds to staff made every day in journey standing as required by fiscal guidelines. 

Price Agreement – A state contract between the Department of Personnel and Administration, State Purchasing and Contracts Office, and a contractor, which permits state companies and establishments of upper training to order items or companies from the contractor, pursuant to the phrases of the value settlement, by issuing a purchase order order, job order, or different authorised order type.  

Procurement Card (P-Card) – A procurement card is a company legal responsibility card, centrally billed, tax exempt and used for small purchases ($5,000 or much less) of basic merchandise and companies as ruled by state regulation. 

Reimbursement Request – A request for reimbursement of journey bills submitted by a traveler.

Single-Day Travel – Travel accomplished wholly inside a single day. Requires a journey request type except the journey falls inside regular job obligations. An worker who’s required to usually go to off-campus places as a part of their common job obligations solely must submit a journey reimbursement request for mileage reimbursement and extra bills as much as $50 after the journey. An worker incurring further bills past mileage and larger than $50 does must submit a journey request type.

State Business – Official state enterprise or different duties undertaken for state functions and for the good thing about the state. 

Student Employee Traveler – Students working hourly or as work-studies inside ACC and licensed to journey on ACC enterprise.

Student Traveler – Student licensed to journey for programmatic and/or Student Life functions. 

Temporary Work Location – A location whereby employment continues for not more than a interval of 1 12 months at that location. If phrases of employment require staff to work constantly past one 12 months in two separate places, neither location is taken into account short-term.

Travel Card – Card for travel-related purchases that could be centrally billed (company legal responsibility, tax exempt).

Traveler – An worker who receives required approvals to journey on ACC enterprise.

Traveler’s Regular Work Location – The major location the place the traveler is assigned to work, together with your complete metropolitan space of the traveler’s common work location. 

Traveler’s Residence – The location the place the traveler maintains their major residence.

Traveling Away from Home – A traveler is touring away from residence and regarded in journey standing if the traveler’s duties require them to be away from their common work location in a single day or inside a single day considerably longer than an unusual day’s work (not less than 14 hours). For journey inside a single day, the traveler must sleep or relaxation to fulfill the calls for of the traveler’s work whereas away from their common work location. 

Vendor – Third occasion paid beneath contract, which can embody prices incurred for journey.