Instructions for Completing Travel Request/Cash Advance Form
Purpose
The Travel Request/Cash Advance Form is designed to provide for travel advances when necessary. Travel should be planned well in advance to allow time to process check advances, instead of cash advances, whenever possible. Cash advances are limited to the amounts specified in the Travel and Expense Reporting APL.
Initiation and Approval of Request
An individual requesting an advance initiates the form by completing all the information requested on the Travel Request/Cash Advance Form. Approval must be granted by the Department Head, Dean, or Director, depending on campus preference. If the traveler is the Department Head, Dean, or Director, that employee’s Supervisor must approve the form.
The department will retained a copy and forward the original to the Business Office for approval. Prior to approval, the Business Office should ascertain that the individual traveler doesn’t have any other travel advances outstanding. Travel advances should be reviewed on a monthly basis to avoid outstanding advances in excess of 30 days past the travel date.
At the respective Chief Financial Officer’s discretion, travel expenses can be paid for with the University Purchasing Card. Use of credit cards allow the University to keep cash advances and cash on hand to a minimum. The University pays the credit card vendor directly for expenses paid with the University Purchasing Card. Therefore, such expenses should be included on the Travel Expense Voucher as pre-paid items only and not reimbursed to the traveler (see the Travel and Expense Reporting APL and the Purchasing Cards APL). This allows the traveler to account for all costs related to a trip and facilitates gathering of information for state-mandated reports.
Advances
When the traveler requests an advance, that person (or designee) will report to the Business Office to receive the cash or check advance and acknowledge receipt by signing the Travel Request/Cash Advance form, indicating the amount and date received. The petty cash custodian will approve all disbursements of petty cash and number the requests sequentially by fiscal year. If time permits, the travel advance should be approved by the Business Office and processed through the Travel and Expense system, ignoring that portion of the form pertaining to cash advances.