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Policies & Reimbursements

This page provides information from Northwestern's Travel and Entertainment policy (pdf) and includes additional guidance regarding the expense reimbursement process for travel expenses that were not directly billed to a department/unit chart string. Learn more about the key changes (pdf) to the Travel and Entertainment policy, effective March 1, 2024.


General Travel-Related Policies

  • Northwestern's Travel and Entertainment Policy (pdf) outlines the University's travel policies. To learn more, see the following specific sections of the document: University Travel Policy, Travel Expense Procedures, and Travel for Non-University Personnel.
  • International Travel Policies for faculty and staff are outlined on Northwestern's Global Safety and Security website.
  • Policies for Sponsored Travel are outlined on the Office of Accounting Services for Research and Sponsored Programs (ASRSP) website.

Expense Reimbursement

To be reimbursed for qualifying travel expenses, the appropriate expense report form(s) need to be completed.

Employee expense reports are entered using NUFinancials, which you can reach from the NUPortal. Refer to the Entering an Expense Report in NUFinancials in the Northwestern Knowledge Base portal.

It is considered a best practice to attach an itemized receipt for all actual expenses incurred, regardless of dollar amount. However, the dollar amount when receipts are mandatory is aligned with Federal General Services Administration (GSA) requirements (see Northwestern's Spending Limit Guidelines).

Actual Expenses

Actual expenses incurred for approved travel are reimbursable unless billed to a chart string when booked through Northwestern’s travel program, up to Northwestern’s Spending Limit Guidelines. 

Per Diem Guidance

Reimbursement limits for expenses are limited to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) guidelines (domestic) or the U.S. Department of State guidelines (international).

View the Per Diem Guidance web page to learn more about authorized business travel Per Diems for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses for employees and visitors.

Policy Exception Request

In those instances where requests for travel and other business-related expenses do not conform to stated University policies, an Expense Policy Exception Request Form (available on the PPS Accounts Payable web page) must be reviewed and signed by the Dean, Vice President, or designee and be submitted with the employee's expense report.

Ninety-Day Rule

For best practice, reimbursement requests should be submitted within 30 days after completion of travel/incurrence of non-travel-related expense. Per the University 90-day Policy, transactions more than 90 days old require an Expense Policy Exception Request Form (available on the PPS Accounts Payable web page) be submitted with the employee's expense report.

Currency Conversion

For expense reports that include expenses expressed in foreign dollars, a copy of the currency conversion work sheet must be attached to the expense report using the Oanda Currency Converter. Refer to the Entering Foreign Currency Job Aid in the Northwestern Knowledge Base portal.

Flights

Visit the Travel Program web page for information to book airfare through the University's travel program.

  • First class travel is generally not allowable. Airfare classes other than economy (such as Business Class) are permitted when scheduled flight time, including stopovers and change of planes, is in excess of 7 hours, and when using non-sponsored sources of funds.
  • In cases where an “Economy Plus” ticket is a reasonable additional cost on non-sponsored travel and provides for certain benefits to improve the travel experience, such fare class is allowable.
  • If travel is on a sponsored program, the sponsoring agency may have additional restrictions and require advance approval. For guidance, see ASRSP's Travel website. 

Lodging

Guidelines and recommendations for reserving accommodations, including conference hotels:

  • Use of preferred hotel vendors is encouraged. Visit the Hotels web page for a complete listing of preferred Evanston and Chicago hotels for University guests.
  • Reserve standard accommodations in reasonably priced, commercial-class hotels and motels.
    • For reference and for planning purposes, Business Travel News publishes a dynamic list of average negotiated hotel rates, see Hotel Rate References below.
    • Conference hotels are often at discounted rates.
    • Request educational discounts, many of which charge reduced rates to those who identify themselves as University faculty or staff.
  • To facilitate reservation and best pricing, the traveler is encouraged to book lodging through the designated University Travel Agencies.

Hotel Rates References

Business Travel News posts a dynamic Corporate Travel Index Calculator, showing the average negotiated hotel rates for domestic and international locations. This list is for reference and can be used as a planning tool for Northwestern travelers. These rates may differ from those available to Northwestern faculty and staff.

Northwestern travelers will need to adhere to the following guidelines for per diem and hotel rates that will be used to enforce the Travel and Entertainment Policy (pdf):

Nonconventional Lodging

When an employee rents a room, apartment, house, or other lodging on a long-term basis (e.g., weekly, monthly), such as Airbnb, Vrbo, the following expenses may be considered part of the lodging cost.

Accommodations and costs should be comparable to traditional lodging.

Lodging cost may include:

  • the rental cost for a furnished dwelling; if unfurnished, the rental cost of the dwelling and the rental cost of appropriate and necessary furniture and appliances (e.g., stove, refrigerator, chairs, tables, bed, sofa, television, and/or vacuum cleaner)
  • cost of connecting/disconnecting and using utilities
  • cost of reasonable maid fees and cleaning charges
  • monthly telephone use fee (does not include installation and long-distance calls)
  • cost of special user fees (e.g., cable TV or Internet charges) if ordinarily included in the price of a hotel/motel room in the respective area

Meals

Expenses for meals while traveling are reimbursable, as follows:

Vehicles

Arrangements can be made through the University’s travel program to ensure competitive rates and insurance coverage for vehicle rentals.  More information is available on the Vehicle Rental web page.

Ground Transportation Reimbursement: Travel on University business using privately-owned vehicles is reimbursed based on IRS mileage reimbursement rates.

All student drivers are required to complete and pass the Office of Risk Management's Defensive Driving Course. To access the course, students must complete a Safe Driver application.

Private Automobile Transportation

Travel on University business using privately owned vehicles is reimbursed based on U.S. Federal Government reimbursement rates.

Reimbursement rate includes:

  • all fuel, maintenance, insurance, transportation, and operating costs

Reimbursement rate excludes:

  • damage to a privately owned vehicle used for University business
  • deductibles or other uninsured loss to the vehicle

For travel to points more than 300 miles beyond the point of origin, the following recommendations apply:

  • primarily for the convenience of the traveler, a personal automobile may be approved under the accountable process established and authorized by respective Deans and Vice Presidents
  • cost comparison for reasonableness should be made between the cost of the per-mile reimbursement plus tolls for car travel, and the least expensive round-trip air fare between the nearest commercial airport serving the origin and destination cities, plus associated transfer costs to and from the airport
  • documentation of cost comparison should be included in travel expense report

Business Travel Accident Insurance

Note that Northwestern offers business travel accident insurance that provides faculty and staff with accidental death & dismemberment benefits while on a business trip for Northwestern University.  Additional insurance should not be purchased. Visit the Risk Management website for additional information.

Travel Advances

Travel advances are generally not encouraged since booking travel through the Northwestern travel program allows expenses to be booked directly to a chart string, corporate cards are available to staff that travel regularly, and the reimbursement process has been significantly streamlined for those that do not have a corporate card.  However, below are the conditions when a travel advance is necessary:

  • Advances are only available for University employees or students.
  • Advances must be $500.00 or more.
  • Advances should be reconciled within five working days of return from travel but no later than 90 days from date of return. Unreconciled advances will be charged to the traveler’s departmental budget, and, as required by federal law, the amount will be reported to the IRS as taxable compensation to the traveler.
  • Advances will not be issued to an employee who has not fully accounted for an earlier advance except when this individual must leave for another trip within the five working days following return from the earlier travel.
  • The University reserves the right to withhold advance privileges from any individual who fails to abide by University policies.

Refer to the Applying an Advance in NUFinancials Training Guide for guidance on the repayment of an unused portion of a cash advance. 

International Communications

International telephone calls may be reimbursed with appropriate documentation and substantiation of the business purpose of the call. See Travel Policy Section III H- Documentation of Expenses.

International phone cards are recognized as a cost effective way of paying for international business calls. 
Recommended reimbursement guidelines for international phone cards with value of:

  • $25 or less are reimbursable with no individual call documentation required.
  • more than $25 are reimbursable with log of business calls for which the phone card is used, listing the person called, date of call, length of call and business purpose of the call.  To meet audit requirements, the phone card usage log should be filed with the original phone card purchase documentation.