Obtaining a Post-Award Travel Advance

Travel advances serve to defray out-of-pocket travel expenditures for anticipated expenses totaling $50.00 or more. Each individual traveler may only have one travel advance outstanding at any given time. The costs covered by a travel advance include:

• 100% of transportation costs;
• Up to 80% of all other estimated travel costs- lodging per diems, meals and incidental per diem, conference registration fees, anticipated local travel costs, and visa fees, if applicable.

Per Diem rates are in accordance with New York State Per Diem Rates, Federal Per Diem Rates, Foreign Per Diem Rates, or in accordance with any other limits specified in an award agreement. 75% of the meals and incidentals Per Diem are allowed on the first and last day of domestic travel.

Requesting a Travel Advance

Upon fully arranging travel, but no later than three weeks before departure, a traveler must submit a Travel Advance form through the Payment Request system. Within 5 days after travel, a traveler must itemize the expenses that are being requested for an advance and provide the required supporting documentation (itineraries, transportation costs, lodging costs, proof of travel such as boarding passes, train ticket stubs, etc.) to RFCUNY for reconciliation.

• Economy class is required for all travel with the exception of train travel via Amtrak Business Class between any two stations on the Boston/Washington, D.C. route.
• All air transportation must be reserved in economy class on U.S. Flag air carriers whenever available, per the Fly America Act, or on an authorized European Union carrier per the US-EU Open Skies Agreement or on a Swiss, Australian or Japanese carrier, as permitted under separate government agreements.
• For U.S. air carriers that have code-sharing agreements with foreign air carriers, other than European Countries, Switzerland, Australia or Japan, a ticket must be issued with the U.S. air carrier’s call letters and flight number to qualify for reimbursement.
• Written justification must be provided whenever a foreign air carrier must be used. Lower cost is not an acceptable justification for use of a foreign carrier instead of a U.S. carrier.
• A traveler’s award sponsor may have further restrictions (a project administrator may assist with providing further details).

Travel Forms