Travel Expense Reimbursements

Requests for travel expense reimbursements must be submitted on the Travel Expense Claim Form. The form is available from the Forms web page.

Reimbursements are typically issued to an individual requestor. If the travel party includes multiple travelers, a Travel Expense Claim Form for each traveler is required. 

Each form must include the name of traveler, amount of travel funds expensed for the traveler, and the signature of the traveler acknowledging funds expensed on his or her behalf. Expenses must be itemized and must be accompanied by appropriate receipts as required based on the selected method of reimbursement. 

As specified in the Research Foundation Travel Policy, the Travel Expense Claim Form must also contain the following travel details:

Purpose: The purpose section should show the direct relationship of the travel to an official Research Foundation function, and if applicable, it will include the performance of a contract or grant for which the Research Foundation has responsibility.

Dates: All days from the date of departure to the date of return must be included on the claim form. Days for personal use must also be referenced as such.

Expenses: Costs of transportation, meals, lodging, and miscellaneous expenses must be listed by date and location. Expenses that are prepaid or invoiced should be shown. Unpaid invoices must be described under the Notes section so they will not be overlooked.

Balance Due: Any advanced funds that are not used for travel expenses must be returned together with the Travel Expense Claim Form. Any balance due to the traveler will be paid as soon as the Travel Expense Claim Form is processed, usually seven to ten working days if a properly completed claim is submitted.

Signatures: Upon completion of travel, the Travel Expense Claim Form must be signed by the person who incurred expenses and the authorized account signer.

Original Receipts: Receipts must be taped to an 81/2 x 11 blank sheet of paper. Due to the process used for scanning, receipts must be securely taped to the 8 1/2 x 11 sheet on all sides.

Expense Claim Approvals and Submission

The Travel Expense Claim must be appropriately signed by the following:

  • The Traveler
  • Account Signer
  • Direct Supervisor (if not the authorized account signer)

A properly completed and approved Travel Expense Claim Form must be sent to the Research Foundation Accounts Payable team (research-foundation-ap@sjsu.edu) within 30 working days of the completion of each trip. Failure to submit claims as specified can delay processing and issuance of expense reimbursements.

For additional details on travel, please refer to the following documents: