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Using Travel/Professional Development Funds

Updated September 2022

Refer to the following to use your travel/professional development funds for either travel or non-travel expenses. If you have questions at any point, you should contact Kenya Devalia.

You can see this recorded training session for details of creating Spend Authorizations and Expense Reports.

Using Funds for Travel Expenses

Process

  1. Gather information about your trip, including conference, travel, and hotel costs.
  2. Submit a spend authorization.
  3. Book your trip
    • Conference registration can be paid directly through LMC—contact Kenya Devalia.
    • Book airfare
      • GT has contracted pricing with Delta and Southwest; to access this pricing, call/email Travel Inc. (info below).
      • You have three options for paying for airfare:
        • Booking by calling/emailing Travel Inc and being reimbursed.
        • Booking elsewhere (Delta.com, Google Flights, Kayak, etc.) and being reimbursed
        • Booking through Travel Inc and having GT pay directly—contact Kenya in this case.
    • Keep documentation for reimbursement (agenda, itinerary, taxi receipts—this may include Uber, Lyft)
    • If registration is paid by employee, include credit card receipt if the registration receipt does not show the credit card number used for payment.
  4. Take your trip.
  5. Submit an expense report within 10 days after you return from travel.

General Considerations

Spend authorizations must be completed PRIOR to departure, and are required for any trip where Georgia Tech funds are being used for reimbursement.

A spend authorization is required for all travel where Georgia Tech funds are being used for reimbursement. Conference registration can be reimbursed prior to the conference.  All other travel related expenses must be submitted on an Expense Report 10 days after you return.

Travel Inc.
(770) 291-5190
gatech@travelinc.com

Kenya Devalia can purchase conference registration for you. She can also help you with any stage of the process and answer your questions. Her contact information is below.

Kenya Devalia
kenya.devalia@lmc.gatech.edu

How to Create a Spend Authorization

Spend authorizations must be completed PRIOR to departure, and are required for any trip where Georgia Tech funds are being used for reimbursement. In addition to the Spend Authorization demo, the instructions for creating a spend authorization are provided below.

  1. Access Workday by logging into Techworks (techworks.gatech.edu) and choosing the Workday app.
  2. Select the Create Spend Authorization task from the Expenses Worklet or the search bar.
  3. Complete the Company, Start Date, End Date, Description, Business Purpose, and Reimbursement Payment Type in Spend Authorization Information. Use DE00006545 in the “designated” line.
  4. Select the Spend Authorization Lines section and select Add Row to add spend authorization line item details.
  5. Complete all the fields in the Item Details section of each line item.
  6. Select Add Row to add additional expense lines as needed.
  7. A conference agenda MUST be attached. This is required in order to verify conference dates. Add attachments that support the spend authorization by dragging and dropping them into the Attachments field, or by using Select Files to upload one or more attachments.
  8. Select Submit. Otherwise, select Save for Later to return to the draft to submit at a later date.

How to Create an Expense Report

An expense report should be completed within 10 days AFTER return of travel. In addition to the Expense Report demo, instructions for creating an expense report are provided below.

  1. Enter Create Expense Report into the search bar, or select from Workday Worklets titled Expenses.
  2. Creation Option -Click on Create New Expense Report from Spend Authorization. Spend Authorizations must be linked to travel expense reports.
  3. Be sure to check the box “Final Expense Report.”
  4. Enter reason for the trip in Memo (This should auto populate over from spend authorization.)
  5. Enter Business Purpose from the drop-down menu. (ex. Conference)
  6. Enter the Code being used for reimbursement. DE00006545 will be entered in the “Designated” field when using LMC funds. If you are using other funding please enter the worktag for that department/grant. If you have questions regarding funding, consult the LMC Financial Team. Additional Worktags will default. (This will auto populate, do not try to type these in the fields.)
  7. Select OK.
  8. Select the Expense Lines tab and select Add to create an Expense Line. (To create multiple expense items, select Add to add additional lines.)
  9. For Expense Items –Type the requested expense (ex. Airfare), or click on line errors to find the expense you are trying to enter. This option will list all of the Spend Categories with Expense Description.
      • Note: For meals, always select “Meals Per Diem Expense Report Only”
  10. Attach receipts as required to each Expense Line by dragging and dropping them into the Attachments from the File Field, or by using Select Files.
      • Note: Receipts must be attached separately for each reimbursement requested.
  11. Select Submit. Otherwise, select Save for Later to return to the draft to submit at a later date.

Using Funds for Non-Travel Expenses (including Supplies)

Process

  1. Gather information about your purchase, including links or other information.
    • Create an Amazon wish list if applicable to your purchase.
  2. Contact Kenya about LMC directly ordering your purchase; include relevant information and links.
    • In emergencies, you can make a purchase yourself and be reimbursed up to $500.
  3. Submit an expense report within 10 days after your purchase.

General considerations

Funds can generally be used for anything research or teaching related. You may need to provide a justification about how the purchase relates to your teaching or research. Computers and technical equipment do not fall under the fund’s considerations.

Reimbursements for purchases made with personal funds are limited to $500. Generally, you should use the reimbursement option only in emergencies. In most cases, Kenya can order your purchase for you. Contact her with any questions, links (including Amazon wish list links), or information needed for your purchase.

Kenya Devalia
kenya.devalia@lmc.gatech.edu

How to Create an Expense Report

An expense report should be completed within 10 days after the purchase. When filling it out, please indicate if you are using HP, SLS, or other non-LMC funds. In addition to the Expense Report demo, the instructions for creating an expense report are provided below.

PLEASE READ: An Expense Report should be completed after a purchase of supplies/materials for research and/or teaching purposes, memberships and/or registrations.

Reimbursements are only allowed up to $500! No exceptions

**Must be done within 10 days after the purchase!

  1. Log into techworks.gatech.edu
  2. Click “My Works” at the top .Click on “Workday Financials” (middle of the page box of worklets.)
  3. Once logged into Workday, Under Applications, Click “Expenses”, Under Actions “Create Expense Report”
  4. Next page, Type in the Memo box reason for purchase (ex. Purchase books for research and teaching for my ENGL 1101 course for Spring 2022.)
  5. Expense Report For, Company Name and Expense Report Date will all autopopulate.
  6. Business Purpose “Non-Trip Expenses”
  7. Please type in the designated code or grant you are using for reimbursement.    (Ex. If funding is from LMC, please use “DE00006545 ”. Select the first choice “DE00006545 IAC/LMC.” If you are using grant funding, know the code and type the code in.)
  8. Additional Worktags will populate automatically after you place the designated, grant or gift worktag funding number in the field.
  9. After you include the worktag funding number, press “Ok”
  10. Next page, click “Add”
  11. Enter Expense Item “Supplies/Materials” AND/OR “Registrations and Memberships”
  12. Type in the amount of reimbursement
  13. Memo line can remain blank
  14. Be sure to upload receipts for the reimbursement(s)
  15. Important Steps:
    1. Upload receipts showing the purchase(s) and method of payment.
    2. If you have an e-mail showing where you requested to make the purchase, please upload the e-mail as well.

NOTE: Receipts must show method of payment. If receipts does not show, please upload a copy of a credit card statement with your name included and the amount paid. This must match the receipt.

  1. After you have uploaded and reviewed all information, please click “Submit”
  2. Steps for approval: Supervisor will approve, Cost manager approval and procurement team approval

Note: If any items are missing, the expense report will be returned for editing.

IMPORTANT: Please use this link for more information on using personal funds for items and reimbursement policy:

https://policylibrary.gatech.edu/business-finance/reimbursements-purchases-made-using-personal-funds