Frequently Asked Questions

A TA is an electronic form that documents the details of your proposed travel, including the location, start and end dates, and business purpose. Each TA is specific to a planned trip. TAs encumber (set aside) and/or budget funds for travel and serve as written permission to travel for official University business.

The State of Idaho requires all payments of claims for travel related expenses be authorized and that written evidence must be on file. Our TA meets this obligation.

Login to the Travel Authorization using your Boise State username and password. It can also be accessed on the Organization tab of Bronco Hub.

A TA should be submitted in sufficient time to be approved before your planned travel. This is generally considered to be between six and two weeks in advance. Any sooner and you may be subject to significant price changes, any later and you risk limited availability in both flight and hotel choices.

Funding source information is entered into the Travel Authorization to reserve the funds. This is particularly important when using Sponsored Funds.

A TA is an estimate of the cost, think of it as a budget if that helps. The total on the expense report may not match the initial TA as costs can vary between the time a TA is created and the time of the actual travel.

The State of Idaho requires that a TA must be updated if the travel changes “significantly in time or cost.” Boise State defines this as adding more than three days of business travel and/or more than doubling the cost.

No, the TA must be approved prior to incurring expenses for the planned travel.

To cancel a Travel Authorization, pull up the relevant TA, enter the reason for cancellation in the “Comments” field, and then select “Cancel Request” at the bottom of the form. This action will also release any funds that were encumbered.

Yes, attach the PDF of the approved TA to all transactions related to the trip, including Expense Reports, Payment Requests, and P-Card receipts. The TA must be attached so that any encumbrances can be reversed.

Note that although the Expense Report module in Bronco Hub asks for the TA number, there is nothing in Bronco Hub that connects the two. This is why we request a copy of the TA be included in your documentation.

Encumbrances are removed through an exacting manual process and are sometimes missed. If you have submitted all of your expenses but still see some encumbered funds, your Business Manager can open the TA and select “Reverse Encumbrances.”

Please allow a few business days for this action to reflect on financial reports.

Yes, any existing encumbrances do roll over. If they are no longer needed, you will need to clear them.

No. This process is only used to reimburse Boise State employees. To reimburse non-employees create an Invoice Payment in Bronco Hub and attach a completed Non-Employee Reimbursement Support form, Refer to the instructions on How to Reimburse Non-employees.

Yes, you can! For airfare, you must provide a flight comparison with your Travel Authorization. The comparison needs to show the complete itinerary (dates and times) for your business trip and your personal trip. If the personal trip is less, purchase the ticket with a P-Card or Travel Card. If the personal trip is more, purchase your airfare with personal funds and request reimbursement for the business portion after the trip is complete. Only the business-related portion of expenses may be paid with a P-Card or Travel Card.

Hotel and Car Rental costs that cannot be easily separated must be paid with personal funds and the business portion calculated and reimbursed upon the completion of the trip.

Yes, you can; however you cannot be reimbursed for lodging. You can still request per diem.

No, this is specifically prohibited by State Travel Policy. Only money spent will be reimbursed. If you use personal credits or gift cards to pay for your flight, you will not be reimbursed the cash value for them.

With supervisor approval, you can upgrade your seat to Premium Economy or Economy Plus. Please make sure you attach the email with supervisor approval to the expense report.

Note that our travel policy states you should book the lowest available economy class consistent with business needs. Travel policy also allows for the costs of one checked bag to be reimbursed. Economy class upgrades sometimes include the cost of a checked bag so the cost variance overall could be fairly low. Regardless, the upgrade still requires supervisor approval.

International premium economy class upgrades may be approved by the President/Vice President when using Local or Sponsored Funds, provided the travel time of the flight segment is greater than eight (8) hours, and the upgrade is allowed by the sponsor (if using sponsored funds).

Yes, you can be reimbursed baggage fees for one bag per trip. Please ensure that the charge is coded as “Airfare” rather than “Other employee travel costs.” Additional bags may be reimbursed with pre-approval and documentation, for example, participating in a conference where equipment is being transported as well.

You are entitled to reimbursement of personal expenses spent for employment and this is no exception. However, you would need to provide documentation of the full cost of the trip as well as any partial refunds or travel credits. Travel credits become the property of Boise State should you request a refund for that portion. You may opt to keep the travel credit and only be reimbursed for the amount the airline refunded to you.

P-Card or Travel Card are strongly recommended for use in all airline ticket purchases.

Yes, but this is up to the department’s discretion and we advise pre-approval.

Only lodging within the State of Idaho is tax exempt. You may be permitted to book a “tax-exempt” rate by a reservation service but if you do not have their required documentation, they may still charge you tax.

Some hotels will request an ST104-HM for documentation. Please download the form prior to completing it to ensure your changes are saved properly.

Yes, but there are concerns. Airbnb is best used for individual travelers and is only allowed for domestic travel. Lodging for two or more travelers is highly discouraged, especially for groups. There are inherent risks associated with any group lodging situation and these may be exacerbated in a home setting. The Office of General Counsel (OGC) advises vetting and addressing concerns such as sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, dating violence and stalking.

At this time, the University has determined that Airbnb is the only short-term alternative lodging that can be used for University business without first submitting individual agreements to OGC for advance review and approval. Airbnb uses standard legal terms and conditions that have been vetted by OGC.

P-Card or Travel Card is the preferred method of payment when an individual is traveling. If paying on a personal card, be aware that the University will not reimburse for charges incurred due to non-compliance with the facility’s terms and conditions.

For more information:

Office of the General Counsel: Hotel/Lodging

Office of Sponsored Programs: Using Airbnb for University Business

Although not prohibited, this is not generally recommended. Employees are entitled to be “off work” and should never be pressured to share rooms.

No. Employees and volunteers are prohibited from sharing a single-room motel/hotel room or a bedroom with a student (unless the employee or volunteer and the student have a legally recognized family relationship) or a group of students (including students from other institutions).

Under no circumstance may an adult traveler (employee, volunteer, or student) share a motel/hotel room or bedroom with a minor child who does not have a legally recognized family relationship to the traveler.

The Idaho State Board of Examiners has set the daily per diem rate for Idaho at $55.00. This is the rate for State of Idaho employees traveling within Idaho, regardless of where they reside.

For non-employees coming into Idaho from outside the state, GSA per diem rates apply. Note that Independent Contractors may not be provided per diem.

Use the Bronco Hub per diem calculator. This tool will help you determine how much to claim based on meals or full-day expenses.

No, it’s from the time you depart from your home to the airport.

No, according to state policy, you cannot claim per diem during vicinity travel (within 100 miles of your starting destination).

Students are eligible for per diem when traveling but you can not give it to them out of pocket and be reimbursed. Please submit a Cash Advance, keep a signed log of how the funds were distributed and submit an Expense Report to balance out the Cash Advance when travel is complete.

Reimbursement for a brunch may be made using the lunch rate.

Buffet meals are treated the same as an off the menu meal, they cannot exceed the applicable meal rate associated with the type of buffet, i.e., breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Yes, you should tip your driver. However, if you are claiming per diem, the tip portion of your ride will not be reimbursable as it is included in the incidentals portion of per diem.

Only money spent may be reimbursed. If you use personal credits or gift cards to pay for your ride, you will not be reimbursed the cash value for them.

Yes, in some large cities it is more practical and actually faster to purchase a limited pass. This is not required as a cost-savings measure but may certainly be reimbursed if you wish to choose this option.

When using your personal vehicle for business travel, the state mileage rate is 67 cents per mile.

An Expense Report (EX) is completed in Bronco Hub after a business trip is completed or a purchase is made. Reports are processed to request reimbursement for all business-related expenses, both travel and non-travel related.

Please note that you can only submit EXs for past dates.

Funding source information should be entered for each expense item of an EX. Bronco Hub does not automatically populate funding source information based on previous entries.

All business expense reimbursements require a complete, clear business purpose substantiated by receipts that show proof of payment, what was purchased, name and location of vendor and date of purchase. This includes items such as a Flight Itinerary, Per Diem Calculator, Mileage Log, Travel Authorization and receipts.

The IRS requires an “Accountable Plan” that ensures all reimbursements are processed within a “reasonable amount of time.” A standard practice among organizations is to tax reimbursements submitted 60 days past the date of expense or last date of travel and to refuse reimbursement for items submitted after 120 days. Boise State Accountable Plan (Policy 6290)

Yes. An employee may delegate entry authority of the EX to another employee by following the instructions listed on the Delegating Expense Report Submissions job aid.

Please note that delegating another employee to submit your EX does not absolve you of the responsibility to make sure the request is submitted in a timely manner. If the Accountable Plan is violated, you are still responsible for the violation and will either be taxed or not reimbursed.

Once an EX is completed and submitted, it will be routed through the standard approval workflow which includes the traveler, accounts payable, the traveler’s supervisor and the fund source manager.

To reimburse non-employees use the Invoice Module and attach a completed Non-Employee Reimbursement form. Please note the recipient must first be registered in PaymentWorks.

If you have completed the Digital Payment training, you may also use the Invoice Module to submit a Digital Payment for non-employee reimbursement. A Non-Employee Reimbursement form is still required but you do not have to have the recipient register in PaymentWorks.

A telecommuting agreement is required for employees who have a designated workspace that is not owned by the University or considered a University satellite location. If you have a telecommuting arrangement with your Supervisor, please contact Human Resources to set up or confirm a telecommuting agreement. Telecommuting agreements must be updated annually.

When submitting an expense report for an employee with a telecommuting agreement on file, please note this in the description.

Fees for vehicle parking are an allowable expense based on the proximity to the temporary work location and are usual and customary, such as parking meters or garages. Be sure to attach a copy of your telecommuting agreement to your reimbursement request.

No, Boise State does not have a minimum amount for reimbursement; however, we do encourage P-Card be used when possible as the cost to submit, audit and pay an EX is easily over $20.

Software purchases require approval by OIT prior to purchase. There is some risk to the individual if a non-approved software is purchased. It is never a good idea to purchase software or computer equipment using a personal card.

Service providers are subject to IRS regulations and must be reviewed by P2P prior to performing any work. Many of these providers require 1099 tax documentation at the end of the year. Under no circumstances should a service provider be paid via personal card or P-Card.

This is up to your department and is considered an employee benefit (which means it’s taxable). The best method for providing employees with a Boise State parking pass is through an Individual Compensation Plan (ICP). This method pays the cost of parking through payroll and taxes are automatically deducted.

If you do purchase a parking pass and your department is willing to reimburse for it, it will be reported to Tax and submitted for tax withholding on a future paycheck.