Graduate Programs Overview

SIPA Travel fund:

• Purpose
  ♦  To present a research paper at a professional conference/meeting
  ♦  To support travel to research sites
  ♦  To interview for academic positions
• Procedures
  ♦  Complete the application form.
  ♦  Provide a copy of current, unofficial FIU transcript.
  ♦  Provide a copy of the submitted Travel Authorization Request Form (TAR).
  ♦  Provide documentation on the purpose of travel (e.g., conference acceptance, plans to visit a research site, invitation to interview for an academic position, etc.).
  ♦  Obtain signature from the Graduate Program Director by sending to graduate program coordinator for processing.
  ♦  Submit complete packet to sipagrad@fiu.edu at least 3 weeks prior to travel.
• Award
  Up to $250
• Deadline
  At least 3 weeks prior to travel
• Limitations
  ♦  Green School graduate students can be awarded up to $250 each fiscal year (July 1 ‐ June
  30) if they meet the eligibility criteria.
  ♦  No more than 60 awards will be made across the Green School each fiscal year. If the total
  cap is reached, no more awards applications will be considered regardless of eligibility.
  ♦  All travel requires an approved Travel Authorization and must meet all applicable University and Green School travel policies and guidelines. Graduate students should contact their department’s graduate staff regarding travel procedures and guidelines.
  ♦  Incomplete applications, or applications submitted less than 3 weeks before travel, will not be accepted/considered. No exceptions.
• SIPA Travel Fund Request Form

GPSC Travel Fund:

• To apply for GPSC travel fund, please click on the link below.
  GPSC Travel Funding Information

Important Notes on Travel: 

• Foreign destinations: For foreign destinations, you MUST complete a foreign questionnaire first. You will receive an email with a link to complete this. Once you are done, please scroll back up to the top of the page and click 'Submit' in the top right corner to send your report for approval. If any expenses are being covered by an external organization, please indicate this to staff member. You can find more information regarding this process here: https://exportcontrol.fiu.edu/activities/travel-internationally/
  
• Reimbursement process: The reimbursement process takes place after your trip is completed. You will then submit all receipts for review and an Expense Report will be created for you. This MUST be done within 15 business days of your arrival. The reimbursement process can take at least a month and final figures are determined by the Travel office, NOT GSS. An approved TA does NOT guarantee an approved ER for the same amount. The TA does not go through the Travel Department - that is only approved by your direct supervisor and the expense manager. Travel only gets involved during the Expense Report phase, so reimbursement is based on the documentation you provided and any applicable rate limits.
• Fiscal year: Since our fiscal year begins on July 1st, the financials system is typically closed 1-2 weeks before, so any travel taking place in June must be closed out as soon as possible to avoid delays in reimbursement. If planning travel for the next fiscal year, your TA will be submitted for $10 to avoid any issues with budgeting for the new year. The amount you are eligible for will still be noted on the authorization and will be applied to your expense report after your trip takes place.

Travel FAQ's:

• Your Travel Application must be approved BEFORE you can make any purchases, including flight tickets. If you purchase anything before this approval, you will NOT be reimbursed.
• You may arrive at your destination no earlier than ONE day before your event begins and depart no later than ONE day after it ends. If you have to fly earlier/later, you MUST provide a flight comparison that shows it would have been more expensive to follow this rule. If you don't, no reimbursement will be given. All airfare purchases must be in Economy and cannot be upgraded without prior permission from the CFO (e.g. Delta Comfort).
• If driving to your destination instead, you must use either MapQuest or State of Florida DOT map to show point of origin to the point of destination for all routes taken. The current mileage reimbursement rate is 0.445 per mile for official travel. You must also provide a comparable airfare quote and the lesser of the two amounts will be reimbursed. You CANNOT request reimbursement for mileage while driving a rental car - this only applies when using your personal car to travel. 
• All purchases regarding travel will be made out of pocket, EXCEPT memberships. Memberships will not be reimbursed by Travel.
• All receipts must be turned into staff member once trip concludes. Expense reports must be done within 15 business days of arrival, regardless of destination. If you lose a receipt, there is a chance you will NOT be reimbursed. Credit card screenshots and statements are not accepted as proof of payment. For airfare receipts, please provide a detailed one showing days/times you arrived/departed and that is was in Economy class. Please also include a conference/research agenda/schedule, and translation on each receipt if it is in a foreign language. Staff member will use Oanda Currency Conversion for those in a foreign currency. For those sharing Air BnB's, please have your name on the receipt, as well as let staff member know if you shared the home with anyone else within FIU.
• Food receipts are not required since a per diem is given based on your destination and length of trip. Per diem will not be reimbursed for any meals provided by the conference/event. This is added on if you have funding leftover after calculating your primary expenses.
• Please note that nightly hotel limits are imposed by the U.S. General Services Administration and the Department of Defense that depend on your destination within and outside of the US. If you book a hotel that is higher than the max rate, you will not be reimbursed the difference. Please use the following link to view maximum nightly allowance before booking your lodging: https://www.travel.dod.mil/Travel-Transportation-Rates/Per-Diem/Per-Diem-Rate-Lookup/