Cash Advances

Employees

Employees may request an advance within a reasonable period of time before an authorized business trip or hosted event. However, since reimbursement only takes a few days once approved by the unit, cash advances should be limited to employees with a compelling financial need.

The employee’s immediate supervisor or higher administrative authority must approve the cash advance request. When the amount is greater than or equal to $5,000 and less than $10,000, additional approval is required by one of the following:

  1. a department chair of an academic unit
  2. a department manager of a non-academic unit
  3. the senior university officer responsible for the fund charged

Cash advances equal to or greater than $10,000 require approval from a chancellor, vice chancellor, vice president, major university director, or senior university officer.

A cash advance cannot be used to pay per diem in advance.

GROUP RESEARCH TRAVEL ADVANCES

Cash advances can be used to disburse funds for per diem to students and non-university business affiliates to support extended research projects domestic and overseas where there is a need for cash payments. .  The following outlines the approved exception to support these needs:

FACULTY LED GROUP TRIPS

  • Faculty may be permitted to use an advance to cover per diem for students and non university business affiliates in the following situations:
    • if there would be financial hardship otherwise
    • In all cases, per diems cannot exceed gsa limits for domestic locations, Department of Defense for Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. Territories and the State Department for international locations  The per diem in this scenario should be given at a much lower rate than per diem.
  • Recipients must sign a log acknowledging they received the per diem.  As with the per diem model, receipts are not required to show how the per diem was spent.
  • Group meals
    • Grocery and/or restaurant purchases are permitted in certain situations
    • Should not exceed daily per diem limits
    • Can include students, faculty, and non university business affiliates
    • These expenses must follow the standard receipt requirements under SPG 507.10-1  for reconciliation against the advance.  Units can impose stricter receipt requirements

 RESEARCH TRAVEL FOR FACULTY ONLY

  • As with any per diem, an advance can be used to request prepayment of per diem if pre-approved by the unit.  Per diem can also  be included in an advance as an exception to policy if there would be financial hardship otherwise
  • If following the standard per diem, process in Concur as non employee travel meals.  Must include calculations and enter it as one sum, including travel days

 

Non-Employees (Students and Guests)

Students 

Cash advances for students must be approved by their university sponsor. The request must also be approved by the sponsor’s higher administrative authority, and requires the same approval procedures as if the university sponsor had requested the advance. Students may receive cash from the university cashier’s office. The cash advance request form for non-employees must be completed and signed in order to obtain the advance.

Guests 

Cash advances for university guests follow the same approval procedures as for students. However, a university employee must pick up the cash or check at the cashier’s office on behalf of the guest. The cash advance request form for non-employees must be completed and signed in order to obtain the advance.