Cash Advances

Cash advances are requested on a spend authorization within Workday. Only the Meal Per Diem and Miscellaneous-Travel expense items allow for a cash advance. The university functions under the IRS Accountable Plan Rules. Therefore, advances may be obtained and used only for business expenses by a university employee in active travel status. Efforts should be made to request only the amount needed for the trip—receiving cash for unplanned emergency use is not encouraged. ATM cash limits can be established on a travel or corporate card for emergencies.

University employees acting as a travel group leader may obtain cash advances of per diem for student participants on the same trip. In such cases a disbursement log should be maintained in which each student signs they received their allocation of the per diem. The log is then included with other receipts associated with that trip.

Larger travel programs such as athletic team travel, performing arts tours, and study abroad may work with Purchasing & Travel to use electronic payment of per diem directly to each student participating in the programs.

University issued credit cards generally eliminate the need for cash advances. In addition to convenience, credit cards reduce the financial risk of carrying cash or cash products. Therefore, advances are issued only to university employees for extended trips over 30 days or on trips in which the employee is acting as a group leader. Advances are not issued to individuals traveling for less than 30 days. If cash is needed on these trips, it can only be obtained with approval from the college/division controller authorizing an ATM cash withdrawal limit on the employee's Travel or Corporate card.

When approved in Workday, a cash advance settlement is initiated to the designated bank established on the payment election 14 days prior to departure.

The university considers a cash advance (whether through Workday or from an ATM) as a personal loan. The traveler must account for the cash advance within 30 calendar days of returning from their trip. After completing the expense report, if an employee owes money back to the university it will be recorded as an amount due to the university. The employee must promptly repay the amount due to the university. Travel advances left unsubstantiated and unspent balances not returned within 60 days will be reported on the compliance report distributed to the college/division and as taxable income to the employee.