All travel policies under OSCAR funds are set forth by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Travel is highly regulated, even for Mason staff. If you have ANY questions about travel related expenses, please contact us at OSCAR@gmu.edu.
Air and Rail Travel
Purchase the airline ticket yourself and after your conference date, you can submit the receipt for reimbursement within your USTF application. As there are specific submission receipt requirements, see example receipt guidelines before submission.
Remember to submit receipts no later than one month after travel.
DO! |
DON'T! |
Purchase economy, non-refundable tickets. |
Do not purchase first class or pay for seat selection |
If applicable, submit Airline Baggage Receipt |
Do not purchase trip protection |
If applicable, submit at the most economical airport parking receipt |
Do not purchase a refundable ticket |
Taxi and Rideshares
When traveling, you can be reimbursed for ride share travel that is:
-
Travel to and from airport/train station
-
Travel to and from airport/train station to hotel
-
Travel to and from hotel to conference
-
We cannot reimburse for a tip over 15%
DO! |
DON'T! |
Save itemized receipts from rideshare company |
Do not submit receipts for personal rideshare travel |
|
We cannot reimburse for a tip over 15% |
Hotel
When submitting hotel receipts, the receipt must include your name, dates of stay, list the itemized charges to the room, and state the balance is $0 and is paid is full.
DO! |
DON'T! |
Send itemized receipts from hotel |
Do not charge additional items to your room: internet, alcohol, food, etc. |
Please contact oscar@gmu.edu if you shared a hotel with another USTF conference participant |
|
Car Travel
Car travel for USTF is permitted if the cost of car travel does not exceed the alternative cost of the most economical air travel.
Example: Traveling to a conference to Houston, Texas, the most economical means is to travel by airplane. If traveling to Baltimore, the most economical means by car or train.
DO! |
DON'T! |
Submit a roundtrip starting address and ending address. |
Do not get a rental car for car travel without pre-approval from the OSCAR office. |
Submit itemized parking receipts. |
Do not submit gas receipts. |
Group Travel
If you plan on sharing resources during group travel, please split costs as much as possible.
If you share expenses with another USTF group participant, please submit a brief description on which expenses were split and submit any receipts for your portion for reimbursement.
DO! |
DON'T! |
Submit a small description on who you shared expenses with, along with details on how you split expenses. |
Don’t submit reimbursements for family or friends who were not awarded USTF funds. |
Other Receipts Allowable
- Airline Baggage Fees
- Airport Parking (most economical only)
- Public Transportation expenses (business travel only)
All reimbursement receipts must be submitted after 1 month of travel.