Travel Information
- Obtain documented permission from supervisor (email or other documentation) and a copy of the agenda related to the trip.
- Work with the department admin assistant to book any needed flights, hotels, conference registrations, and other costs that can be booked before the trip.
- The traveler is responsible for keeping all receipts to document expenses incurred on the trip (whether paid for personally or with Travel PCard). All receipts must be provided digitally to department admin asst for travel reconciliation.
- Out-of-state travel requires a Travel Authorization (TA) be created in ctcLink and routed for approval before the trip occurs. (ctcLink Directions to Create a Travel Authorization).
- The TA Preparer submits the TA and it routes to the Travel Administrator in the Business Office for review and budget check.
- A Travel Authorization provides an estimate of all travel costs for the trip including hotel, airfare, registration fees, per diem, rental cars, etc., as well as the agenda for the trip.
- Once reviewed and budget checked, the TA is automatically routed to the supervisor/budget manager for approval.
- Once approved, it routes to the Vice President of the division for final approval.
- The traveler is responsible for keeping all receipts to document expenses incurred on the trip (whether paid for personally or with Travel PCard). All receipts must be provided digitally to department admin asst for travel reconciliation.
- International travel requires a Travel Authorization (TA) be created in ctcLink and routed for approval before the trip occurs (ctcLink Directions to Create a Travel Authorization).
- The TA Preparer submits the TA and it routes to the Travel Administrator in the Business Office for review and budget check.
- A Travel Authorization provides an estimate of all travel costs for the trip including hotel, airfare, registration fees, per diem, rental cars, etc., as well as the agenda for the trip.
- Once reviewed and budget checked, the TA is automatically routed to the supervisor/budget manager for approval.
- Once approved, it routes to the Vice President of the division for approval.
- All International Travel is then routed to the President for final approval.
- The traveler is responsible for keeping all receipts to document expenses incurred on the trip (whether paid for personally or with Travel PCard). All receipts must be provided digitally to department admin asst for travel reconciliation.
Post Trip Expense Reports/Reimbursement
Expense Reports
- Once the trip is complete, the traveler (or the department admin assistant) prepare and submit an Expense Report in ctcLink for travel reconciliation and reimbursement, if needed. (ctcLink Directions for Expense Report)
- The Travel Administrator in the Business Office will budget check then push the Expense Report to the Supervisor/Budget Manager for approval.
- Travelers will need to provide all receipts from the travel to the department administrative assistant for travel reconciliation/recordkeeping. Any unexpected expenses paid out of personal funds require a receipt for reimbursement.
- Any other supporting documentation should be provided to the department administrative assistant to complete the Expense Report.
- If the traveler received a Cash Advance and didn’t spend all the funds, the traveler is required to return remaining funds to Cashiering in the Business Services Office upon their return.
- Once the Expense Report has routed through all approvals, the traveler will be notified by the Business Services office that their reimbursement check is ready. The check can be mailed to the traveler’s home address in ctcLink or picked up from the Business Office.
Detailed procedures for specific elements of travel can be found below.
Note: For all travel, an agenda or other documentation justifying the trip must be uploaded on the Travel Authorization (TA) or Expense Report. If no agenda is available, then and email or something of that nature stating the justification for the trip is required.
Once travel has been approved by the Budget Manager/Supervisor via E-Mail or Travel Authorization form, the Department Admin Assistant or Traveler may purchase airfare in the most economically responsible way. There are two choices in booking air travel:
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- The traveler/admin assistant may book flights directly on the airline website using the traveler’s PCard or Department PCard
- OR the traveler/admin assistant may contact World Wide Travel Service (WWTS) to get assistance with booking flights. (509.525.8040). Allow extra time for this choice.
- Hotel reservations and conference registrations may be made using traveler’s PCard or Department PCard.
- For hotel reservations, select the government rate.
- Room Charge and Tax may be paid with PCard. Miscellaneous charges are not allowed.
- AirBnB’s and VRBO’s are NOT allowed for college travel.
Motor Pool Vehicles | Personal Cars | Rental Cars |
To reserve a vehicle, complete the Motor Pool Vehicle Reservation form with the dates of your trip and what kind of vehicle you will be requiring.
Come to the Business office between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday to obtain/return the vehicle (key) packet. For departures outside of regular business hours, please pick up your vehicle packet by 4:00 p.m. the prior business day. Be prepared to show a current valid driver’s license. Failure to disclose restrictions, suspensions, or multiple traffic offenses will result in loss of motor pool privileges. Motor pool vehicles are parked in the reserved “state vehicle parking” area next to the main parking lot. Please return your vehicle to one of those reserved spaces. And…Upon return, refuel the vehicle to full, obtain the gas receipt and put it in the vehicle packet if you used the Business Services PCard. Give the receipt to your department administrative for reconciling if you used a department or assigned PCard. If no Motorpool vehicle is available and you are traveling over 350 miles. Please utilize Enterprise Rental Car Service for your travel. |
The college prefers employees use a motor pool vehicle whenever reasonable and one is available. If no motor pool vehicle is available (or circumstances warrant the use of a personal vehicle), then mileage will be reimbursed at the GSA State Rate.
To determine point-to-point travel, the state administrative accounting manual requires the use of a standard highway guide. For WWCC, the standard highway guide will be Google Maps. If the traveler would like to keep track of the actual starting and return odometer readings, this method could be used instead of the method of point-to-point mileage. DO NOT round mileage. The mileage rate is not rounded, so the miles should not be rounded. Mileage is reimbursed using the Expense Report process in ctcLink. |
The State of Washington currently contracts with Enterprise Rental Car for vehicle reservations. To make arrangements, copy and paste the following address to your browser: https://www.enterprise.com/en/home.html.
Select airport and dates and put in Account #45WA048Select a “standard” car. Decline supplemental insurance offers – the state contract already includes all the insurance you need. Do not choose refueling option, it is never cheaper. Always fill the gas before returning vehicle. Bring the original receipt given to you when you return the car back to your respective department administrative assistant for travel reconciliation/recordkeeping. Enterprise will pick you up and drop you off during normal business hours. |
Per Diem
When requesting meal per diem reimbursement for day trips, the traveler must be traveling three hours or more beyond their regularly scheduled working hours.
- Traveler must also be traveling within the time frame below:
- Breakfast: Up to 7:30 am (if you leave WWCC after 7:30 am, you can’t claim breakfast)
- Lunch: 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, must be in travel status the entire timeframe
- Dinner: after 6:30 pm (if you get back to WWCC by 6:30 pm, you can’t claim a dinner)
- If a continental breakfast (with a protein) or conference-provided breakfast is available, the traveler will not receive breakfast per diem.
- If lunch or dinner is provided by the conference/training, the traveler will not receive lunch or dinner per diem.
- If the traveler receives a cash advance for meals and then some meals get provided, the traveler will owe that money back to the Business Services Cashiering window upon return.
If you have any questions about whether a meal qualifies for per diem, please contact the college travel administrator.
Cash Advances
Cash Advances can be requested for the following conditions:
- Employees whose cash advance amount is greater than $100
- Students traveling with an instructor/coach and experiencing financial hardship (even if the total is less than $100). Note: students receiving cash advances will need to provide the instructor/coach with their Student ID and signature accepting the funds provided. The signature sheet must be given to the department administrative assistant and used as documentation on the Expense Report.