Student Travel
TWU is excited to be able to offer funding to students for their travel. Please review the information presented here carefully for student travel procedures and information on allowed and prohibited travel expenses for individual student travel.
Student Travel Procedures
Departments or units sponsoring student travel should provide an award letter to the students notifying them of their award. Students must sign this letter acknowledging the award and requirements. Template letters are available below, depending on the type of travel award.
If a department or unit sponsoring student travel wants to pay a student a predetermined amount in advance of travel.
Use this Student Travel Award Letter Template
If a department or unit sponsoring student travel wants to pay a student for actual expenses after travel.
Use this Student Travel Reimbursement Letter. Please note that this award letter should be signed by the student prior to travel occurring.
Accounts Payable Procedures
Check Requests – Student Travel
Student travel check requests will have new requirements effective September 1, 2025.
Student Travel Awards
Student travel awards pay a student a predetermined amount in advance of travel.
Effective September 1, 2025, Accounts Payable will require that the award letter be signed by the student receiving the award.
Student Travel Reimbursements
Student travel reimbursements pay a student for actual expenses after travel.
Effective September 1, 2025, Accounts Payable will require an award letter to reimburse students for travel on a check request. The award letter must be signed by the student receiving the award.
The department or unit sponsoring the student’s travel will be responsible for the following:
- Providing the student the award letter, obtaining their signature, and communicating allowable expenses. Information about award letters and allowable expenses may be found in the links above.
- Collecting the receipts from the student and verifying all expenses are allowable.
- Ensuring the reimbursement is made based on submitted receipts eligible for reimbursement, not to exceed the amount originally awarded. If the total of submitted receipts is less than the awarded amount, the department or unit should only reimburse the student for actual expenses.
- Saving all receipts and documentation from the student in the department or unit’s shared drive. Receipts and documentation must be saved for three years after the fiscal year in which the student is paid.
- Preparing the check request. The following information must be present in the Description box of the check request or the check request will be returned:
- Full name of the conference or reason for student travel. Please do not include any acronyms.
- Dates of travel.
- The following statement: “All receipts and documentation supporting this reimbursement have been saved in the [Name of department or unit]’s shared drive.”
- Submitting the check request to TWUPayables@twu.edu with only the signed award letter attached.
- Check requests with receipts included will be returned to the preparer, as it is the responsibility of the department or unit sponsoring the student travel to retain those records.
For questions on how to prepare the check request, please contact Accounts Payable at TWUPayables@twu.edu
For questions related to student travel procedures, please contact the Center for Student Involvement at getinvolved@twu.edu
Some exceptions to this policy may apply at the discretion of Financial Services.
Student Travel Reimbursement Policy
All receipts must show the date, item(s) purchased, and dollar amount paid. Reservation or booking details are not sufficient documentation to provide reimbursement.
Receipts must be returned with 30 days after the last day of travel. Receipts returned after this date will only be considered under exceptional circumstances.
Allowable Expenses: These expenses are eligible for reimbursement if proper documentation is provided.
- Registration Fees (in person or virtual)
- Airfare
- If driving a personal vehicle, mileage driven is reimbursable at 70 cents per mile. Maps showing starting location, ending location, and miles driven must be provided.
- Rental Car and Rental Car Gas
- Ground transportation to and from the airport or conference location
- Hotel or other lodging
- Meal expenses following per diem meal restrictions based upon location of travel.
Prohibited Expenses: These expenses are not eligible for reimbursement.
- Alcohol
- State Occupancy Tax
- Hotels should be provided a Tax Exemption Certificate
- Gas expenses when driving a personal vehicle
- Souvenirs
- Tourist activities
- Items purchased outside of date of travel
- Personal expenses: medication, toiletries, clothing
For questions on how to prepare the check request, please contact Accounts Payable at TWUPayables@twu.edu
For questions related to student travel procedures, please contact the Center for Student Involvement getinvolved@twu.edu
Page last updated 9:40 AM, September 24, 2025