An Emburse (formerly Chrome River) pre-approval is required for all overnight travel involving employees, students, and candidates. It is not required for same day travel.

Yes, each traveler must have their own pre-approval report. (If you are assisting multiple people, you can complete and submit one pre-approval first, then duplicate it for the remaining travelers to streamline the process).

• Conference materials: Agendas or schedules that confirm conference dates, location, hotel rates, registration fees, and any meals provided.
• Expense estimates: Supporting documentation to substantiate estimated costs and demonstrate the most efficient and economical travel methods are being used. Examples include airfare and lodging quotes.
• International Travel: A completed Emergency Contact & Permission Form is required for all international travel. Please refer to the Office of Global Engagement's webpage on International Travel for additional information.

To ensure the pre-approval routes to the appropriate Budget Unit Managers, all funding and non-funding FOAPALS must be included in the report header. The traveler's primary FOAPAL must always be included, even if no funds are being charged to it, so the traveler's supervisor can approve the travel request.

Foundation-funded expenses should be allocated to organization code 222222 to ensure pre-approval routes to the Executive Director of the Stockton University Foundation. Additionally, the fund to be charged should be included in the business purpose or noted as a comment on the report.

Yes. If you are traveling overnight on University business, you must complete a pre-approval. Enter $1 for expenses to obtain the necessary travel authorization from the appropriate approvers.

After submitting a report, go to the traveler’s Submitted folder and select the report. Click Tracking to see who currently has the report for approval. If additional routing steps are required, you can click the numbered steps to view the upcoming approvers.

If a proxy submits the report on behalf of the traveler, the report will first route to the traveler for approval and then proceed to the appropriate Budget Unit Manager.

Emburse will send email notifications to both the traveler and the pre-approval creator if the report is returned for correction or once it receives full approval.

Travelers are permitted to stay at the following types of lodging:

• Conference Hotels or Recommended Accommodations:
  Travelers attending conferences may stay at the official conference hotel or at accommodations recommended by the event organizers. In these cases, lodging rates may exceed the standard per diem to support professional networking opportunities. Documentation from the event must be provided to verify the recommended hotel(s).
• Standard Lodging Within Per Diem Limits:
  Travelers may also choose accommodations that do not exceed the established domestic or foreign daily lodging per diem rates, as applicable.

Per State of New Jersey OMB Circular 20-04, no allowance for lodging is permitted for in-State travel.

On a limited basis, exceptions may be requested by providing justification and obtaining approval from the Budget Unit Manager and Divisional Executive. The approval documentation must be attached to the pre-approval report.

Employees may use alternate lodging provided the cost does not exceed the applicable daily per diem lodging rate.

For students, alternate lodging is not recommended. Any request for student lodging at alternate locations must be reviewed and approved in advance by the Risk Manager and attached to the pre-approval.

Travelers must make every effort to secure lodging at or below the applicable daily per diem lodging rate. If lodging at the per diem rate is unavailable, travelers may select the next most economical option, provided that the cost is reasonable and documented.

Any exception to the per diem lodging rate must be justified in writing and receive prior approval from the Budget Unit Manager and Divisional Executive. The approval documentation must be attached to the pre-approval.

Per diem meals are authorized only when overnight travel is required. 

To add per diem meals to a pre-approval report:

1. Under the Meals expense category, select the Per Diem Wizard.

2. Enter the start and end dates of travel, as well as the location.

3. The first and last days of travel are automatically designated as travel days and are reimbursed at 75% of the total meals and incidental expense (M&IE) rate for the destination.

4. Any meals included with a conference registration or provided by other sources must be deducted from the per diem reimbursement.

   • Example: If continental breakfast is provided by the hotel, check the box next to Breakfast on each applicable day to deduct the amount from the authorized per diem.

Yes, the meals and incidental expense (M&IE) rate does include taxes and tips, so travelers will not be reimbursed separately for those items.

Group meal transactions must include the pre-approval number for each traveler in Bank of America Works. The numbers should be entered in the Reference field or included in a comment on the transaction.

Each item on the itemized receipt should indicate which traveler consumed the meal to ensure accurate tracking of per diem allowances.

Alternatively, the total meal cost may be evenly divided among all travelers listed.

Travelers are responsible for booking their own flights or may choose to use our contracted travel agency, Newark Gateway Travel Services, Inc. Contact information can be found on our Travel webpage. Please note that there is a $25 airfare booking fee per ticket when using their services; however, the fee is reduced to $20 per ticket if you're booking for 10 or more travelers.

Travelers must use the most economical air travel available. Additional costs associated with classes of service other than economy/coach are not eligible for payment or reimbursement from University funds.

The University will cover the expense for one carry-on (if applicable) and one standard checked bag. An exception can be made if excess baggage is required to transport items needed for a presentation or equipment for research, etc.

Exceptions may be requested by providing justification and obtaining approval from the Budget Unit Manager and Divisional Executive. The approval documentation must be attached to the pre-approval.

Seat selection, seat upgrades and early check-ins are considered personal expenses and the associated costs are the responsibility of the traveler. 

To reserve a University vehicle, complete a Vehicle Request Form. The Use of University-Owned Vehicles Procedure must be reviewed and followed prior to submitting the request.

The use of taxis or ridesharing services is authorized only when necessary for University business purposes. 

This includes transportation to and from airports. (However, when used from home to the airport and the airport to home, reimbursement will be limited to an amount equal to the cost of driving a personal vehicle, including applicable mileage reimbursement and parking fees.)

Transportation to a restaurant while traveling is considered a personal choice rather than a business necessity and therefore is not reimbursable. Travelers are encouraged to select dining options located within or near a conference hotel, conference site, or within reasonable walking distance.

All other use of taxi or rideshare services while traveling must be supported by a clear business necessity.

Car rentals are only permitted when the rental is necessary for the conduct of University business and public transportation is impractical. Justification to support these criteria should be noted on the pre-approval.

All car rentals must be for economy or subcompact vehicles unless an exception, such as when multiple travelers require a larger vehicle, is approved by the Budget Unit Manager and Divisional Executive.

Travelers may use car services for transportation to and from the airport. However, reimbursement will be limited to an amount equal to the cost of driving a personal vehicle, including applicable mileage reimbursement and parking fees. Any costs exceeding this amount will be considered a personal expense. A cost comparison must be calculated and attached to the pre-approval request for review and authorization.

You may be reimbursed for mileage when using a personal vehicle for official University business, provided the total mileage for the day exceeds the roundtrip mileage between your home and official station (e.g., Galloway campus).

CWA members: Reimbursement is based on the CWA contractual mileage rate, which will be listed as "CWA Rate" in Emburse.

All other employees: The IRS mileage rate applies; however, for grant-funded travel, the applicable rate must be confirmed with the Grant Manager, as the State mileage rate may apply in certain cases.

1. Navigate to the Mileage Entry
• Select Transportation → Personal Vehicle Mileage.
2. Enter Trip Details
• Under Miles, click on Calculate Mileage and enter all trip details.
• Multiple business-related stops may be included.
3. Select the Appropriate Rate
• Choose the correct mileage rate from the available options.
4. Select the Departure Location
• A Departure Location must be selected from the available options.
• If Home is selected:
• Enter your normal one-way commute in the Deduction field. If your business trip ends at home, enter the round-trip commute instead.
• If no deduction applies (e.g., business travel on a non‑work day), provide a response to the warning message.

Examples of Mileage Reimbursement

Example 1: Travel on a Workday

• Normal one-way commute (home → Stockton University): 20 miles
• Business travel (Stockton → Philadelphia → home): 120 miles
• Reimbursable mileage: 120-20 = 100 miles

Example 2: Travel on a Workday

• Normal one-way commute (home → Stockton University): 20 miles (40 miles round trip)
• Business trip (home → Philadelphia → home): 120 miles
• Reimbursable mileage: 120-40 = 100 miles

Example 3: Travel on a Non-Workday

• Normal commute deduction does not apply
• Business trip (home → Philadelphia → home): 120 miles
• Reimbursable mileage: 120 miles

An employee's official workstation is the location where the employee regularly performs their duties as designated by their department. 

When it is necessary to assign an employee to another office or location, the place to which the employee is assigned is designated as a temporary official workstation.

Yes. When working remotely, your home is not considered an official workstation for travel reimbursement purposes. Therefore, your normal commute must still be deducted from any travel or mileage calculations.

Travel expenses may be paid using one of the following methods:

• University-Issued Credit Card:
  Employees may use a University-issued P-Card for approved business travel. If the traveler does not have their own P-Card, the department’s P-Card may be used to prepay allowable travel expenses.
• Purchase Order-Group Travel Only:
  Travelers may request a University check to prepay certain expenses, such as conference registrations or hotel deposits.
• Personal Funds:
  Travelers who use personal funds for approved business travel will be reimbursed after the trip has taken place and after submitting appropriate documentation and receipts.

Travelers may use personal loyalty or rewards programs (including frequent flyer and hotel programs) and retain any associated benefits, provided there is no additional cost to the University and all travel otherwise complies with University policy.

University-funded travel only

Same-Day Travel: Reimbursement is processed as a Direct Pay. A completed Travel Voucher Form and all supporting documentation and receipts must be attached.

Overnight Travel: Reimbursements are processed as Expense Reports in Emburse Enterprise (Chrome River). A corresponding approved pre-approval report and receipts for all reimbursable expenses are required.

For both same-day and overnight travel, all expenses—not just those being reimbursed—must be included on the Travel Voucher Form or Expense Report, as these documents serve as reconciliation for the entire trip. 

Yes. Itemized receipts are required for all travel expenses except per diem meal reimbursements.

If a traveler pays for meal expenses with personal funds, instead of using a P-Card itemized receipts are not required to request reimbursement for the approved per diem amount.

If the expense was charged to a University P-Card and an itemized receipt is unavailable, the traveler must obtain approval to close the transaction as a one-time exception from the Budget Unit Manager and Divisional Executive. The written approval must be attached to the transaction.

If the expense was paid out of pocket, a credit card statement showing the charge may be submitted in place of the missing receipt.

• For all food-related purchases, the traveler must also certify that no alcohol was purchased.

If a traveler is unable to attend a booked trip, they must make reasonable efforts to transfer prepaid expenses to another attendee or obtain refunds.

Any travel credits received, such as for airfare, must be used for another University business event or conference. If the credit is not used for University purposes, the traveler is responsible for reimbursing the University.

To reimburse the University, submit your cash or check payment along with a completed Transmittal Form to the Bursar’s Office. Please include the TXN number on the form if the payment is related to a P-Card transaction. The Bursar’s Office will sign the form and provide you with a copy, which should then be attached to the transaction in Bank of America Works.

Alternatively, if a traveler is due a reimbursement, any amount owed to the University can be deducted directly on the Expense Report or Direct Pay.

Student overnight travel reports must be submitted under the department's "SU Student..." profile in Emburse Enterprise. Please note the following: 

• Select “Student Group Travel” as the report type.
• If students will be reimbursed individually, submit a separate report for each student.
• If the University is covering all expenses, a single group report is sufficient.
• For group reports, use the Group Travel expense types, which allow you to enter the number of students for each expense and simplify calculations.

Student travel reports require the same documentation as employee travel, including:

• Conference agenda/Business purpose

• Quotes or estimates supporting projected expenses

Additionally:

• Hotel name and address must be included in lodging expense line items (required for Clery Act reporting).

• A list of student travelers with emergency contact information must be submitted to Campus.Police@stockton.edu prior to departure.

This information does not need to be attached to the report, but the system will prompt for it as a reminder during report submission.

Student travel reimbursement should be processed as a Direct Pay. A complete Travel Voucher Form and all supporting receipts must be attached. For overnight travel, the voucher form must also include the corresponding pre-approval number.

Eligible Candidate travel reports must be submitted under the department's "SU Candidate..." profile in Emburse Enterprise. Please note the following: 

• Select “Candidate or Non Employee” as the report type.

• A single report may be completed for multiple candidates within the same search.

• The candidate's itinerary should be attached as part of the backup documentation.

Candidates should pay for airfare and hotel deposits out of pocket and submit the expenses for reimbursement after their visit.