Mileage Reimbursement Policy Change

Please be advised that as of January 1, 2021—in accordance with Internal Revenue Service guidelines—the reimbursement rate for use of personal vehicles for business travel is 56.0 cents per mile driven, reduced from 57.5 cents for 2020. This rate is intended to reimburse employees for all costs incurred, including insurance, gas, oil, wear and tear, and repairs. Such charges are not permissible as separate reimbursable expenses.

This rate does not apply to the use of University-owned or leased vehicles assigned to employees. Policies covering these vehicles are included in the University’s Employer-Provided Vehicles Policies and Procedures Manual.  

The University defines business use of personal automobiles as travel to and from destinations for the sole purpose of conducting business on behalf of the University. The employee’s commute “to and from” work is not considered business use. Only miles in excess of the employee’s commute are considered business use and are eligible for reimbursement. Mileage should be calculated using your campus as the starting point. When traveling to other locations, employees should check their odometer readings at the beginning and end of each trip to determine the number of miles to be submitted for reimbursement. 

All full-time faculty, administrators, and staff must use the Concur Travel and Expense (T&E) Reporting System for reimbursement. The software automatically calculates the travel miles upon insertion of the origin and destination of the trip, and then calculates the reimbursement amount based upon those travel miles multiplied by the reimbursement rate.

Another way to document mileage driven is to print your trip mileage from Google Maps or from a similar type of website that calculates “to and from” mileage. Charges for tolls and parking are reimbursable. Original receipts must be provided for charges of $25 or more. E-ZPass^® statements may be used to support E-ZPass^® charges.

Part-time employees and students who travel on behalf of the University and do not have access to the Concur T&E Reporting System should use the appropriate University Travel Request and Expense Reimbursement Form, which is posted to the University’s Business Affairs Intranet site (under the Employee Travel Resources drop-down menu). The forms may be used to add and calculate expenses.

For additional information about payment and reimbursement policies and procedures, contact Accounts Payable or refer to the University’s Business Expense Policies and Procedures Manual, which can be found on the University’s Intranet site on the Employee Resources page.