Travel FAQ

General Travel FAQ

• Can my department admin submit a Travel Authorization on my behalf?

  • Yes. 

    If you are an employee, your department admin can start a Travel Authorization for you in FTS, but you will need to click the submit button to start the approval process. 

    If you are a student/candidate, the department admin can submit a Travel Approval Request Form [pdf] on your behalf.

• Can I submit a Travel Authorization that includes multiple destinations or stops?
  • Yes.  Every Travel Authorization should identify a destination; however, if the destination includes multiple stop points along the route, you can list the city as "Multiple" and include the details in the header comments.
• Can I submit a Travel Authorization that includes multiple trips to the same destination?

  • It depends. If a traveler only needs to be reimbursed for mileage, then we will allow a blanket travel authorization.  However, if the travel includes any other travel expenses, the traveler must submit a separate travel authorization for each trip.

• Will I still get reimbursed the full amount of my travel expenses if they exceed the approved amount on my Travel Authorization?
  • Travel Authorizations typically include estimated costs and exclude unforeseen expenses. However, your department will determine the amount to reimburse based on their budget and whether they want to pay above the approved amount.
• Will I be reimbursed if my preferred mode of transportation is not commonly used? How much would I be reimbursed? 

  • Yes, but you will be reimbursed for the cost of the most commonly used mode of transportation if it is more economical. A cost comparison should be obtained when making travel arrangements.

• Why haven't I received by reimbursement yet?

  • Please review whether the travel reimbursement has been submitted and reviewed by your department's Approving Official in FTS.

    Once the reimbursement has been fully approved, it must be reviewed by the Travel Specialist.  Please allow 10 business days for Payment Services to issue your payment.

    We recommend submitting the Employee Reimbursement Direct Deposit [DocuSign] to get your payments faster.

Restricted Travel FAQ

NOTE: The Travel Ban was repealed on September 13, 2023.  Travel that occurred on or after September 14, 2023 does not need to abide by these rules.

• What is AB 1887?

  • California Assembly Bill 1887 is state legislature that prohibits state funds from being used to travel to states with discriminatory laws.

• Which states are currently on the banned travel list?

  • See California Assembly Bill 1887 for a list of currently banned states.

• Are there any exceptions to the AB 1887 law?

  • Yes.  The following situations qualify for exception and would make state-funding an eligible funding source.

    • Enforcement of California law, including auditing and revenue collection.
    • Litigation.
    • To meet contractual obligations incurred before January 1, 2017.
    • To comply with requests by the federal government to appear before committees.
    • To participate in meetings or training required by a grant or required to maintain grant funding.
    • To complete job-required training necessary to maintain licensure or similar standards required for holding a position, in the event that comparable training cannot be obtained in California or a different state not subject to the travel prohibition.
    • For the protection of public health, welfare, or safety, as determined by the affected agency, department, board, authority, or commission, or by the affected legislative office.

    
    Please let us know which exception is applicable in the Travel Authorization header comments.

• Can I use PaCE funds for a trip to a Banned State?

  • PaCE funds (48XXX) are state funds and would fall into the not allowed to travel to the banned states.  An alternative option would be to use Tower Foundation or Research Foundation funding, if it's available to your department.

• Can my department pay for employee travel when they live in a banned state and are traveling to a non-banned state?

  • Yes, we can pay to return an employee to their home state, even if it's a banned state.

• Can my department pay for candidate/consultant/guest speaker travel when they come from a banned state?

  • Yes, we can pay for candidate, consultant, and guest speaker travel.  AB 1887 applies to state employees traveling on university business.

• Can my department pay for accreditation team travel when they come from a banned state?

  • Yes, we can pay for accreditation team travel.  AB 1887 applies to state employees traveling on university business.

GoCard FAQ

GoCard FAQs are addressed on the Procure to Pay page.

Virtual Meetings FAQ

• Do I need to submit a Travel Authorization for virtual meetings/conferences? 

  • Yes, a Travel Authorization is required for all employees who attend virtual meetings/conferences.  Please consult with your department for additional requirements or instructions.

    There is a possibility that virtual conferences may switch to in person.

• Why are we required to submit a Travel Authorization when there is no travel involved?

  • For staff, it informs your department of your participation in an event during business hours and facilitates the pre-approval of expenses.

    For faculty, their university class schedules must be covered in order for them to participate in the virtual event.

• Does a virtual meeting/conference registration require Presidential Approval?

  • No, virtual meetings/conferences do not require Presidential approval.

• How do I pay for a virtual meeting/conference registration?

  • Registration can be paid with the university GoCard or out of pocket by the employee/student. However, we recommend using the GoCard when possible to avoid putting an economical strain on the employee/student. If your GoCard gets declined, please contact the GoCard Coordinator for assistance.

• How do I request reimbursement if I paid out of pocket?

  • Reimbursement requests can be submitted in FTS as a Travel Reimbursement. Do not submit a Direct Pay and Employee/Student Reimbursement for travel claims as they will be declined. Please review the Travel Reimbursement Tutorial [pdf] for instructions on how to submit a claim in FTS.

    Note: SJSU employees have access to FTS Travel, but not students. If you are a student, please complete the Travel Reimbursement Request to submit a claim after the event.

• Is virtual attendance allowed if it’s being hosted from a restricted state?

  • Yes. However if the conference converts to being an in person event, the traveler must seek proper approval.

    Please see the Travel Guide [pdf] for details on restricted travel and a list of restricted States.

• I submitted a Travel Authorization for a virtual conference but now it has changed to an in person conference.  What should I do?

  • Travel Authorizations once approved cannot be changed or updated. Travelers can utilize the “clone” feature and resubmit the request with the new travel details and amounts for attending the conference in person.  Please reference the old Travel Authorization number in the header comments.

• What account code can I use in the chartfield when I submit the Travel Reimbursement for Virtual Meetings?

  • You may use Account code 660009 - Training and Professional Development for virtual conference/event registrations.

• If the registration is the only expense for this event and a GoCard was used, do I still submit a Travel Reimbursement in FTS?

  • Yes. Travel claims should still be submitted in FTS even if there is nothing to reimburse the participant.

    You should list Registration Fees under One-Time Charges and select "Yes" under Paid by SJSU.

• What if I have a student who is registering for a virtual.  This student does not show up in FTS, are we still required to submit this through Travel Reimbursement or can we use Employee Reimbursement?

  • For students, a Travel Authorization [pdf] is only required if the event is in-person or might change from virtual to in-person.  If the event is a dedicated virtual event, then a Travel Authorization is not required.  

    If the student does not show up in FTS, please submit a Travel Reimbursement Request to non-employee-travel@sjsu.edu.

    Please do not use FTS Employee/Student Reimbursement for student virtual travel as it will be rejected and a Travel Reimbursement Request will be requested in its place.

Covid Travel FAQ

Please review to our Covid Travel FAQs document.  This information will be updated based on state and county guidelines.