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 Non-Employee Travel Authorization 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.

GoCard FAQ

GoCard FAQs are addressed on the Procure to Pay page.

Meals and Incidental Expenses FAQ

Meals and incidental FAQs are addressed in the SJSU Travel Guide - Appendix K.

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 SJSU Travel Guide 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 Non-Employee Travel Authorization 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.