Office of Procurement Services

Plan/Book Travel

Use these guidelines to understand official VCU travel requirements, allowable expenses, and policies before making any arrangements.

Responsibility & authorization

  • Pre-approval required: All official travel must be authorized before booking.
  • Fiscal responsibility: Expenses must be reasonable, necessary, and documented.
  • Compliance: Adhering to policy ensures your trip is eligible for reimbursement.

Understand Responsibility & Authorization

 International travel 

  • Compliance checks: Review mandatory university global safety protocols.
  • Planning tips: Access resources for passport, visa, and insurance requirements.
  • Reimbursement: Understand specialized rules for foreign currency and receipts.

Learn about International Travel

Transportation options

  • Air & rail: Standard routing rules apply. (add link to guidelines section)
  • Ground travel: Guidelines cover vehicle rentals and personal vehicle mileage rates. (add link to guidelines section)

Learn about Ground Transportation options

Lodging

  • Rate Limits: 200% of GSA/Conus lodging caps apply based on location.
  • Documentation: Itemized hotel folios are required for reimbursement.

Learn about Lodging

Meal per diem

  • Daily Allowances: Reimbursed via fixed per diem rates, not actual receipts.
  • Incidental Expenses: Small travel tips and fees are covered within the daily rate.
  • Proration: First and last days of travel are paid at 75% of the daily rate.

Learn about Meal Per Diem

Book your travel

All university business-related air and rail travel must be booked through  Collegiate Travel Planners (CTP), VCU’s mandated Travel Management Company (TMC). When using CTP, payments are made with the university's Agency Travel Card (ATC). Business travelers are encouraged to utilize Collegiate Travel Planners for lodging and vehicle rental as well to receive the benefits associated with VCU’s managed travel program.

⚠ Critical pre-booking rules

  • › Mandatory use: You must use CTP to guarantee policy compliance and reimbursement.
  • › Duty of care: Mandatory booking enables VCU to locate and assist you during emergencies.
  • › Profile setup: You cannot book until your online profile is fully updated.
  • › Mixed travel: If adding personal days, you must document a business-only cost quote from CTP at the time of booking. VCU only reimburses the business portion.

Profile setup (mandatory) 

Before booking in the Online Booking Tool (OBT), also known as Lightning, complete your profile:

  • TSA exact match: First, middle, and last names must perfectly match your government photo ID.
  • Mobile number: Required for real-time travel alerts and CTP communication.
  • Travel arrangers: Optionally designate colleagues to book travel on your behalf.
  • Personal credit card: Save a card to secure your hotel and rental car reservations.

Download the CTM-Profile-User-Guide.pdf

Booking tools & resources 

Additional resources