Travel Pre-Approval

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Obtaining necessary permission and pre-approvals confirm reimbursement eligibility and ensure traveler safety. Because university travel is funded by the institution and/or grant sources, all travel expense accounts are open to the public and must withstand public audit. 

For more information related to responsibilities and rules applicable to a VCU Traveler or the Pre-Approval process, please see:

• Business Travel Policy
• Travel Standards and Guidelines (PDF version)
• VCU Code of Conduct
• Creating a Pre-Approval/Travel Request

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Permission

For all university-affiliated travel, a traveler must seek clearance for their particular trip or event and complete any necessary pre-approval process required within Emburse.  This permission must be fully granted prior to booking any travel arrangements or incurring expenses.

Individual schools, centers, or departments may establish additional travel policies. These local requirements may be stricter than VCU's overarching travel standards, but they cannot be more permissive. Departments must consult travel@vcu.edu when developing any internal guidelines.

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Emburse pre-approval

Pre-approvals allow you to obtain pre-authorization for an expense before it is incurred or a reservation is made in Collegiate Travel Planners (CTP). An Emburse Pre-Approval is required for:

• ✓ Travel expenses estimated to exceed $500
• ✓ Any travel booking made through CTP, regardless of cost
• ✓ All University-related travel to campus for fully remote workers, as determined by HR, regardless of dollar amount and funding source

Each employee has a profile within Emburse which is associated with their position and their department, school or center. Each school, department or center has a designated work flow. Please check with your fiscal administrator to learn the designated individuals who approve your pre-approval and/or expense reports.

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Approval flow options

Each major budget unit (MBU), whether a specific school, department or center, has a pre-determined approval workflow. There are three (3) standard approval flow options for pre-approvals and expense reports. Each traveler should contact their fiscal administrator, as listed on the University Controller's site, to know their designated workflow. The workflow options are below:

Option	Pre-Approval	Expense Report
1	AA	AA, FA (if no pre-approval attached) FA (if pre-approval attached)
2	FA, AA	FA, AA (if no pre-approval attached) FA (if pre-approval attached)
3	AA, FA	AA, FA (if no pre-approval attached) FA (if pre-approval attached)

AA: Authorized Approver  /  FA: Fiscal Approver

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Cost estimates

Your travel cost estimate must reflect the total cost of the trip. Include all projected expenses, such as lodging, transportation, meals, conference registration, and course fees. The estimate must also include items paid directly by the University, such as airfare booked through CTP using the ATC, direct-billed car rentals, and prepaid registrations. Other things to consider are:

• › When making cost estimates, travelers should use GSA per diem rates for meals and actual rates for lodging.
• › University pre-paid transportation must be booked through contracted vendors.
• › Incidental expenses, such as parking, baggage fees, tolls, etc., should be included in any estimate.
• › If the traveler will combine personal days with their business trip, the traveler should consult the Travel Standards and Guidelines.

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Pre-approval encumbrance

Pre-approvals are estimates only. Pre-approvals will create an encumbrance on the Index selected and will be liquidated once attached to an expense report.

Should the submitted Expense Report dollar amount be >10% or >$100 of the Pre-approval cost estimate, the expense submitter will be prompted by the Emburse system to seek an additional level of approval for the expense.

All fully approved Emburse Pre-approvals will create an encumbrance in Banner Account 638066. Pre-approvals must be attached to an expense report to liquidate the Banner encumbrance. The encumbrance will be fully liquidated when the expense report is fully approved and exported. If the Pre-approval is not attached to the expense report, the Fiscal Administrator will have to manually liquidate the encumbrance in Banner.

For instructions for planning and booking travel arrangements, please visit the Plan & Book Travel page. Please log into Emburse to begin your Pre-approval request.