Travel Updates

Contact Information

UW-La Crosse Travel Manager:
Ann Brennan – Primary
abrennan@uwsa.edu  
608-262-7455

Upcoming Trainings

UWSA Travel Open House

  • Next Open House – Fall 2023 

UWL Travel Training
Thursday, September 21 (Virtual)
2:00pm-3:00pm
Register Here

UWL E-Reimbursement Training

Wednesday, September 27 (Virtual)

11:00am-12:00pm

Register Here

If you have trouble with the registration links, please try another browser.

Travel Guidance

Getting Started

Top Ten Things to Know Before You Travel

  1. Airline reservations for University-sponsored travel are required to be made with Travel Incorporated, either within Concur, the online self-booking tool, or with a Travel Incorporated Consultant.  Use of online brokers or search sites such as Expedia, Travelocity, Kayak, etc. are prohibited and will not be reimbursed by the University. 
    1. All employees should have a Concur profile.  If you do not have a profile, please register for Concur prior to booking travel.
    2. Please visit the UW TravelWIse Concur page for more information about the online booking tool. 
  2. All non-conference site lodging reservations should be made through Concur or through a Travel Incorporated Consultant.
    1. Effective with a policy change on July 1, 2020 – UW System employees may be reimbursed for bookings done on Airbnb. 
      *Prior to booking, please review all cancellation policies, and check with your department to ensure compliance with departmental policies. Ultimate approval of reimbursement of Airbnb costs, including any forfeited deposits, is dependant on the University or Departmental policies. Please click here for more information on booking with Airbnb.
    2. Use of any other online brokers or third-party sites such as hotels.com, VRBO, etc. are prohibited and will not be reimbursed by the University. 
    3. Prior to reserving conference site lodging, search Concur for the conference site hotel to determine if there is a lower rate available. If so, make your reservation within Concur. 
    4. Concur displays available room types and rates directly from hotel suppliers.  Room types and rates available are not specific to UW System and may be above what UW policy allows. Travelers must adhere to the location rate maximums and only reserve single/standard rooms.
    5. To find the location rate maximums use the Lodging/Meal and Incidental Calculator
    6. Please consult the UW System Hotel Directory for a complete list of contracted properties by location.     
  3. Please keep in mind the following tips regarding Meals and Incidentals:
    1. Receipts are not required for Meals and Incidentals Expenses.
    2. If the trip does not include an overnight stay, the traveler is limited to a $15 tax reportable day trip meal allowance.  This meal allowance can be claimed even if a meal was provided.
  4. Hosted Meals must stay within meal maximums (breakfast $20, lunch $21, dinner $35 for in-state meals), require itemized receipts, and an approved Food Expense Approval Form.
  5. Rental vehicles are required to be reserved through Enterprise or National using the UWSA contract. Local reservations can be made directly with Enterprise (La Crosse Downtown 608-785-7400 prompt 4 or La Crosse Airport 608-781-5094) or National (La Crosse Airport 608-781-5678).  However, out-of-state rentals must be made through Concur or through a Travel Incorporated consultant.  When Enterprise or National do not serve the location of travel or if vehicles are not available, Hertz may be used under the State of Wisconsin (WSCA) contract.
    1. Eligible renters are classified as all University authorized drivers age 18 and over. Authorized drivers 18-20 are restricted to domestic rentals only. Rentals are limited to compact/standard/intermediate vehicle classes unless there are business needs that require larger classes of vehicles. Claims for reimbursement beyond standard/intermediate vehicle classes (i.e. trucks, vans, etc.) for reasons such as transporting extra passengers, carrying cargo or bulky equipment, etc., must be explained on the expense report.
    2. Any person (employee, student, volunteer) who will be driving a vehicle (personally owned or rented) on University business must be authorized to drive. To become an authorized driver, review the Driver Authorization Policy and complete a Vehicle Use Agreement (VUA). Employees and students must complete an electronic VUA by logging into the Wisconsin Department of Administration VUA Sign-up Portal. Volunteers must complete a paper VUA and submit it to Business Services. Drivers with out‐of‐state driver licenses must attach the Notarized Statement of Driving Record form to their VUA.
    3. Drivers are responsible for refueling vehicles prior to return with same level of fuel that they received at time of rental.  The University will not reimburse vendor refueling or prepay fuel packages. Receipts are required for reimbursement of fuel purchased.
    4. Enterprise, National, and Hertz for domestic rentals include Collision (CWD) and Liability (LDW) in their contract rates. Extra types of insurance are not reimbursable.
  6. When driving your personal vehicle for University-sponsored business, you will be reimbursed for mileage. MapQuest or Google Maps are the official tools for determining the most direct route. The following rates apply:
    1. Less than 100 miles roundtrip - Standard Rate
      • On/after 7/1/22: $0.655 per mile
    2. More than 100 miles roundtrip - Turndown Rate
      • On/after 7/1/22: $0.42 per mile
    3. Any Non-Employee - Standard Rate
      • On/after 7/1/22: $0.655 per mile
  7. All purchases over $25 must be substantiated with an itemized receipt.   
  8. University purchases are generally exempt from Wisconsin Sales and Use Tax.  Travelers are expected to request and receive Wisconsin sales tax exemption for travel related purchases.  The University also has sales tax exemption in other states.  Travelers should make a reasonable attempt to obtain sales tax exemption according to the tax authority's requirements.
  9. Travelers who requested a cash advance must return any unused cash upon returning to campus after their trip and must complete an e-Reimbursement within 30 days after the trip completion date.
  10. All travel related expenses for a trip must be submitted on one e-Reimbursement within 90 days after the trip completion date or will not be reimbursed by the University.

Helpful Links:

Travel Incorporated Contact Information

Lodging and Per Diem Calculator

UW System Travel Policies