Before You Start
- When a traveler is unable to pay for travel expenses out of pocket, a cash advance may be provided to the traveler ahead of their travel departure date.
- Cash advance is only for anticipated meals per diem travel expenses. The traveler may receive up to 50% of allowable meals per diem.
- The cash advance is requested through a Spend Authorization.
- Each expense line has a box labeled Cash Advance Requested, which should be checked if the expense item requires cash advance.
- Standard Spend Authorizations route for approval at the department level; however, when a cash advance is indicated, an additional level of approval is added. In these cases, Travel Management is the last level of approval.
- When a Spend Authorization with cash advance is submitted, the approval routing is:
Traveler → Traveler’s supervisor → Cost Center Manager → Travel Management
- When a Spend Authorization with cash advance is submitted, the approval routing is:
Rules and Responsibilities
- The request for cash advance must be made at least five days prior to travel.
- In the Spend Authorization, create two lines for Meals per Diem. Each line should equal 50% of allowable Meals Per Diem. Check “Cash Advance Requested” on one of the lines.
- Any unused advance amount must be repaid to UAMS within 15 days of return.
- Repayment is made at the Treasurer’s Office and requires a Record of Deposit Form.
Additional Help and Information
- See Help Page – Spend Authorization for Travel for complete information about Spend Authorizations.
- Reach out to an Expense Reimbursement Coordinator if you need help calculating the cash advance amount a traveler can request.