The following guidelines were adopted by the Board of Directors in July, 2000 to govern Committee expenses. Travel claims should be filed within 3 weeks of the meeting and must be sent to: NASFAA, 1101 Connecticut Avenue, NW. Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20036-4303.
General - Expenses associated with NASFAA activities must be filed on the appropriate expense form, which must be accompanied by required receipts, including airline tickets, hotel bills, taxi receipts, etc.
Transportation - Airline - Committee members are asked to make flight reservations as soon as meeting dates are confirmed to obtain lower airfares. If a meeting has to be canceled, or an emergency occurs, the Association will cover the penalty costs involved. When traveling by air, individuals shall travel coach class. Exceptions for first class travel must be approved in advance by the staff liaison or Treasurer.
Automobile – Reimbursement for the use of a private automobile will not exceed the amount allowed by the IRS, currently 48.5 cents per mile. Normally, this reimbursement should not exceed the cost of coach air fare. In circumstances when use of a car is preferred for personal reasons, reimbursement for mileage will be limited to the above.
Rental Car - Use of a rental car must be approved by the staff liaison or Treasurer in advance of its use.
Taxi or Ferry - Ground transportation costs to and from meeting/lodging families shall be approved, provided they are reasonable, but shall not include ground transportation costs for personal choice beyond the initial expenditure to reach the facility (for example, cab fares for dinner at a restaurant away from the facility when food is available at the hotel). All transportation costs must be supported by receipts. If parking charges are incurred receipts must be submitted for charges in excess of $3.
Other Travel - Reimbursement of costs for NASFAA committee members to attend NASFAA committee meetings scheduled to coincide with non-NASFAA meetings for individuals normally in attendance or with a regional or national conference will be limited to subsistence expenses incurred specifically for committee meeting attendance. For committee members attending meetings in conjunction with regional meetings outside of their regions, all travel expenses will be reimbursed. Reimbursement of committee members, who are regional representatives to the Board of Directors, for committee meetings held in conjunction with a Board of Directors meeting will be limited to subsistence expenses required to participate in the Board meetings. For an exception to this policy, requests may be submitted to the President.
Hotel Accommodations - NASFAA staff will make hotel arrangements for committee members. Reservations will generally be made for the nights preceding each day of the meeting. Double rooms will be reserved for members. If different accommodations are requested, the difference in cost will be a personal expense. If a committee members request for a single room or different accommodation results in another member having to be placed in a single room, he or she will be responsible for the full cost of the single room. If additional nights are required, or if individual plans change, members are required to contact the designated staff person as soon as possible to avoid paying for unused rooms.
Committee members who fail to advise the designated staff person of a change in schedule will be billed for any hotel expense incurred. If an individual chooses to make his or her own reservation and stay at another location, he or she may do so; however, reimbursement will be limited to the rate at the primary hotel. The guidelines for double room occupancy also apply in this situation.
Meals - If meals are provided at a NASFAA meeting, other eating arrangements will be a personal expense. In Washington, breakfast and lunch will generally be provided, and a dinner allowance of $35.00 will be covered. For out of DC meetings, a $55.00 per diem is allocated. If less than a full day in involved, the maximum will be prorated at $10, $10 and $35 for breakfast, lunch and dinner respectively. This maximum shall apply to all travel unless the staff has expressly agreed to increase the limit for certain meeting locations. Committee chairs or members who pay for a joint meal will be reimbursed at the appropriate per diem rate for the number of members in attendance.
Tips - Reasonable tips to hotel and transportation personnel will be reimbursed. Tips for meals should be included in the costs of meals.
Telephone Calls - Only telephone calls for NASFAA business and one brief call home daily may be claimed. Because of surcharges please do not make these calls from hotel rooms unless using a credit card.
Miscellaneous Expenses - Any miscellaneous expenses above the $3 allowance must be supported by receipts and itemized on the Travel Expense Claim Form.
Alcoholic Beverages - Costs for alcoholic beverages are a personal expense, not reimbursable by the Association.
