TRAVEL ALLOWANCES vs. REIMBURSEMENTS The Study Abroad Handbook lists the specific expenses for which the OIE will reimburse students going on semester- or year-long UR study abroad programs. If you need to be reimbursed for any of those expenses, then follow the instructions below.
These reimbursements are separate from the travel allowance you are given by the OIE. You do NOT have to submit any receipts to the OIE in order to obtain your travel allowance. To learn more about the travel allowance, please read the "Money Matters" section of your Study Abroad Handbook for Students Abroad Fall 09.
REIMBURSEMENT INSTRUCTIONS It is important to follow the instructions carefully in order to ensure you will be reimbursed. IMPORTANT! Due to IRS regulations, Accounts Payable cannot process reimbursement requests with receipts older than 90 days. You should therefore submit your Reimbursement Request form and receipts as soon as possible to ensure that you will be eligible to receive reimbursement.
HOW TO SUBMIT A STUDY ABROAD REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST:
1. Download and complete theReimbursement Request Form. This is a fillable form, and it is preferable that you type your information into the form before printing it. Reimbursement requests will not be processed without accompanying Reimbursement Request Forms under any circumstances.
NOTE: When submitting receipts for multiple purposes (for example, one receipt forpassport fee reimbursement and another receipt for gym membershipreimbursement), please complete and submit a separate Reimbursement Request Form for each purpose.
NOTE ON ADDRESSES: If you are already abroad when you're submitting your reimbursement request, DO NOT use your UR mailbox as your address. You can only use your UR mailbox address if you are currently on campus.
2. If submitting your reimbursement request by mail, make a photocopy of your receipt and keep it for your records.
3. Submit your completed Reimbursement Request form AND receipt using one of the following methods:
BY EMAIL: Scan your receipt and send it and your completed Reimbursement Request form as attachments to Jennifer Stevens at jsteven2@richmond.edu. Please enter "Study Abroad Reimbursement Request" in your email's subject line.
BY FAX: Fax your Reimbursement Request form and receipt to 1-804-289-8904, Attn: Jennifer Stevens.
BY MAIL: Mail your Reimbursement Request form and receipt to:
Jennifer Stevens Office of International Education Puryear Hall, Middle Floor 28 Westhampton Way University of Richmond, VA 23173
4. Allow 2-4 weeks from the time Accounts Payable receives your check request for them to issue the reimbursement to you.
VERY IMPORTANT:
If you submit a receipt without an accompanying Reimbursement Request Form, the OIE will email you once to request the form from you. If you fail to submit the completed Reimbursement Request Form in a timely manner, your receipt may expire and you will not be eligible to receive that reimbursement. Reimbursements for academic and/or cultural excursions are limited to $500 USD and must be pre-approved in writing by your UR study abroad advisor. Please read the Reimbursement FAQ below for more information.
Reimbursements will be made in U.S. dollars only and will be converted according to conversions available from the Bank of Canada as of the transaction date printed on your receipt.
Reimbursements will not be made for any fees your bank or credit card company might charge you for foreign currency transactions. Please read the Reimbursement FAQ below for more information.
A NOTE ABOUT RECEIPTS As of August 13, 2008, the University of Richmond's Accounts Payable department has agreed to accept photocopied, faxed and scanned receipts ONLY for reimbursement requests related to semester- or year-long study abroad expenses. Please note that all other circumstances related to reimbursement requests (e.g., Ambassador Club, Trader Fund, Weinstein grants, etc) require original receipts.
When am I eligible to submit study abroad-related reimbursement requests? Newly-approved students need to wait until after March 20 (for fall semester and academic year study abroad) or after October 1 (for spring semester study abroad). You must have also completed the "Commitment Form" and "Withdrawal Policy" electronic signature documents on your application in order to be eligible.
I am going on a non-UR study abroad program. Am I eligible to be reimbursed by the OIE for any study abroad-related expenses? No. Only students participating in semester- or year-long UR study abroad programs are eligible to receive reimbursements from the OIE as described in the March 8, 2007 Blackboard announcement and/or the Study Abroad Handbook. What kinds of study-abroad related expenses can I be reimbursed for? All students, regardless of what semester- or year-long UR study abroad program they attend, are eligible to be reimbursed up to $100 for passport application fees. Other expenses may be reimbursed to you depending on the study abroad program you attend. These include reimbursements for gym memberships abroad and student visa application fees.
I heard before that original receipts are required for reimbursement requests. Now your instructions say that photocopied, faxed and scanned receipts are accepted. Which is correct? Normally, original receipts ARE required for reimbursement requests. However, in light of the difficulty that many of our students have had trying to mail their receipts from abroad within the 90-day eligibility window, Accounts Payable agreed to make an exception -- limited only to study abroad-related reimbursement requests -- and is now accepting photocopied, faxed and scanned receipts.
Does this mean that if I have a reimbursement request for something else on campus, I don't need an original receipt? No. Only study abroad-related reimbursements that are paid by the Office of International Education are exempt from the original receipt requirement. All other reimbursement circumstances still require original receipts. The OIE reimburses students up to $100 for passport application fees. However, when I applied for my passport the State Department did not give me a receipt. What should I do? If you did not receive a receipt when you applied for your passport which is not unusual a front/back copy of the cancelled check used for payment will suffice, or a copy of your bank or credit card statement which shows the charge.
When I applied for my visa and/or passport, I paid extra for some things: expedited processing, express or courier mail, and photos. Do I get reimbursed for these additional expenses? No, the OIE will only reimburse you for the actual application fee.
I'm looking to be reimbursed for something I paid for online. Therefore, I did not receive a traditional receipt; I only have a print-out of my completed online transaction. Will this be a problem? No, this won't be a problem, provided that the amount paid for the transaction appears on the print-out.
Is it true that I can be reimbursed for academic and cultural excursions that I take abroad? Yes, with some conditions. Firstly, to be eligible for reimbursement the excursion must be pre-approved, in writing, by your UR study abroad advisor. This written pre-approval must be submitted with your reimbursement request. Secondly, the excursion must be officially sponsored or endorsed by your study abroad institution. Thirdly, the OIE will reimburse you up to $500 USD per semester for academic/cultural excursions; if your excursions cost more than $500 USD, you are responsible for paying the difference. Lastly, excursions with alcohol (e.g., wine tasting tours, etc) are ineligible for reimbursement, even if those excursions are officially sponsored or endorsed by your study abroad institution.
Are all cultural/academic excursion expenses eligible for reimbursement? No. Due to liability issues, some expenses cannot be reimbursed to you, even if they are part of an excursion officially sponsored or endorsed by your study abroad institution. Examples of some activities ineligible for reimbursement include the renting and/or driving of motorized vehicles; any activities involving alcohol (such as wine tasting tours); scuba diving; jet skiing and water skiing; rock climbing; mountain climbing (where ropes or guides are normally used); skydiving; bungee jumping; paragliding or parasailing. Note that this is not an all-inclusive list. To ensure that you can be reimbursed for cultural/academic excursions, pre-approval is required from your study abroad advisor.
What is the OIE's policy on reimbursing students who take athletics classes abroad which requires them to purchase equipment and/or pay for class-related field trips? This requires a two-part answer:
1) For students who obtain pre-approval to take lessons and/or classes (tennis, dance, yoga) in lieu of a gym membership, whether as a credit-bearing elective course or through a private organization:
" We WILL reimburse students for registration, lesson and class fees. This type of reimbursement will not exceed the $200 maximum for gym reimbursements.
" We will NOT reimburse students for equipment required for participation in such lessons/classes. For instance, if a student chooses to take tennis lessons, she will have to buy her own tennis racket, but the OIE will reimburse for registration and class fees.
2) If a student participates in a field trip which is part of an athletics-related course at the abroad program:
" We MIGHT reimburse those expenses, depending on the activities involved, up to the $500 cultural/academic excursion maximum. Please see the FAQ immediately above for examples of activities which are ineligible for reimbursement. Pre-approval is required.
" We will NOT reimburse for equipment required to participate in such a field trip. For instance, if a hiking class at an abroad program takes a camping trip at a national park, we will reimburse the eligible travel (bus, train, etc) costs and park entrance fees, but we will not pay for camping equipment, stove, tent, etc.
My study abroad-related expense was charged in foreign currency, and my bank/credit card company charged me an extra fee for this. Will I be reimbursed for this fee? The OIE will not reimburse any fees your bank or credit card company might charge you for foreign currency transactions. These fees are typically a small percentage (1-4%) of the transaction's converted U.S. dollar amount. Because they are not part of the original transaction, but rather fees for which your bank/credit card company chooses to charge extra, they are ineligible for OIE reimbursement. You can learn more about these types of fees here. If you are unsure whether your bank or credit card company charges such a fee, please contact its customer service department for assistance.
How much time do I have to submit my reimbursement request? The simple answer is, as soon as possible. If you are able to mail your reimbursement request to the OIE while you're still abroad, please do. The key is to submit your request when your receipt is fewer than 90 days old.
I'm going to be studying abroad for the entire academic year. Can I just wait until I return to the U.S. to submit my reimbursement request and receipt? As mentioned in the previous FAQ, reimbursement requests with receipts older than 90 days cannot be honored, so you will need to submit your request and receipt from abroad to the OIE as soon as possible. Is there any way to speed up the reimbursement process? Yes, there is! Read below for information about Direct Deposit.
BACK TO TOP THE ADVANTAGE OF DIRECT DEPOSIT If you are signed up for Direct Deposit with Accounts Payable, it doesn't matter if you're right here on campus or 6,000 miles away you'll still get your reimbursement funds directly deposited into the U.S. bank account of your choice. It's a different story if you aren't signed up for Direct Deposit with Accounts Payable, though. Whether you submit your original receipts to the OIE from abroad or wait until you've returned to UR, either way it will take at least several weeks before the funds will be accessible to you.
2. Check off the "Accounts Payable/Student Accounts" box at the top.
3. Complete and sign the form and either attach a voided check OR include your bank's routing number and account number on the form. (Not sure where to find these numbers on your checks? Look at these check samples.)
4. Mail your completed Student Direct Deposit Authorization form to:
Accounts Payable Maryland Hall, G-13 28 Westhampton Way University of Richmond, VA 23173
I already get paid via direct deposit for my on-campus job, so my study abroad-related reimbursements will also be paid via direct deposit automatically, right? Not necessarily! If you look at the Student Direct Deposit Authorization Form, you'll see there are two checkboxes at the top. One is for "Accounts Payable/Student Accounts" and the other is for "Payroll." If you get paid for your on-campus job via direct deposit, then you checked the "Payroll" box. However, you will only get study abroad-related reimbursements paid via direct deposit if you also selected the "Accounts Payable/Student Accounts" box when you originally submitted your Student Direct Deposit Authorization Form. Read the next FAQ for more information.
I think I might already be signed up for Direct Deposit with Accounts Payable, but I'm not sure. Is there a way for me to find out? If you do not know whether you have previously authorized "Accounts Payable" direct deposit, you should consult Lynn Gibbons in Accounts Payable at 804-289-8180 or lgibbons@richmond.edu.
Now that I have Direct Deposit, how will I be notified when the money has been deposited to my account? A: You will receive a direct deposit "advice" (memo) emailed to your University email account. If you want the request emailed to a different email address, send that information to Accounts Payable.
Although I am signed up for Direct Deposit with Accounts Payable, I would actually prefer to be reimbursed for this by check. Is this possible? A: No, it's not. If you are signed up for Direct Deposit, then that is the only way you will receive your reimbursements. The only way around that is to cancel your Direct Deposit with Accounts Payable prior to submitting your reimbursement request. How long does my Direct Deposit authorization stay active? Your direct deposit authorization will stay in effect until you cancel it in writing with Accounts Payable.
Questions about reimbursements? Contact Jennifer Stevens at jsteven2@richmond.edu
University of Richmond Office of International Education Puryear Hall, Middle Floor Office Hours 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday studyabroad@richmond.edu
