Use of Student Funds

Faculty-Led Study Abroad Use of Student Funds

Purchases Made Prior to Departure

1. Check (U.S. Entities only, requires W-9)
   Invoice submitted to ISSAS for payment, but paperwork can be prepared by department
2. Wire Transfer (U.S. Entities require W-9, Foreign entities require W-8BEN-E, Foreign individuals require W-8BEN)
   Invoice submitted to ISSAS for payment, but wire transfer paperwork can be prepared by department
3. JP Morgan Purchasing Card
   • Option 1: Invoice submitted to ISSAS for payment using ISSAS purchasing card
   • Option 2: Payment made using departmental purchasing card and coded to the study abroad group travel fund after receiving approval from Tanya Kramer. The Pcard record for that month will be routed to Tanya for signature and copies for our records before final submission to Accounting. Submission of non-program related group expenses will not be approved, contact Tanya Kramer in advance of purchase if you have questions about whether something is program related.

Purchases Made During In-Travel Status

1. Elan Visa Card Issued to Leader (JP Morgan card can be used as well)
   • Only group-related expenses are allowed, no meals for leader that are not part of a group meal. Individual meals for the leaders must be paid by the leader and turned in for reimbursement through the travel voucher form upon return.
   • Cash advances can be taken from ATMs. Cash advances on the card are processed by NDSU accounting rules the same as cash advances to a checking account. It’s a good idea to bring along a receipt book for payments made in cash in case the person/business does not have one as receipts are required for all purchases. Be sure to get a receipt that has a description of the goods/service, the date, the amount, and the recipient signature.
   • You or the department administrative staff must submit all receipts to ISSAS using the Purchasing Card Record form, following the standard Accounting procedures. ISSAS is the Department Administrator for all faculty-led group related expenses on the Elan Card.

Reimbursement for Travel Expenses

1. If you are collecting Per Diem or seeking reimbursement for other travel related costs (ie. Cell phone charges, use of personal funds for program, etc.) for your program, you will need to submit the Travel Expense report through PeopleSoft Finance. Please see our Guide for Faculty Leaders on how to submit a Travel Expense Report, as we provide details on the type of information required for each step: Travel Expense Report (Website).pdf
2. It may be helpful to use our Per Diem calculator to determine what you need reimbursed for meals during your program. The calculator will help calculate the percentages utilized by the state for reimbursing meals that were not provided as part of the group/program costs: Per Diem Calculator.xlsx.

Proper Use of Student Funds

Faculty-led programs are self-sustaining, meaning that all of the funds to support the program activities come from the program participants themselves unless alternative funding has been provided by the hosting department. Our office wants to ensure that the students receive the best experience while also being good stewards of their money. The following guidelines are in place to help ensure that occurs:

• Faculty Airfare: Faculty may arrange for alternative dates of travel or air carriers, however they are responsible for any costs above the student fares. 
• Faculty Housing: Faculty may have single rooms or share depending on what is best for the budget as determined by the leader.
• Faculty Per Diem: The per diem maximum rate for meals is set at $70/day as allowed by the ND Century Code 44-08-04. You may choose to take a lower amount than the maximum rate if you know your costs will be lower. This is the maximum rate, if your location has a per diem rate less than $70/day, then use that rate.
• Faculty Phone: NDSU policy allows coverage for the business use of phones and $5 per day for personal use. Most phone carriers offer a set international plan, for example Verizon offers a monthly plan for $40 that allows up to 100 minutes and 100 texts. You may also rent a phone or get a SIM card an load minutes as you go while abroad.  In order to keep budgeting simple, please request $5 per day for reimbursement for phone use abroad.
• Group Meals: Balance the cost of group meals with what a typical student would expect to spend. Holding several nice group meals throughout the experience is ok, especially when they provide valuable cultural learning experiences. It is also important to include cost effective options to keep the costs lower.
• Group Airfare: This is not always required to be included in the program budget paid through NDSU, but if it is, you must work with ISSAS to arrange the most cost effective airfare for the group.