Approvals, Documentation Requirements, and Exceptions

Most types of expenditures are subject to approval and documentation requirements in order to be paid by the University. In addition, exceptions may be granted for certain expenditures which would normally be unallowable but only when proper justification and approvals are obtained.

Prior Approval 

Certain expenses require approval before you make a purchase. Expenses which require prior approval are outlined in the Additional Approval Matrix. To receive reimbursement for an expense that requires prior approval, you must submit documentation that the prior approval was received before the purchase was made. The proper forms for obtaining prior approval are found on the Forms & Prior Approval Matrices page.

Exceptions for Non-Allowable Expenses

In certain circumstances, exceptions for expenses to be paid by the University which are normally unallowable may be granted with proper justification and approval. See the Additional Approval Matrix for a list of exceptions. The proper forms for requesting an exception are found on the Forms & Prior Approval Matrices page.

In order to be reimbursed for a business and travel expense, an expense report must be completed and include the following documentation: 

1. Statement of business purpose for incurring the expense 
2. Date of expenditure 
3. Description of expenditure, including clarification for any unusual expenditures 
4. Account numbers 
5. Appropriate signatures: 
   • Employee 
   • Supervisor 
   • PI /PI delegate (if on a sponsored grant)
   • Any additional signatures required in accordance with the additional approval matrix 
6. Each transaction is required to have a corresponding receipt. The only exception to the receipt requirement are receipts for travel-related items (parking, tolls, taxi, etc...) that are under $25.00. Receipts must include the following information:  
   • The name of the company providing the goods/services.  
   • Date(s) when the specific expenses were incurred. 
   • Unit price of goods/service 
   • Restaurant receipts must itemize food/beverage consumed, tip and tax.
   • Goods/services purchased should include detail on the items consumed  
   • Total amount due and acknowledgment that amount due was paid. If a receipt does not indicate full payment was made, one of the following proofs of payment is required.  
     • Canceled check(s) 
     • Credit card or bank statements showing the transaction(s) 
     • Generic or hand-written receipts should be supported by a canceled check/credit card or bank statement. 
   • Sponsored grants may require receipts for all expenses, regardless of the value of the expense 
   • Receipts vary in appearance and type of information provided. If relevant information is not included on a receipt, the employee should complete a Missing Receipt Form.    
   • Third-party billing companies such as PayPal generally do not include detailed information about the item(s) purchased.  In such cases, the employee should provide a copy of the webpage that identifies the items purchased, as well as the web receipt from the third-party billing company. 
   • In the event of a lost receipt and after all reasonable attempts to obtain a duplicate receipt have been exhausted, a Missing Receipt Form may be filed with the expense report.  

Please note: Certain expenses require additional documentation, which is outlined in the Additional Documentation Requirements Table.

All allowable expenses reimbursements must be approved by the employee’s supervisor.

All requests for expense reimbursement require the following signatures:

1. Employee submitting the expense reimbursement request

2. Employee’s supervisor as the Approver

3. Principal Investigator and/or individual with spending approval authority whenever grants are the funding source.