Conference Travel - Reimbursement Policy

The department will reimburse students for conference travel expenses according to the following policies: 
 

1. The student must be presenting at the conference. If a student would like to go as an attendee they must discuss reimbursement options with their supervisor. 
2. Students will be reimbursed up to the applicable annual maximum, expenses beyond that amount are the responsibility of the Supervisor(s)
3. All reimbursements will be made in accordance with Policy 31 – University Expenses. We recommend reviewing the department's quick reference guide. 
4. Claims must be completed in Concur within 10 business days of the travel end date.
5. Funds will be dispensed on a first come first serve basis until the department budget is exhausted. 

Students must complete the application form prior to booking any travel. Upon completion the form will be sent to the supervisor to review and approve. Students should ensure that they have discussed the travel with their supervisor prior to completing the form. 

All students presenting at a conference should also apply for the Graduate Student Research Dissemination Award. 

If you have questions about completing the form please email sas.grad.manager@uwaterloo.ca. You must discuss the travel with your supervisor prior to completing the form.

1. Can a student attend multiple conferences per year?

The department will reimburse travel up to the maximums listed above, however this can be spread over multiple conferences assuming the student is presenting at each one. Students must discuss reimbursement above the maximum with their supervisor. 

2. What expenses are covered?

• Conference registration
• Accommodation
  • Students must stay in the recommended accommodations outlined in the conference registration package. 
  • Accommodations at the conference book up quickly. Students should book their accommodation as soon as possible after the registration opens. If you are unable to book the recommended accommodations please email sas.grad.manager@uwaterloo.ca before booking external accommodations. 
• Travel expenses as per the guidelines for expenses.
  • Mileage can only be claimed for personal automobiles (not rentals) and must not exceed 500 km one way. 
  • Airfare must be the most direct base level Economy (Coach/Standard/Flex or equivalent) at the lowest logical fare/rate. 
  • Lowest logical fare/rate is the lowest class that includes travel-appropriate features such as: 
    • Advanced seat selection
    • Trip cancellation insurance 
    • Refundable/changeable ticket status if there is question about whether the trip will occur or the dates of travel (a small fee may apply) 
    • One checked bag 
  • Public transportation such as trains or busses is also acceptable
• Food expenses can only be claimed for meals not provided by the conference. Use the following per-diem rates: 

  • Canadian dollar amount for permitted Per Diems

    Meal	Within Canada	Outside Canada
    Breakfast (.25)	20.00	25.00
    Lunch (.25)	20.00	25.00
    Dinner (.50)	40.00	50.00
    Maximum per day (1)	80.00	100.00

  • When completing your Concur claim you must indicate in the comments which meals you are claiming. No receipts are required to claim per diem.

3. What expenses are not covered?

• Travel to and from meals (e.g. taxi)
• Car rentals: students may chose to rent a car to take themselves and/or others to the conference however the driver must claim 100% of the expense. Please discuss with your supervisor if you would like to rent a car for travel to a conference. 
• Rideshares (not including Uber/Lyft where an individual receipt is provided)
• Alcohol

4. Can students share accommodations?

Yes, students may share accommodations. Students must ask the hotel to provide a separate receipt for their portion of the costs and only claim their portion in Concur. If only a single receipt is possible, both students should upload the full receipt and add a note in Concur that they are claiming half the expense with the name of the student they split the room with. 

5. Who should I contact if I have questions about reimbursement?

Please reach out to the finance team sas.finance@uwaterloo.ca.