This document is designed to be a brief outline of the guidelines you must follow in order to receive money for your student organization event or travel reimbursement. Not every rule for every situation is outlined here however - talk to the MSA treasurer if you have ANY questions before you spend money.

MSA does not float money to organizations before events. We expect you to pay for the event and then we will reimburse you.

Any Type of Event: Noon Talks, Community Service Events, etc.

• When you want to spend money for ANY reason other than a lunch talk, you need to submit a PROGRAMMING REQUEST at least 2 weeks in advance of your event.
• When the event is done, then you need to submit a REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST less than 1 week after your event .

Then turn in to the MSA treasurer (either directly or through the student services secretary):

• Website print-out
• Original receipts

Travel Funding

This money CANNOT be used for alternative breaks, travel to community service events or travel to non-professional conferences. ONLY professional conferences may be reimbursed. It is important to note that this travel money is only administered though MSA, but we do not write out the checks or have final say on reimbursement approvals.

Travel funding may be used for airfare, taxis, food, gas and many other travel expenses; travel funding cannot be used to reimburse for alcohol.

For individuals attending a conference alone:

• Each student may receive up to $200 per academic year for travel to professional conferences. However, there are not enough funds to reimburse all students, so submit your requests early as funds are distributed on a first-come-first-serve basis.
• To receive travel money, you must firstfill out and submit a Student Travel Pre-Approval Form at least 3 weeks prior to the travel date to get approval from teh Office of Student Services.
• To receive travel money, you first need to submit a Travel Funding Application 2 weeks in advance of the conference.
• When you are home from your travels, you must submit a travel reimbursement form within 1 week of your return.
• Turn in to the MSA treasurer (either directly or through the student services secretary):
  1. The ORIGINAL receipts (if a credit card was used it has to show that it was charged, i.e. (something like XXX XXX XXX #### with the # being the last four digits of your card)).
  2. Website printout of reimbursement form
  3. Completed travel accounting form
  4. A conference program with the date and location of the conference listed.

For groups attending the same conference:

• All of the above rules apply, with the addition fo the following regulations:
• For groups attending a conference, each student may receive up to $200 per academic year for travel to professional conferences with a maximum of $600 per group attending one conference.
• If you plan to share costs on a trip, you MUST submit the application with the people you are sharing costs with. If you are sharing costs with other students, "your" $200 may be reimbursed to another student, with your permission.
• When submitting your reimbursement request upon your return from travel, please submit only one request for your entire group. The finance office will only cut one check to the primary contact who is then responsible for distributing the funds between the remaining group members.

Ask the MSA treasurer if you have any questions about how upcoming travel plans can be reimbursed, especially if you are planning on traveling to more than one conference in an academic year.

All your questions can be directed to the MSA treasurer:
Joe Lazar


Last revised: Jun 4th, 2008, by MPS