Meals (Business or Travel)
Business meals: meals taken with students, donors, colleagues, or individuals from companies during which specific University business discussions take place.
Travel meals: personal meals that take place on work trips and are >50 miles from campus
Business Meals are not to be charged to a grant or contract unless the terms specifically allow it. For travel meals charged to grants and contracts, please view Travel Meals Charged to Grants and Contracts.
- Business Meals
- Must be charged to an unallowable sub account 30XX. Refer to Financial Policy 1013 for additional information on the treatment of Unallowable Costs
- Staff event catering and business meals (excluding travel meals):
- Meals shall be limited to $30 per person
- For staff below the job levels of Associate Dean, Associate Vice President, or equivalent for the President and Provost Office (“Senior Administrator”), prior written approval of a unit-level Senior Administrator is required for all catering and meals
Required Documentation
- Specific business purpose
- Prior written approval from a unit-level Senior Administrator (excluding travel meals)
- Must include details of expense and authorized individual in email or signed letter/memo
- Receipts
- Receipt(s) are required if total meal expense is $75 or more
- Must include date, name and location of restaurant and amount of expense
- Detailed/itemized receipts are preferred
- Attendees
- If an individual is not a University employee, the name of the company or institution that the individual represents must be provided
- If more than 10 people attend from the same outside organization, the cohort may be identified by the unit or organization
- Travel Meals
Actual Expenses
- Receipt(s) are required if meal is $75 or more
- Receipts must include date, name and location of restaurant and amount of expense
- Detailed/itemized receipts are preferred
Per Diem
- Refer to Federal Per Diem Rates on the GSA Website. Local units may have a more restrictive policy
- For the first and last days of travel reduce the per diem by 25%
- Reduce the per diem for any meals that are provided as part of a conference or as a business meal
- 25% for breakfast
- 25% for lunch
- 50% for dinner