What are the requirements and instructions to receive reimbursement for a travel award?

The Graduate & Professional School has updated the Travel Award, eligibility requirements, application components, award amounts and reimbursement process. The August 1st, 2024 deadline for travel in September, October and November is the first deadline with these new requirements. Awards received prior to the August 1st, 2024 deadline must follow the reimbursement process outlined in their award email notification.

Awards Received Prior to August 1st, 2024

• Follow the reimbursement process outlined in your award email notification and submit the reimbursement form found at grad-rap-portal.tamu.edu.
• Reimbursement for Graduate Student Research and Presentation Travel Awards will be posted to your Texas A&M University Student Account in the form of a scholarship. The Graduate and Professional School will not issue a check, nor will your department receive reimbursement. If you have an outstanding balance on your TAMU Student Account, the award will apply toward that balance. Any remaining funds from the award will credit your billing account and then arrive via direct deposit. Ensure that you have direct deposit set up using the MyFinances tab in the Howdy portal.

To receive reimbursement you MUST complete the online Reimbursement Form found here within 30 days of the return date of your scheduled trip.

As part of the online Reimbursement Form, you MUST include all of the following information and documents:

• ITEMIZED receipts for ALL expenses. An itemized receipt includes a list of items purchased and the price of each item. If a receipt is not itemized, you will not receive reimbursement for that receipt. NOTE: If traveling internationally, please convert all expenses to US dollars and write this amount and the type of travel expense on the receipt, so it can be matched with the item on your expense report.
• All trip expenses (not just the ones being reimbursed) should be included in the total expense report. The amount of funding received from other sources (Chair, Department, etc.) must also be included. This amount will be applied to the total expense report and the remainder will be the eligible amount for reimbursement by the Graduate and Professional School, up to the award amount.
• A two-page reflection of your trip (i.e., research accomplished, conference sessions attended, etc). The reflection MUST include the following statement followed by your signature:

“I verify that this is an accurate representation of my accomplishments using these travel award funds.”
Remember: You must complete your reimbursement form within 30 days of the return date of your scheduled trip. The Grad School will NOT process reimbursement requests submitted after 30 days from your return date.
The reimbursement form can be filled out online here.


 
Awards Received August 1st, 2024 or Beyond
 

1. Awardees must be registered as a full-time graduate student at TAMU – College Station at the time of receiving reimbursement. NOTE: If the awardee is traveling over the summer but does not wish to register full-time for the Summer Term, they may: 1) register for 1 or more credit hours during the summer to receive the RAP reimbursement during the summer, or 2) register full-time for the Fall Term to receive the RAP reimbursement when the Fall Term begins.
2. If awarded, students must submit the Reimbursement Form through the Travel Award Portal within 30 days of the travel return date. Concur Expense Reports must comply with TAMU Travel Guidelines as found here. To receive your RAP Travel Award, you need to allocate expenses within Concur up to your awarded amount. Please reference the account number stated in your award email for the RAP Travel allocation.
   • Instructions on how to perform common Concur actions (create an expense report, allocate expenses, etc.) are found here. 
   • Your reimbursement will be issued through the method you select in Concur. The Graduate and Professional School will not issue a check, nor will the student’s academic department receive reimbursement.
   • A two-page reflection of the student’s trip (i.e., research accomplished, conference sessions attended, etc.) summarizing the trip and its impact on professional development and academic pursuits should be attached to the Concur Expense Report. The reflection must include the following statement followed by the student’s signature: “I verify that this is an accurate representation of my accomplishments using these Travel Award funds.
   • If you do not have access to Concur as a Graduate Student Employee, work with your academic department’s Business Coordinator to submit the Concur Expense Report on your behalf. 
3. Awarded applicants who will graduate in the semester in which their travel occurs must submit the reimbursement form BEFORE graduation, as students CANNOT receive reimbursement after graduation.

Questions? Email us at grad-travel-award@tamu.edu.

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