UCSC Graduate Student Association

GSA Travel Grant FAQ

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1. Q: How do I receive my grant money?
   A: The check is sent to the address you specified on your 204 Form. This can be either your campus or your home address.

2. Q: Is direct deposit available?
   A: No

3. Q: Can I use copies of my receipts?
   A: NO. You MUST SUBMIT ORIGINALS of your receipts. We recommend that you make photocopies for your own records.

4. Q: What receipts do I need from a hotel?
   A: You must submit an ITEMIZED receipt from a hotel because non-itemized hotel receipts may include charges that are not reimbursable, such as phone calls or food.

5. Q: What should I submit if I bought my plane ticket electronically?
   A: Print out your ITEMIZED email receipt and include that with your post travel form. If you purchased your ticket with anything other than cash, you MUST also submit a copy of your bank statement. This requirement must be met for eligibility for airfare reimbursement. Without your bank statement, your application is considered incomplete. If you have questions about how to meet this requirement, please email gsatravel@ucsc.edu for clarification. (Effective Fall 2006)

6. Q: What if my credit card number appears on my original receipts?
   A: Please cross out all but the last 4 digits.

7. Q: What if both my department and the GSA have given me some money and they both require original receipts?
   A: You can have both your department and the GSA treasurer sign on the same post-travel form so that you submit only one post-travel form and one set of receipts. You CANNOT submit twice for the same expenses.

8. Q: I already filled out a 204 form last year (quarter, month, etc.). Do I need to fill out another one?
   A: In order to avoid delay in processing, we are now requiring EVERY application to submit a 204 form, even if you have previously filled one out. (EFFECTIVE FALL 2005)

9. Q: How do I get reimbursed for mileage on my personal vehicle?
   A: Fill out a mileage log listing the number of miles traveled and your car license number. Receipts are not necessary. The current mileage rate is listed on the post-travel form. You DO need to save receipts for parking and bridge tolls.

10. Q: What additional paperwork should I submit if I am an international student?
    A: International students must fill out the form: Certification of Citizenship and VISA Status.

11. Q: Who reads and processes the travel grant applications?
    A: The travel grant committee is part of the Graduate Student Association (GSA). Each department elects a representative to the GSA, some of whom are elected to the travel grant committee. After being evaluated by the travel grant committee, all approved applications are sent to the GSA treasurer. And finally, the actual check cutting is done by a staff member in the FAST office. The GSA Travel Grant Committee is made up of graduate students - just like yourself. So if there's a delay, please remember that we, too, have midterms, qualifying exams, conferences, and other commitments. If you're interested in serving on the travel grant committee, please come to the next GSA meeting.

12. Q: I received an email saying that my application had been sent off for check cutting, and it has been a long time (over 6 weeks) and I have not received a check. What happened?
    A: 1) Your application has been delayed because you don't have a 204 form on file. Fill one out.
    2) You moved. Try a handy change of address form at the post office.
    3) You deposited it and forgot about it. Sounds silly? Yes, but it's happened before, and if the treasurer has to chase this down, she's guaranteed to be upset.
    4) None of the above. In reality, we find that the FAST office doesn't often lose checks, but after you've triple checked your records to make sure it's not your fault, you can email gsatravel@ucsc.edu, and we will trace your check.