NC AHEC Travel Guidelines for UNC-Chapel Hill Faculty, Staff, and Students

EFFECTIVE April 1, 2021

The NC AHEC Program currently assists in supporting the travel needs of faculty, staff and students from 19 UNC-Chapel Hill schools and departments. These NC AHEC-related activities include student housing needs to sites away from the academic health science centers, as well as faculty and staff travel to continuing professional development programs, technical assistance visits, specialty clinics, and other teaching and NC AHEC Program activities. NC AHEC support is intended to assist with travel expenses incurred while participating in approved NC AHEC educational programs and other NC AHEC-related work. NC AHEC support is not intended to cover all expenses.

STUDENT TRAVEL

Student travel is not eligible for mileage reimbursement.

STUDENT HOUSING

The nine regional AHECs provide student housing in 50 counties across the state. NC AHEC housing is short-term lodging for use when health science students are completing community clinical rotations; it is not meant to replace a student’s permanent residence. The majority of housing is in rented apartments, but also in AHEC-owned condominiums/houses or rooms-for-rent in private residences.

NC AHEC housing is accessible to students from a variety of health science schools across the state, but students are not required to use this housing (students may make their own lodging arrangements).  Students are required to apply for housing at http://my.ncahec.net/

UNC-Chapel Hill schools and departments are charged a $7.00 per night fee for their students’ use of NC AHEC housing. Each school may have different guidelines for use of AHEC housing, so please check with your school/course coordinator before applying for housing.

FACULTY AND STAFF TRAVEL

NC AHEC travel reimbursement is provided for faculty and staff activities which are consistent with the NC AHEC Program Work Statement Definitions and fall within the specific letter of agreement for each school or department. If AHEC activities conducted by a school or department are supported with non-AHEC funds (i.e. contracts, grants, clinical income, fees, or honorarium), the travel associated with those activities is not reimbursed by the NC AHEC Program. If there are questions about whether travel for specific activities is reimbursed, faculty are requested to contact the NC AHEC Program Office prior to travel.

Travel reimbursement is provided to NC AHEC liaisons and other faculty attendance at meetings or conferences at the request of the NC AHEC Program Director. Reimbursement is not provided by NC AHEC when faculty attend professional meetings or conferences for their own professional development.

We recognize that faculty travel to all NC AHEC sites is critical to the success of our programs. Given AHEC budget constraints and current reimbursement rates for using personal vehicles, we encourage faculty and staff and departmental travel coordinators to work together to secure UNC Chapel Hill Enterprise Rent-A-Car contract vehicles or UNC Air flights as needed.

NC AHEC Mileage Reimbursement Policy (rates effective April 1, 2021)

No mileage reimbursement for local mileage will be made for within 35 miles (one-way) or 70 miles (round trip) of destination from the closer of either the duty station or point of departure (e.g. home). NC AHEC mileage reimbursement is based on standard mileage between cities and not actual odometer mileage.

• Mileage is measured from the closer of either the duty station or point of departure (e.g. home) to destination over 35 miles (one-way) based on standard mileage between cities on www.google.com (not Google Maps).  For standard mileage information, type the two cities into the Google search engine and click search. The distance between the two cities will appear as the first result. For example, go to Google search, type in “Chapel Hill, NC to Fayetteville, NC” and search. The mileage listed is 73.6 miles; standard mileage reimbursement paid by AHEC between Chapel Hill, NC and Fayetteville, NC is 74 miles.
• When the round-trip is over 71 miles from closer of either the duty station or point of departure (e.g. home), traveler will be reimbursed at 56 cents per mile for the total round trip.

NC AHEC Policy to pay for UNC Enterprise Rent-A-Car contract vehicle (formerly Carolina Motor Pool)

UNC Chapel Hill Enterprise Rent-A-Car contract vehicles are available for NC AHEC related travel.

• UNC Enterprise Rent-A-Car contract vehicle (formerly Carolina Motor Pool) reservations are required to be made in advance by calling the Air Transportation Coordinator at UNC  Air Operations office at RDU Airport at 919-840-1980.
• The on-line reservation form can only be completed by the Air Transportation Coordinator.
• UNC Enterprise Rent-A-Car contract vehicles can be picked up at any rental location, eliminating the need to come to campus first. Enterprise will also pick you up on request.
• The reservation requires the address of the Enterprise location preference for vehicle pick-up.
• To reduce administrative processing for gasoline reimbursement, the Traveler is required to choose the “Post-Pay Gas” option when returning the vehicle. Enterprise Rent-A-Car guarantees your rental vehicle will have a minimum of a quarter tank of fuel upon pickup. Unless gasoline is needed during the trip, traveler should not fill the gas tank.
• As a general rule, an intermediate size car will be reserved for all travelers.  If a larger vehicle is needed, please specify the need for an exception at the time of reservation.

UNC Air Operations Flights paid with AHEC state travel funds

• NC AHEC state travel funds will pay for pre-approved passengers on NC AHEC related UNC Air Operations same day flights. Prior approval is required if a passenger requires an overnight stay.
• UNC Air Operations information and passenger eligibility policy can be found at: https://www.ncahec.net/about-nc-ahec/unc-air-operations/

FACULTY AND STAFF LODGING/MEALS

Prior approval is required at least three weeks in advance for faculty and staff needing overnight accommodations for AHEC-related activities. In order to make overnight lodging arrangements at acceptable and reasonable rates, travelers should contact the local AHEC for lodging suggestions prior to making reservations. Travelers are encouraged to ask if “State Employee hotel rates” are available. Excess lodging expenses must be justified if hotel rates, excluding taxes and surcharges, exceed $400 per night, if staying in one of the following high-cost cities: Boston, New York City, San Francisco and the Bay Area, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. If those limits are exceeded, travelers must complete Form 1302.1f Excess Lodging Justification and obtain their supervisor’s approval and signature before traveling.

Per Diem Allowances

In-State
Breakfast: $9.00
Lunch: $11.80
Dinner: $20.50
Lodging: $75.10
Total: $116.40

Out-of-State
Breakfast: $9.00
Lunch: $11.80
Dinner: $23.30
Lodging: $88.70
Total: $132.80

Meals During Travel
NC AHEC follows the State of North Carolina policy for meals during daily travel which states:

Overnight Travel Status

Employees may be reimbursed for meals for partial days of travel when in overnight travel status and the partial day is the day of departure or the day of return. The following applies:

Breakfast: depart duty station prior to 6:00 am and extend the workday by 2 hours.

Lunch: depart duty station prior to Noon (day of departure) or return to duty station after 2:00 p.m. (day of return).

Dinner: depart duty station prior to 5:00 p.m. (day of departure) or return to duty station after 8:00 p.m. (day of return) and extend the workday by 3 hours.
The travel must involve a travel destination located at least 35 miles from the employee’s regularly assigned duty station or point of departure (e.g. home), whichever is less.

Same Day Travel

No per diem meal allowance for same-day travel.

NC AHEC TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT PROCESSING

NC AHEC travel reimbursement must be submitted within 30 days from the date of travel.

NC AHEC travel funds support over 19 on-campus schools and departments.  NC AHEC travel funding is contingent on the school or department’s ability to process travel authorization/reimbursement in the University’s web travel system for their faculty and staff on AHEC-related travel.

The NC AHEC Program Office does not create or complete travel authorization/reimbursement for on-campus faculty and staff. The school or department initiates the travel authorization/reimbursement in the UNC-Chapel Hill web travel system and electronically sends to the NC AHEC Program Office for approval.

NC AHEC travel reimbursement processing details can be obtained by contacting NC AHEC Financial Manager Pratyush Mehta at (919) 966-0810 or pratyush_mehta@ncahec.net.

QUESTIONS ABOUT NC AHEC TRAVEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

For questions concerning NC AHEC travel policies and procedures, please contact NC AHEC Financial Manager Pratyush Mehta at (919) 966-0810 or pratyush_mehta@ncahec.net