Creating a Travel Authorization

Purpose: Use this document as a reference for how to create a Travel Authorization in ctcLink. A Travel Authorization (TA) is a Travel document created prior to travel showing estimated costs for travel; it produces an encumbrance that will get relieved once an Expense Report is filed against it. All approvals need to be completed prior to Travel Dates.

Audience: Financial Staff/Employees.

Navigation route:  NavBar > Navigator > Employee Self-Service > Travel and Expenses > Travel Authorizations > Create/Modify

1. The Travel Authorization search page displays.

 

2. Select the Add a New Value tab.

 

3. Enter or use the Look Up (search glass icon) tool to select your traveler's Empl ID in the Empl ID field.

Note:  If you are authorized to enter a Travel Authorization on behalf of someone else you will need to enter their Empl ID at this stage.

 

4. The Create Travel Authorization page displays.

​​​​​​​

5. Select Business Purpose from the dropdown menu.

 

6. Enter a Description.

 

7. Select a Default Location. Use the search glass to look by state, this will ensure you are selecting the correct location. If the city you are looking for is not available reach out to the Travel office for guidance. Per diem rates will automatically populate in your form based on this location.

 

8. Enter a Date or use the calendar menu in the Date From field to select the first day of travel.

 

9. Enter a Date or use the calendar menu in the Date To field to select the last day of travel.

 

10. Leave Reference blank.

 

11. Use the Attachments hyperlink to include your attachments. An agenda is required.

 

12. In the Projected Expenses section, enter a Date or use the calendar menu to select a Date for the line item.

 

13. Select the appropriate Expense Type from the drop-down menu.
    1. You must have a Transportation ID set up in your profile if you will be claiming mileage reimbursement. A guide is available upon request.
    2. The following Expense Types have default per diem Amounts that require a Default Location and will autofill a unique Amount when selected: Meals in the state of WA, Meals outside of WA, Hotel in the state of WA, and Hotel outside of WA.
    3. If your per diem Amount does not autofill, or autofills incorrectly, toggle the Date or Expense Type to refresh the Amount.
    4. If your lodging was above per diem and is reimbursable under state guidelines, you can select the Expense Type “Hotels misc no per diem” to manually enter an Amount. Briefly explain in the Description box why you are overriding the per diem selection.
       1. If you select this Expense Type and your lodging was out-of-state you must also update the Account value to 5080050. This Account is found under the Accounting Details field.

 

14. Enter a brief Description.
    1. If you are requesting flights make one line for your departure date and one for your return. If you are requesting a rental car and it’s local, please include departure info (pick-up/drop off times car).

 

15. Select Employee from the Payment Type drop-down menu.

 

16. Enter the Amount of your expense.
    
    Note: Amount will be greyed out if the line is for a mileage-based Expense Type. For mileage reimbursement select the Transportation ID from the drop-down menu, enter the amount of Miles, and click enter or select the Calculate Gross Amount icon (green refresh arrows). The Amount total will populate.

 

Per diem Expense Types such as meals and hotel will auto populate the correct per diem for the location. Hotel taxes are separate.
 

17. Billing Type remains Billable.

18. Select the gray arrow next to Accounting Details to expand the field.

​​​​​​​

 

19. Enter your budget code under the Accounting Details field.

A full budget contains:

Oper Unit: Always 7190.

Account: The Account is a seven-digit number previously referred to as a Sub Object, this value will default automatically based on the Expense Type you select. A lot of the ones in the system default into a travel-related Account, for this reason, please use the “SOBJ Account Crosswalk Tool” in conjunction to ensure your reimbursement is coming out of the appropriate Account.

Fund:

Approp (Appropriation Index): Not all budgets will have an Approp

Dept: By default there will be a Dept code here start with a “9” this is not your budget’s Dept code, please ensure you enter the appropriate code here as well.

Class:

State Purpose: Always N.

Grant budgets will also require:

PC Bus Unit: Always WA190

Project:

Activity:

 

Please reach out to Budget Services or Travel for assistance in obtaining your budget.​​​​​​​

 

20. If the Travel Authorization needs lines added or removed, select the Add a New Row [+] or Delete a Row [-] icon to add another projected expense. Repeat steps 12 - 19 for every new line that is added.

​​​​​​​

 

There are a few options at this point:

21. Option 1:  Select the Save for Later button to save the Travel Authorization without submitting it for approval and continue to work on it later. Saving will also indicate if there’s any missing or invalid information exists.

 

22. Option 2:  You can submit the Travel Authorization. Click Save for Later to save/update the new information and ensure that there are no errors. Follow that by selecting Summary and Submit to complete the submission.
    1. Select the checkbox to certify that the expenses submitted are accurate and comply with expense policies.
    2. Select Submit Travel Authorization.

 

3. The Travel Authorization Submit Confirmation page displays.
4. Select OK.

​​​​​​​

 

23. Option 3:  You can create a Cash Advance request. A separate guide is available upon request.

​​​​​​​

 

24. Process complete.