Planning to drive your own car for upcoming university travel? Whether you are heading to a conference or a site visit, knowing how to calculate mileage reimbursement will help you plan expenses appropriately. 

Personal Vehicle Overview

According to the Travel Manual, before using a personal vehicle for university business travel, you must consult with your travel coordinator to confirm any department restrictions. The university reimburses personal vehicle mileage at the IRS standard mileage rate for travel up to 500 miles round-trip. For travel exceeding 500 miles round-trip, driving reimbursement requires documented business justification and department head approval when opting out of commercial air travel, a state vehicle or a standard rental.

Mileage Reimbursement: What You Need to Know

Reimbursement is calculated based on the distance from your duty station or your point of departure—whichever is closer to your destination. Unsure whether to measure mileage from your home or your office? A practical breakdown of how this works and examples are now in our new Knowledge Base article: How do I calculate mileage reimbursement?

Learn more:

Travel Manual > Chapter 3: Completing a TA > Transportation > Personal Vehicle