This training document covers information on how to Request travel in Concur for students excluding Grad Assistants, Grad Interns and Post-Docs.
Concur Request makes department budgeting, requesting travel, and submitting travel-related expenses easier when travelling on UConn business with the pre-trip request and approval process.
An approved request is required, for all students planning to incur travel expenses on UConn business prior to the start date of the trip.
The request with Air Ticket, Car rental or Hotelestimates should be submitted in the department travel coordinator’s profile who will be using their travel card to purchase those expenses – this includes car rental which would be direct billed to UConn through Anthony Travel by the coordinator on behalf of the student.
Students can also submit a Travel request in their own profile if they need to initiate a request for a student travel card to cover incidental expenses such as actual meal expenses(if not claiming per diem reimbursement), baggage fees, ground transportation, etc. The request in the student’s profile will then initiate an email to the student within 48hrs that includes links to the student travel card training and card request form. This document provides an overview for submitting a travel request in Concur.
Table of Contents
Logging In
Navigate to any web browser.
Access Concur by clicking on the following link: Concur SSO.
Profile SetUp
It is best practice to update your Concur profile with specific personal and account information. Profile information then populates respective fields throughout Concur, which minimizes manual input.
Refer to the Navigation and Profile Setup reference documentation for specific details.
Start a New Request
From the Concur homepage, hover on the New icon.
Click Start a Request.
Fields identified with a red bar are required. Complete all required fields
Request Header
The Request Header is the default tab that displays when creating a new request. Certain information, captured in the header, automatically feed to the Expense Report.
Request Policy. This field will default as appropriate.
Trip Name. Enter a brief and accurate description of the nature of the business trip.
Does trip include a Level 3 or 4 Country/Region? Level 3 or 4 Country/Region field is required. Refer to the Company Notes section in Concur for additional assistance with the Level 3 or 4 Country/Region dropdown.
Many fields have a Quick Help Guide, identified by a question mark in a gray circle. Hover over any Quick Help Guide for helpful information as you complete each field.
Business Travel Start Date and End Date. Enter the first day of your travel and the last day of your travel.
Trip Purpose. Make a selection from the dropdown, as appropriate.
A conference Travel Request requires an attachment of a conference brochure or the information noted in the Business Justification field of conference name, topic, date and location.
Destination City. Start to type the primary location where business is occurring (last or farthest). A live search result will display. Select a valid option from the dropdown.
Traveler Type. This field defaults from your profile. Choose Grad Student or UGrad Student based on the type of student.
Trip Type. Make a selection from the dropdown, as appropriate.
Will this trip include personal travel? If you are including additional time outside of business travel, select yes. If yes, a business comparison for flights must be attached when submitting the expense report. Comparisons need to be done at the time of booking not when the trip is completed.
Personal Travel Dates. Complete this field, if personal travel = Yes. a.
If yes, at time of booking, the department travel coordinator should:
Call Anthony Travel directly.
Obtain a business cost comparison.
Book Travel reservation with Anthony Travel directly.
A cost comparison can also be done in Concur following the instructions in the following document: UConn Business Airfare Price Comparison.
Cost comparison must be attached to expense report with submission of the Airfare expenses paid on the Department travel coordinator’s travel card.
Business Purpose/Justification. Enter a brief description stating the business purpose of travel.
(1) Additional Business Purpose/Justification notes are required if multiple destinations are on the request. (2) If split funding applies (e.g., OVPR grant funding travel) and multiple justifications apply, traveler should include multiple justifications, even if attachment justification is required due to length of multiple justifications. (3) Conference information can also be noted in this field if no conference brochure is available to be attached.
Account Number. This field should pre-populate to your default/home department account - based on profile settings. If account information does not auto-populate:
Type your KFS number in the Account Number field. Then select the account from the menu options that display.
If a traveler uses the same Account Number (KFS Number) for most business travel charges, it is best practice to update your profile with account.
Sub-Account Number. If the KFS account you are using has an associated sub-account number, type your sub-account number in the Sub-Account Number field, then select the account from the menu options that display.
Click Create Request at the bottom right.
(1) The department travel coordinator will use their Travel card to pay for the business portion of the airfare. (2) Any additional cost associated with the inclusion of personal days must be paid using the student’s personal card.
Alerts
Click the Alerts drop-down arrow to the top right of the request to review any alerts that may display and take action as needed.
Attachments
Click the Attachments dropdown and then click Attach Documents, to attach a document to a request.
Request Details
Click the Request Details drop-down menu to review the available options.
Edit Request Header. Select this option to return to the Request Header to make changes to the information that was completed in the previous steps.
Request Timeline. Select this option to review the Approval workflow of the Request after successfully submitting the request.
Audit Trail. Select this option to review the history of the Request after successfully submitting the request.
Add Cash Advance. Select this option on a need only basis after adding estimated trip expenses.
(1) Travel cash advances will be limited to 75% of estimated costs, excluding those costs that are eligible to be paid directly on a University Travel Card or by the University (such as air tickets, conference registration fees, meals, hotel, or rental car). Travel advances may only be Requested for $500 or greater and will not be issued more than 10 days prior to the departure date. (2) Guests are not eligible for a Cash Advance.
Expected Expenses
If the Trip includes Air Ticket, Car rental or Hotel expenses those expected expenses are required to be completed in the department travel coordinator’s profile who will be using their travel card to pay for the student’s travel.
If this is the case for the request in the Student’s profile skip the Air Ticket, Car rental and hotel expenses and go to the Incidental Expenses section to add the expected expenses to be requested on the Student Travel Card request form.
If the student is paying for Air Ticket, Car rental or hotel expenses out of pocket follow the steps below to add those estimates to the request in the Student’s profile.
Click the blue Add button under Expected Expenses.
Air Ticket
Click Air Ticket.
The Air Ticket fields display. Round Trip is the default selection.
Begin typing a departure airport (full name or airport code) in the From field. A live search activates, a list of options become available for selection.
Click to select a valid option from the list.
Begin typing a destination airport (full name or airport code) in the To field.
Click to select a valid option from the list.
Complete the Outbound Date.
Complete the Return Date.
Complete the Estimated Amount field.
Simultaneously launch a different web browser, login to Concur, and use the Concur Travel module to view flight availability and estimated cost.
The Bradley Parking Pass program has been temporarily suspended by the State of Connecticut due to Covid19 related parking lot closures. While this suspension is in place you may use pay for parking at the lowest cost parking lot available and seek reimbursement upon return from the trip along with your other travel expenses.
Click Save.
Car Rental
From the Expected Expenses menu, click the Add then click Car Rental. The Car Rental fields display.
Simultaneously launch a different web browser, login to Concur, and use the Concur Travel module to view Car rental availability and estimated cost.
Begin typing a city name in the Pick-up Location field. A live search activates, a list of options become available for selection.
Click to select a valid option from the list.
Type a city name in the Drop-off Location field.
Click to select a valid option from the list.
Complete the Estimated Amount field.
Click Save.
Hotel Reservation
From the Expected Expenses menu, click Hotel Reservation.
Simultaneously launch a different web browser, login to Concur, and use the Concur Travel module to view hotel availability and estimated cost.
The Check-in and Check-out dates will pre-fill from the Request header. Modify as needed.
Begin typing a city name in the City field. A live search activates, a list of options become available for selection.
Click to select a valid option from the list.
Complete the Estimated Amount field.
Click Save.
Incidental Expenses
If students require a student travel card to cover incidental expenses such as actual meals expenses (If not claiming per diem reimbursement), baggage fees, ground transportation etc., the expected expenses should be added to the request in the student’s profile via the Expected Expenses menu.
Click Add in the Expected Expenses menu to get additional expense types.
Simultaneously launch a different web browser, login to Concur, and use the Concur Travel module to view hotel availability and estimated cost.
Click the appropriate expense type from the list of expenses that appear or
Type the expense type in the search field above the list of expense types.
Complete required expense type fields
Click Save.
Continue to add additional expenses, as applicable.
Incidental Expenses
If students require a student travel card to cover incidental expenses such as actual meals expenses (If not claiming per diem reimbursement), baggage fees, ground transportation etc., the expected expenses should be added to the request in the student’s profile via the Expected Expenses menu.
Click Add in the Expected Expenses menu to get additional expense types.
Click the appropriate expense type from the list of expenses that appear or
Type the expense type in the search field above the list of expense types.
Complete required expense type fields.
(1) Expense Type fields may vary between expense types. (2) The Individual Actual Meal Costs expense type is to be used to add funds to the Student travel card for meals if not claiming per diem. To Calculate Individual actual meal estimates review the Per diem amounts via the GSA website https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates%20 . (3) Do Not use the Meal Per diem expense type if you are expecting to add estimated expenses for meals to the student travel card.
Click Save.
Continue to add additional expenses, as applicable.
Allocations
The Allocations menu can be used to split an expense between multiple KFS account numbers or to charge individual expenses to different KFS account numbers.
To allocate an expense click the checkbox beside the expense type and click Allocate.
Submitting Requests
Once expenses are added to the Request, click Submit Request. An attestation displays.
Scroll to read through the attestation, and then click Accept & Submit.
Student Requests will route for Approval to the fiscal officer of KFS account on the Request Header. Additional approvals may apply (e.g., Export Controls or Global Affairs, etc.).
(1) If a request is not yet fully approved you can open the request and ‘Recall’ the request to make changes. (2) If an approved Request is cancelled inadvertently, a new Travel Request must be created, and submitted for approval.
Reviewing the Request Approval Timeline
After submitting a Request, you may want to check whose approval your Request is currently pending, or which request timeline step has already been approved.
From the Concur homepage, click Requests from the top ribbon.
Click the drop-down arrow beside ‘View’ at the top of the page and select ‘Pending Requests’ from the drop-down menu.
Click on the Request name that you would like to review.
With the Request open, click the Request Details drop-down arrow then select Request timeline from the drop-down menu.
You will now see each approval timeline step with the name of the corresponding approver. If a step has been previously approved, the approval flow step will show a green circle and checkmark. The approval date will also show to the right under the word Approved.
Copying a Previous Request
If you travel to the same destination more than once, there is a copy feature that will copy the Request and you will need to make changes details, as necessary.
From the Concur homepage, click Requests from the top ribbon. Your list of Requests display.
Click the name of the Request you want to copy to open that request.
Click the More Actions drop-down arrow and select Copy Request. The Copy Request dialog displays.
Modify the name of the Request to reflect the new travel.
Update the date as necessary and then click Create New Request. A new Request displays with the header tab active.
Review the Request Header and Expected Expenses for accuracy.
Attach documentation, as needed and then Submit the Request, as usual.
Closing a Request
If you have a fully approved Request for travel that has been completed and you do not need to create an expense report, the Request will need to be closed.
From the Concur homepage, click Requests from the top ribbon.
Click the name of the Request you want to Close to open that request.
Student Travel Cards
UConn has provided students with the option to pay for certain travel expenses such ground transportation including trains, actual meal expenses (if not claiming per diem reimbursement), baggage fees, etc., using a university backed student travel card.
Airfare and hotel will be paid for by the department travel coordinator using their own travel card and car rental will be direct billed to UConn by the coordinator via contacting Anthony Travel.
After completing and submitting a Concur request, students will receive an email within 48hrs with the information needed to request a student travel card.
The student travel card will be valid for three (3) years from the date of issue, however the active dates of use for the card will be based on the dates of the current request that is used to initiate the loading of funds for the new trip.
After the end of each trip the card value will be reduced to $1 until a new request is created for a new trip and student travel card request form update is completed.
Students are required to complete a student travel card training and sign a cardholder agreement once per year.
Further information on UConn student travel cards can be found at https://travel.uconn.edu/university-travelcards/#student.
Additional Support
For help with Concur, contact travel@uconn.edu.
For additional reference material, refer to https://travel.uconn.edu/training-and-resources/.