Travel Reimbursement Guide

General Brin MRC Reimbursement Policy

Visitors may be reimbursed for local lodging and local ground transportation while in residence at the Brin MRC. All reimbursements will be made based on actual expenses and subject to the terms and amount specified by the Director. Car rentals, for the purpose of commuting to and from the University of Maryland, may be reimbursed as part of the local transportation expenses and is subject to the specified daily limit. Meals are generally not reimbursable by the Brin MRC. It is expected that Brin MRC visitors will use their own sources of funds for travel to the University of Maryland. However, for those visitors who do not have travel funds, the Brin MRC may contribute to your travel based on need. Please communicate with us ASAP if assistance is needed. Approved travel to and from the University of Maryland are subject to the following conditions:

  • Air Travel: Travelers should use air coach or equivalent fares when available and are encouraged to take advantage of discounts on air tickets purchased in advance. Foreign air travel should be performed on U.S. flag carriers.

  • Automobiles: Privately Owned - You may use your private automobile if you carry insurance necessary to satisfy state law financial responsibility. When used on routes served by a common carrier, the amount of the actual mileage or the lowest available airfare, whichever is least, is allowed. No additional reimbursement for automobile-related expenses, such as tolls, ferries, parking, gasoline, etc., will be allowed. If it falls into the per day cap, the University of Maryland reimburses about 60 cents per mile for the used of privately owned automobiles.

Visitors are expected to use the most economical mode of transportation by the most frequently traveled route

Reimbursement Procedure

STEP 1: Prior to your arrival. Fill out a Travel Authorization Form (TAR). This will requier you to provide your name, home address, USA social security number and an estimate of expenses for reimbursement for pre-approval as required by the University of Maryland.

STEP 2: At the end of your stay. Turn in your scanned receipts and Travel Expense Report to the Brin MRC administration. A check will be mailed to your home address.

Non-Reimbursable Expenses

  • Unauthorized extra class rail or airfare

  • Personal telephone.

  • Out-of-route costs involving personal business, leave or convenience. Where there is an interruption of travel or deviation from direct route, reimbursable expenses shall not exceed the cost of hotels and other expenses, which would have been incurred, had you continued directly reroute to the destination.

  • Expenses incurred when you are obviously not conducting business, such as extra days taken as leave before or after scheduled business.

  • Any other costs determined to be unreasonable or which are disallowed by Federal Travel Regulations or University guidelines.

Visa Requirements for International Visitors

  • Prior to your visit to the U.S., please obtain the appropriate immigration status from Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) upon entering the United States. Failure to obtain the proper immigration status will prevent the University of Maryland from reimbursing ANY travel expenses.

  • Please note that a passport alone is not sufficient evidence to determine an alien's immigration status. Accordingly, the passport should be used only in conjunction with the appropriate INS forms (I-94; I-551) that identify immigration status.

  • The following types of visas may be reimbursed for travel and subsistence expenses (if pre-approved by the Brin MRC): A-1/A-2, B-1, B-2, F-1, H-1A, H-1B, H-2, H-3, J-1, J-2, K-1, K-2, O-1, O-2, P-1, P-2, P-3, Green Card, Refugee, TN, and WB.

  • Foreign visitors with one of the following types of visas may NOT receive any travel payments while in the United States: F-2, H-4, O-3, P-4, and WT.

  • If you do not obtain a visa prior to entering the United States, your visa status defaults to B2 and reimbursement will not be allowed.

Further information on all University of Maryland travel polices and other pertinent information is available at the University of Maryland Travel Services webpage.