I am reaching out to see how other institutions pay for VISA application fees to the US State Department in foreign countries. In most cases we have seen that the State Department only accepts cash payments, getting the funds to the candidates and guests has been difficult, just looking for other options.
At Tulane we typically only fund business travel visa expenses. There are rare occasions when we will refund a guest of the university or student, but they pay for and arrange the visa prior to the trip. We only refund expenses after the trip is completed, in case the guest, student (or potential student), etc. cancels. Funding for visas is usually decided by the school or department head, depending on budget and compliance.
©2020 Society for Collegiate Travel and Expense Management