We have a tier system, For trips over 200 miles roundtrip, cost comparisons should be done for rental car-fleet-flight. Anything under 200 miles roundtrip is reimbursed at the tier 1 rate set by the state of GA.

Hi Angela, since we are a state school we use what the state sets forth for mileage reimbursement, currently 52 cents per mile. For driving verses flying, I take screenshots of airfare costs in Concur and add to that the additional expenses associated with flying, i.e. mileage to/from airport or cost of taxi to/from airport, parking if applicable, baggage fees and taxis in destination city. The total estimated cost of flying can be used to determine the maximum amount allowed if the person chooses to drive.

@AmandaAdams - What mileage rate do you reimburse at for trips over $200 miles?

Employees at UNC are supposed to select the least expensive method of transportation to meet their business needs. For ground transportation, this may include University owned/leased vehicles, rental vehicles, or their personal vehicle. Getting people to do cost comparisons is a pipe dream so we do not ask for any sort of documentation if the round-trip mileage is less than or equal to 350 miles. Above 350 miles, we implemented a reduced rate policy: they receive the full IRS for the first 350 miles and then 1/2 the IRS rate for the remainder of their mileage. This distance was decided upon looking at frequently traveled to destinations along with a comparison of rental car rates (plus average fuel) vs mileage rates. If a traveler drives over 750 miles, then we require a business justification for why they needed to drive or a cost comparison for a flight if they simply chose to drive. If the business necessity is there, we still reimburse at the reduced rate. If they chose to drive for personal purposes, then we only reimburse up to the cost of the flight. This is all outlined in our Mileage policy: https://policies.unc.edu/TDClient/2833/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=131471

While we're on the subject of mileage, how do other institutions treat the mileage reimbursement for research study subjects? Is it the same as for employees or do you do something different?