Travel Support for Non-Employee Individuals

Kennesaw State supports travel for a variety of non-employee individuals, including job candidates, performers, lecturers, and students, each of whom follows specific guidelines distinct from standard employee travel procedures. This section outlines the applicable policies, payment methods, and documentation requirements to ensure compliance with university standards and state regulations.

Clear guidance is provided for arranging and funding travel, covering topics such as allowable expenses, personal travel considerations, lodging, and the use of University payment methods. Individuals and departments are encouraged to review these guidelines carefully to facilitate proper planning and processing of non-employee travel.

Job Candidates

  • Yes, Section 19.9 of the Board of Regent Business Procedures Manual (BPM) discusses non-employee travel. Job candidates are subject to the allowable limits and conditions as discussed in the BPM. The only exception is that job candidates are not able to book their travel through Concur.
  • Yes, however, they will need to complete a cost comparison to show it will not cause an additional cost to the University. The cost comparison should be completed at the time of booking and be submitted with the expense report.
  • Job candidates should book Economy class airfare, from their nearest major airport. If they would like to upgrade their airfare or alter the location of travel, they may do so at their own expense. A cost comparison for the round-trip from their home location to Atlanta should be documented if other way points are included.
  • Yes, non-employee travel expenses such as airfare and lodging can be paid for with a P-Card.
  • It is possible to pay for lodging. However, it does require Agency Head Approval. This can be obtained by submitting a request via kennesaw.service-now.com/ofs with the traveler’s address and the agenda or itinerary.

  • Yes. The following hotels are available:

    Kennesaw Marietta

    SpringHill Suites
    3399 Town Point Dr. NW
    Kennesaw, GA 30144
    (770) 218-5550
    0.6 miles

    		 Hampton Inn
    2136 Kingston Ct.
    Marietta, GA 30067
    (678) 460-1160
    2.5 miles
  • The per diem in Cobb County is $50.00 per day. This breaks out to $13.00 for breakfast, $14.00 for lunch and $23.00 for dinner. 
  • Based on Section 19.9 of the BPM, a job candidate must perform a service to the institution, such as a presentation on subject matter applicable to the position applied for. Consideration provided to the candidate for this service would be the reimbursement of travel expenses.

Performers and Lecturers

  • Yes, Section 19.9 of the Board of Regent Business Procedures Manual (BPM) discusses non-employee travel. Performers and lecturers are subject to the allowable limits and conditions as discussed in the BPM. The only exception is that performers and lecturers are not able to book their travel through Concur.
  • Yes, however, they will need to complete a cost comparison to show it will not cause an additional cost to the University. The cost comparison should be completed at the time of booking and be submitted with the expense report.
  • Performers and lecturers should book Economy class airfare, from their nearest major airport. If they would like to upgrade their airfare or alter the location of travel, they may do so at their own expense. A cost comparison for the round-trip from their home location to Atlanta should be documented if other way points are included.
  • Yes, non-employee travel expenses such as airfare, lodging and registration can be paid for with a P-Card.
  • It is possible to pay for lodging. However, it does require Agency Head Approval. This can be obtained by submitting a ServiceNow request via kennesaw.service-now.com/ofs with the traveler’s address and the agenda or itinerary.

  • Yes. The following hotels are available:

    Kennesaw Marietta

    SpringHill Suites

    3399 Town Point Dr. NW
    Kennesaw, GA 30144
    (770) 218-5550
    0.6 miles

    Hampton Inn

    2136 Kingston Ct.
    Marietta, GA 30067
    (678) 460-1160
    2.5 miles
  • The per diem in Cobb County is $50.00 per day. This breaks out to $13.00 for breakfast, $14.00 for lunch and $23.00 for dinner. 

  • An honorarium is a one-time payment of $2,500 or less to an individual in recognition of a special or distinguished short-term service for which no fee has been set or agreed upon in advance for a presentation and does not expect payment.

    • Any payments in recognition of these services typically forbids a price to be set
    • Vendor Registration completed well in advance of presentation
    • Travel expense should be included and not reimbursed separately

Students

Students travel as part of their KSU experience for a number of reasons.  Some travel with the intercollegiate athletic team which they are a member of, some as part of a trip with their registered student organization (RSO), some as part of a study abroad program, and some to participate in a conference as part of their academic programs.  There are other examples as well.

Payment can only be provided by KSU for students who are authorized to travel for participation in academic programs and sanctioned student events to include athletic and recruiting events. Students include individuals enrolled to take classes at an institution, including students enrolled in Continuing Education, and individuals being recruited as potential students.  GRAs/GTAs are employees of the University and approval of their travel is administered as such (although their travel is not processed through Concur).  Authorization and payment for non-employee student travel is limited as detailed below. 

Funding for authorized student travel can be provided in the following ways:

  • Intercollegiate athletics team participation – coordinated and paid directly by the University (or KSU Athletic Association).
  • RSO travel – Travel information can be found in the RSO manual on pages 22- 23.
  • Study Abroad – Paid by the participating students.  Coordinated through the Division of Global Affairs.
  • Academic or Research Programs:
    • Non-grant funded – Payment by KSU for student travel (not addressed above) is limited to travel related to academic and research competencies as defined by the program, or associated with participating in academic conferences or recruiting events, with priority given to those students who will be presenting.  The following types of participation will be considered for funding:
      • Research Paper or *Project Presentation.
      • Roundtable or panel discussion
      • Poster presentation
      • Working at a KSU table or booth
      • Receive an award
      • Activities recommended by a graduate student’s mentor or thesis advisor, tied to academic and research competencies of the program as defined by the college’s student success metrics.
        • *Project presentation is meant for those disciplines that are not necessarily conducting or presenting research, but rather showcasing scholarly work, such as those that pertain to certain programs.

The Graduate College provides some funding for this and additional information and procedures are available on their website. 

  • Grant-funded travel for students – If non-employee travel is anticipated to be funded by a grant, that grant must specifically allow for non-employee travel and must be included in the grant budget and grant submission.

In some instances, student RSO and Academic travel may impact the financial aid package.  Please reach out to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to assist in determining reporting requirements.

Student travel is not processed through Concur. Information regarding student travel can be found in the drop-down below.

Resources

Checklist for Student Group Travel

 

  • Yes, Section 19.9 of the Board of Regent Business Procedures Manual (BPM) discusses non-employee travel. Students are subject to the allowable limits and conditions as discussed in the BPM. The only exception is that students are not able to book their travel through Concur.
  • Yes, however, they will need to complete a cost comparison to show it will not cause an additional cost to the University. The cost comparison should be completed at the time of booking and be submitted with the expense report.
  • Student should book Economy class airfare. If they would like to upgrade their airfare, they may do so at their own expense. 
  • Yes, non-employee travel expenses such as airfare, lodging and registration can be paid for with a P-Card.

  • Per diem for students is the same as employees. The rates can be found at the following links:

  • Yes, please review the information on the Insurance and Risk Management website for additional information on training requirements.
  • A trip registration form is required from the Department of Student Activities. 

  • The Allowable Cost Matrix states that student travel “Must be for presentation of official research or academic project completed while an active student or for acceptance of an academic award earned while an active student. Travel expenses should be submitted and completed no later than one semester's time after student's graduation.”

    Conference attendance is not an allowable business purpose. Please contact kennesaw.service-now.com/ofs for any questions regarding allowability. 

  • Yes, please provide the following disclaimer:

    “Attached please find the list of student travelers. Please note that the attached includes personally identifiable information being provided only for the purpose of securing travel accommodations. We expect that [insert agency name] will protect the confidentiality of such information and only use it for the purpose of booking travel. If you cannot comply with that expectation or believe you have received this in error, please notify us immediately by responding to this email and deleting the attachment. Thank you!”