Whenever traveling supported by Middlebury funds, you are a representative of Middlebury and should act accordingly.

General Guidelines

You are also expected to properly steward your award which includes:

  • Traveling as a group and sharing expenses whenever possible
  • Spending appropriately (no personal items or alcohol)
  • Accurately reporting expenses (including itemized original receipts).

You may also need to complete a field trip release form.

Please be aware that you are responsible for arranging your own travel in a timely, safe fashion, regardless of the funding source. Increased travel costs due to late or poor planning will not be funded.

Travel Expenses and Reimbursement

If you received funding, items are generally reimbursed as outlined in your budget. If you have changes to budget items, please talk with us in advance. Changes will be approved as deemed appropriate. Any expenses deemed excessively high or inappropriate may be refused for reimbursement. Please submit legible itemized receipts for reimbursement. If itemized receipts are not available (a less common situation), please provide written documentation detailing the expense, vendor, purpose, date and amount for our review. 

Expenses can be submitted to an agent of Middlebury College only once. If you receive additional funding for this project you must update all sources on the amounts and covered expenses.

Traveling Outside the U.S.

If you are traveling outside the U.S., make sure you do the following 2-3 months in advance:

  • Know what documentation is needed for your project or internship work in that country
  • Ensure passport is valid for at least 6 more months
  • Many countries require a visa for entry. This may be a time-consuming process so it is important to research the process and trip information and time needed to obtain the visa.
  • If you are traveling to a country with a U.S. State Department Travel Warning, you must sign the Travel Warning Country Waiver and return it to your program/department sponsor.
  • Review required and recommended immunizations.
  • Secure health insurance if your current plan doesn’t cover you overseas and confirm that your insurance covers accidents, medical evacuation and repatriation of remains (minimum requirement of $500,000 USD in coverage)
  • Review Middlebury’s information for students traveling abroad
  • Register your travel with Middlebury so you can be reached in the event of an emergency.

Health Insurance and Safety

  • Make sure you have appropriate health insurance coverage that is valid in your proposed destination. Make sure you know how to obtain medical services if needed.
  • Consider health and safety issues you may encounter on your trip. If there are specific concerns, you should address them in your application for funding.

Booking Airfare

Middlebury works with Milne Travel. You can contact them to request a quote or discuss your travel. You are also free to make your own arrangements which can be reimbursed, or depending on the expense, may be direct charged by contacting ur@middlebury.edu and scheduling an appointment.

If you received funding, the travel agencies may be able to charge Middlebury directly. Services do include a booking fee (UR does not count the fee against your award total).

Arranging Lodging

Hotels: Reservations usually require a credit card to book, which is then billed after your stay. You will need to use a personal credit card. Some lodging can be charged at the time of reservation but it may be non-refundable if your plans change.

AirBnB: While a great way to find an affordable stay, be sure the lodging is in a safe area, near public or other transportation if you need it.

Home Stays: Lodging with friends or family is always a great option. In some foreign countries, the only lodging available may be in the form of a home stay. If you anticipate paying cash for lodging while abroad, be sure to get an agreement of the dates and rate by email or hardcopy as documentation of your stay.

Mileage

UR’s AY 24-25 and summer 2025 mileage rate is $.41 per mile. The reimbursement rate is calculated by averaging the 2024 IRS mileage rate for business and volunteering. We do not reimburse gas receipts.

Renting a Vehicle

Vehicles can be rented through Middlebury for research by requesting a rental by Undergraduate Research or your department. There are a limited number of vehicles available and you do need to have specific training. See the training schedule. If a Middlebury vehicle is not available, local options are limited. See details on the facilities website.

Local Transportation Options

The sustainability office maintains a list of local transportation options.

Using a transportation service to and from the airport in Burlington can cost almost as much as some flights. URO will pay for round trip mileage (see current rate at top of page) both ways if you have a friend who can drive you.

Per Diems

Generally, Middlebury does not provide students with per diem payments since they are not employees.

Requests for modest, expense-based per diems for travel (not IRS rates) will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Approvals are normally based on location of travel (need for cash transactions) and financial hardship. Opportunities for Middlebury direct charges will be utilized before a per diem will be issued.

If you receive a per diem, you must track your expenses and submit itemized receipts as if you were being reimbursed. Any unused funds may need to be returned to Middlebury.

Food

Food may be purchased at a store, restaurant or vendor. Expenses must be yours. If the receipt is for multiple people please indicate your portion. Be aware that it may be illegal to purchase meals for government employees or other foreign officials, as it may be considered a form of bribery.

Alcohol may not be purchased with Middlebury funds. Receipts must be itemized to show no alcohol was purchased.

UR generally funds budgets at $35 per day for travel food expenses. 

Miscellaneous Travel Expenses

Miscellaneous travel expenses may include items such as visa fees, cell phone service, and museum or archive admission.

Any expenses directly related to the project implementation and necessary travel may be reimbursed if approved, even if it wasn’t included in your original budget, up to your original award amount.

If you had additional expenses from unanticipated circumstances, which you were unable to avoid or control, then UR may review them on a case-by-case basis for reimbursement above your award amount.

Personal items and expenses will not be reimbursed. Examples include:

  • Personal car repairs
  • Personal computer/phone repairs or replacement
  • Non-specialized, non-project-specific clothing, gear or supplies