Advances may be made for travel, registration fees and some entertainment expenses under certain restrictions. Entertainment advances should be rare and occasional and will be approved on a case by case basis. Advances apply only to Arch accounts and not those of the University of Georgia. Advances should be reconciled within 30 days of the individual’s return from designated travel or after the entertainment event has taken place. Since advances are for the convenience and benefit of the employee, no additional advances will be made to employees who have an outstanding advance. Arch reserves the right to deny any employee further advances due to not following policy such as being late on clearing advances, not providing proper documentation or using an advance for reasons other than stated on the original request.

Advances may never be used to pay for professional services (contractors, consultants, honorariums, etc.) which are considered third party payments. Entertainment advances may not be requested for multiple events. Whenever possible, the unit/department should seek to obtain direct billing/invoicing from vendors.

1. Requesting a Cash Advance:
   
   To request an advance, complete a check request and the Advance Cash Promissory Note form. All advances must be approved by the appropriate administrative unit/VP/Dean/Director. Advances for out-of-state travel also must include a copy of the approved Travel Authority for that employee. Once Arch has approved the advance, a copy of the approved Advance Cash Promissory Note will be returned with the check.
   
   
2. Clearing a Cash Advance:
   
   To properly clear an advance, complete and submit an approved Advance Clearing Request form along with original receipts including all applicable state taxes. Arch is not tax exempt from sales tax from the state of Georgia. If the advance is for entertainment, then an Entertainment form must also be submitted. If the advance is for travel, then a Travel Expense Statement must be submitted along with the Advance Clearing Request form. All advances must be cleared by presenting original receipts. If costs are less than the amount advanced, a refund should be submitted. If the Advance was insufficient to cover the costs incurred, then the difference should be requested via a check request to reimburse the employee. The check request process should be followed as outlined in Sections A & B.