Before you Travel
Planning to travel on university business? Before making reservations or booking your airfare, you need to make sure that you understand SJSU's travel requirements.
You can follow the steps below, or review the SJSU Travel w/ Concur Checklist 2026 for a list of action items before, during, and after your trip.
1. Check your System Access
Employees
All state-side employees are granted access to Concur. Access is provisioned based on your role in the SJSU@Work system.
Students and Non-Employees
Students and non-employee travelers are not granted access to Concur. Their travel requests must be entered in Concur by an employee sponsor. Department admins should first verify whether the traveler is listed in the supplier lists in Concur:
- SJ004 - Students
- SJ000 - All other non-employees
If the traveler is not listed, submit a Non-Employee and Student Onboarding Request Form so that the Supplier Maintenance Coordinator can add them.
2. Allow Time for Approval
Travelers should plan ahead and allow at least 4 weeks for their travel request to be reviewed and approved by university administration. Even if you are not ready to submit the request, you should determine a submission deadline that provides enough time to get full approval and book travel arrangements at reasonable rates.
Traveling Internationally?
For all international travel, please check U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories to determine whether your destination is considered "high hazard."
If traveling to a high hazard country: Submit your travel request through Concur at least 45 days in advance to allow time sufficient time for Chief Financial Officer review and for the university to procure international travel insurance on your behalf.
3. Plan Your Trip — But Wait to Purchase
As you prepare your Travel Request, you will need to estimate the anticipated costs of your trip. You can research airfare, lodging, ground transportation, registration fees, meals, and other expected expenses to develop your estimate. However, do not purchase airfare, pay for lodging, or otherwise commit funds until your Travel Request has been fully approved.
Concur's AI Assistant can make this step easier. Based on your destination and the average expenses in that city, the AI Assistant can provide reasonable estimates for your anticipated travel costs. This gives you a useful starting point for your Travel Request without requiring you to research every expense before beginning the approval process. You can then use the time while your Travel Request is being reviewed to research specific travel options and refine your plans.
4. Review Allowable Expenses
Familiarize yourself with CSU travel policies before your trip so you understand which expenses are allowable and can be reimbursed.
Fortunately, you don't have to navigate the rules alone. Concur includes built-in audit rules that help identify expenses that may not comply with CSU policy. Using the Concur Booking Tool can also help you select travel options that align with policy requirements and reduce the risk of unexpected issues when you submit your expenses for reimbursement.
