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Getting Reimbursed for Expenses

If you paid for certain expenses to attend the OSG School 2024, then we will reimburse you for them. This page explains what can be reimbursed and how to request reimbursement. Please read this whole page carefully before submitting your request.

The deadline for all reimbursement submissions is Friday, 20 September 2024.

What Can Be Reimbursed?

We offered to reimburse certain expenses that were part of attending the OSG School:

  • Bus fare to/from Madison
  • Taxi or ride-share to/from Madison airport
  • Driving mileage (if prearranged)
  • Dinners Monday through Thursday (up to $35 per dinner)

Generally, we are not able to reimburse you for any other expenses (e.g., checked baggage fees, transportation to/from your home and local airport). However, if we made specific arrangements with you before the School, those arrangements are still valid for reimbursement. When in doubt, contact us well before the deadline.

What Information Is Needed?

The University of Wisconsin–Madison has strict requirements about reimbursements. See below for each type of expense and its rules.

Expense Rules

Bus fare

For bus trips between Madison and a nearby airport, as planned with us in advance.

The original receipt is required, including at least the total amount paid.

Ride fare

For taxi and ride-sharing trips between the Madison airport and your hotel. Rides in your home town are not covered.

If you paid for other School participants, list their names. If the total (fare + tip) is more than $25, the original receipt is required, ideally including:

  • Date of trip
  • Fare and tip

Driving mileage

If we agreed in advance to cover your driving costs to/from the School, simply list the agreed-upon reimbursement amount ($ or miles) as a reminder.

Meals

For dinners Monday through Thursday of the School, as noted on the meals page, we can reimburse you up to $35 per dinner.

  • Within the allowed amount, you may include tax and tip
  • No alcohol is allowed, but non-alcoholic drinks are ok
  • Original receipts are not required, but if you want to email us a scanned copy of your receipts, it may help us understand your request better

If you do not have receipts, do your best to estimate your meal expenses accurately. Remember, all of your meal reimbursements are being paid by federal taxpayer funds, so be fair and honest!

For other expense types that were arranged before the School, contact us to learn what documentation is required.

Note: If you must give us receipts (see above), electronic files are fine. You may scan or photograph any paper receipts and email them to us.

How to Request Reimbursement

Please follow these instructions carefully for fastest processing of your reimbursement request.

  1. Gather your reimbursement information (see above for what you need).

  2. Email your reimbursement request by Friday, 20 September 2024.

    Write a clear email with your name, the exact expenses and amounts to be reimbursed, reimbursement total, and any scanned receipts or other documentation. Send the email to [email protected]. Use the sample format below to get started, but update the subtotals and remove the sections that do not apply to you:

    I attended the OSG School 2024 in Madison, Wisconsin, and I request
    reimbursement for the following School-related expenses:
    
    STUDENT INFORMATION
    
    Name: Cartwright, Tim
    SSN: 1234 [LAST FOUR DIGITS ONLY]
    Mail: 1210 W Dayton St, Madison, WI 53706 [see below]
    Email: [email protected]
    Phone: +1 (608) 262-4002
    
    EXPENSES
    
    Bus Fare => $55.55
      * Roundtrip on Van Galder bus between Chicago O’Hare and UW-Madison
      * Original electronic receipt is attached
    
    Taxi Fare => $33.33
      * One-way from Madison airport to the Park Hotel
      * Other OSG School passengers: Miron Livny, Christina Koch
      * Scanned receipt is attached
    
    Driving Mileage => $222.22 [if arranged in advance]
      * Roundtrip between home and Park Hotel in Madison
      * Estimated total miles (from Google Maps): 432
    
    Dinners => $77.77
      * Mon, 5 August 2024: $20.00
      * Tue, 6 August 2024: $15.80
      * Wed, 7 August 2024: $19.84
      * Thu, 8 August 2024: $22.13
    
    TOTAL => $123.45
    
  3. For receipts, just attach the electronic files (PDF) to your request email; or, email separately to [email protected].

    All receipts must be emailed by Friday, 20 September 2024, or the corresponding expenses will not be reimbursed.

  4. OSG School staff will review your request and either approve it or send it back for changes.

  5. Once approved, UW–Madison administrative staff will process your reimbursement request.

  6. Your reimbursement check will be mailed to the postal address that you provided, so choose a reliable one (home, office, other). Note that it may take a month or longer after you submit before your check is mailed, so plan ahead.

  7. When you receive your check, please email [email protected] to say that the check arrived and the exact amount of the check (dollars and cents). Maybe surprisingly, this is the only way that we can make sure that you got the reimbursement and that the amount was correct.