Organization Travel

Domestic Travel

Domestic Travel Overview (Registration, Waivers & Other Info)

Domestic travel outside of the Washington, D.C. metro area, defined as outside the I-495 “Beltway,” must be registered with and approved by the Division for Student Affairs using the Domestic Travel Registration form in Engage. Registrations must be submitted at least two (2) weeks prior to departure.

• Unregistered and unapproved trip expenses will not be reimbursed and put the organization’s benefits and registration status at risk.
• Each travel registration must include a completed Travel Participation Waiver, with a signature and emergency contact for each student participant.
• Travel and hotel accommodations are booked in Engage as part of a purchase request.
• Organizations planning overnight travel must allow for no more than one individual per bed, sleeper sofa, or sleeping bag.

Club Sports teams should refer to the “Club Sports - Additional Information” section of the Handbook for differences in Club Sports travel policies and procedures, including registering travel via the DSE platform.

Student Bar Association and affiliated sub-organizations will work with GW Law School to coordinate travel reservations and payments.

Medical Center Student Council and affiliated sub-organizations must coordinate travel and payments using the primary MCSC Engage account. 

Driving

Drivers and passengers traveling with or on behalf of a student organization should review the Vehicle Safety Policy.

• All prospective drivers must have a current and valid driver’s license from a U.S.state or territory. 
• Drivers must agree to operate vehicles in accordance with local, state and federal laws, as well as university policies and guidance.
• Seat belts must be worn by drivers and passengers at all times
• Drivers must comply with applicable law that precludes or restricts the use of handheld devices while driving.
• Students are strongly discouraged from using their personal vehicles for student organization travel. For students who insist on using their own personal vehicles, please be advised that there is no coverage offered by GW, (i.e. no coverage for physical damage and no coverage for liability). The student would need to seek coverage from their personal insurance company. In no event will GW's automobile insurance policy respond to any vehicles that are driven by a student that are not owned, leased, or rented by GW. We strongly recommend that any student who is in need of transportation for a GW-sponsored event  secure a rented vehicle per the guidelines below.
• Student drivers are approved to drive a maximum of 250 miles at a time. Traveling in excess of 250 miles requires a change of drivers. If an organization is driving in excess of 500 miles round trip, an overnight stay is required. 

Rental Vehicles

• Any student or staff member driving a rental vehicle on behalf of a student organization must be an authorized driver.
• Drivers must be reauthorized each academic year.
• Parents, alumni, coaches, and other individuals not officially affiliated with GW may not drive for student organizations.
• Only authorized drivers who are 20+ may and have one year of driving experience may drive rental vehicles. Students must be 21+ to drive a 10-12 passenger van. 15 passenger vans are not permitted for GW travel.
• See the Travel Reservations and Expenses section below for more information on securing a rental vehicle.
   

Becoming an Authorized Driver

• Students must complete the authorized driver application. Following the submission, a Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) check will occur.
• If a student passes the MVR check, they will be prompted to complete an online driver safety training. An additional road test is required for 10-12 passenger vans.
• Drivers must reapply for authorization each academic year, regardless of the date previously approved.
• Students are not authorized to drive a rental vehicle until they receive a notification stating approved driver status. The process can take several weeks, so plan accordingly. 
   

Taxis and Rideshare (Uber, Lyft, etc.)

When traveling locally, student organizations are encouraged to use public transportation and taxis rather than rideshare options (e.g., Uber, Lyft). Student organizations will not be reimbursed for rideshare expenses and may not use GW P-cards for rideshare travel. 

Uber Vouchers (Fall 2025 Pilot)

If the organization wishes to use a Rideshare app and pay with university funds, organizations may request an Uber Voucher for eligible organization events and activities. The voucher will be added to an individual's personal Uber account and charged to the organizations.

• Requests must be submitted at least 3 business days in advance for local DC travel and at least 1 week in advance for other domestic travel
• Student organizations must submit a purchase request in Engage to initiate the request
• Uber Vouchers are designed for individuals and small groups and are not meant to replace rentals or shuttle services for larger group travel.
• Student organizations are required to upload a copy of the receipt (or voucher usage confirmation) in Engage to close out the purchase request.
• Vouchers will be provided to Club Sports and TRAiLS on an as needed basis.

Peer-to-Peer Lodging Guidelines

Peer-to-Peer lodging (e.g. AirBnB, VRBO) is not allowed for students traveling on GW/student organization business that is funded or reimbursed by the University, including using student organization funds. Visit the Lodging Peer-to-Peer Guidelines website for more information.

If the use of peer-to-peer lodging is deemed necessary for the completion of the organization’s mission, students must obtain prior written approval from the Division for Student Affairs who will consult with the Risk Management office to assess the request in advance of travel. Note that a detailed response from the host is required to approve requests.

Travel Reservations & Expenses (Hotels, Airfare/Bus/Train, Vehicle Rentals)

Individuals and groups traveling on behalf of their student organization and utilizing organizational funds must make arrangements and reservations in advance via Org Help Finance unless otherwise noted below. This section details policies related to making reservations and facilitating travel-related expenses. All student organizations that are traveling must follow the general travel policies discussed in the Handbook.

The university does not pay for travel insurance. Students who add travel insurance to a reservation may be held personally liable for reimbursing the university for these costs.

Club Sport teams will still submit purchase requests but will work with their Staff Advisor/Campus Recreation to make travel arrangements and reservations instead of Org Help Finance.

The Student Bar Association and their affiliated sub-organization will coordinate reservations and finances through the GW Law School.

The Medical Center Student Council and their affiliated sub-organizations will coordinate reservations and finances through the primary MCSC Engage account.
 

Hotels

• To utilize organizational funds for a hotel reservation, the organization must submit an Engage purchase request at least two (2) weeks prior to the travel date.
• Organizations must allow for one person per bed or sleeper sofa. Individuals may not share beds.
• Hotel reservations are mainly booked through hotels.com unless your organization has a special rate or block booking already in place at the hotel.
• If the booking is reserved directly through the hotel, the organization is responsible for contacting the hotel, requesting the hotel’s credit card authorization form, and submitting the form to Org Help Finance for completion. The completed form will be returned to the hotel by Org Help Finance, allowing the organization to check in without the physical GW P-card.
• Some hotels may request an individual’s credit card be on file for room charges and incidentals. The university P-card will only be authorized to cover the cost of the room (including hotel fees and taxes).
• Organizations must email the itemized hotel receipt to Org Help Finance within five (5) business days following their return.
   

Vehicle Rentals

• Student organizations wishing to rent a car for organizational travel must do so through Org Help Finance. Enterprise is the preferred rental car company. Other companies may be considered if Enterprise is not available. 
• All Enterprise car rental requests must be submitted via an Engage purchase request. Rental vehicle availability is based on local inventory and cannot be guaranteed. Requests should be submitted 3-4 weeks in advance. All vehicle rental bookings and confirmations will be available during the week of the rental.
• Purchase requests, including reimbursements, will be denied for costs related to non-approved rental cars or for driving expenses (fuel, tolls, etc.) for unauthorized drivers.
• Drivers must follow these reporting guidelines for any accident involving a rental vehicle. Additionally, drivers must inform Org Help Finance (orghelpfinancegwu [dot] edu (orgfinance[at]gwu[dot]edu)) of any accidents or damages. 
• Only authorized drivers are permitted to drive rental vehicles.

Review the above Driving section and the Auto Rental Guidelines website for more information.
 

Airfare and Bus/Train Tickets

• To utilize organizational funds for an airfare reservation, bus/train tickets, the organization must submit an Engage purchase request at least two (2) weeks prior to the travel date.
• Purchases will be facilitated by Org Help Finance via the P-Card.
• When searching for airfare rates, we advise student organizations to use the GW iBuy travel portal.
• The university allows organizations to pay for standard checked baggage fees. Expenditures for these fees must be reasonable and prudent and must be properly documented.
• Ancillary airline fees associated with priority boarding and economy class upgrades (e.g., Early Bird, Economy Plus, extra legroom, exit row, aisle seat, etc.) may not be added to a P-Card purchase and are not reimbursable.
• Travel insurance is not reimbursable and may not be added to a P-Card purchase.
   

Charter Bus/Bus Rental

• Organizations wishing to charter a bus or other form of transportation must utilize a transportation vendor approved by the Office of Risk Management. Student organizations should work with Org Help or their assigned Staff Advisor to reserve the bus and complete any contracts.

International Travel

International Travel Overview

Visit the What is GW related or Supported Travel website to determine if your trip qualifies as student organization travel.

International travel follows a distinct review and approval process. Applications for student organization international travel must be submitted at least eight (8) weeks prior to the proposed departure date and include as much detail as possible.

Failure to complete and submit the information within the necessary timeline may result in forfeiture of your trip.

All GW-sponsored or GW-related international travel by students or student organizations requires prior approval as outlined in the university’s international travel policy. Travelers must also adhere to GW’s insurance, travel security, and related requirements. Visit the GW Global International Travel website for more information.

Organizations and individuals are not permitted to make travel arrangements until your application has been approved.

Eligibility:

• Red and Blue Line organizations may apply for international travel.
• Orange and Green Line organizations must obtain written approval from the Division for Student Affairs before applying. 
• Organizations must be in good standing with the Division for Student Affairs (e.g., no negative finance accounts, no disciplinary sanctions).
• Individuals participating in international travel may not have any disciplinary sanctions that preclude them from international travel.

GW- and Organization-Related Travel

International travel is considered GW and/or student organization-related when:

• The travel is undertaken because an individual is acting in an academic or professional capacity relevant to the person’s areas of responsibility, activities (including co-curricular and extracurricular ones), course of research, teaching, or study at GW, and/or
• The travel is undertaken with or organized by any GW organization, division, department, or office, even if not for an academic or professional purpose, and/or
• The travel is partially or fully funded by the university. 

International Travel Applications

Application Process

All organizations interested in international travel must submit the “High Risk Travel Proposal for Groups,” regardless of destination and group size. This form can be found on the Planning GW Related or Supported Travel website.

Organizations traveling as a group (with shared travel arrangements and itinerary) must designate one point of contact to submit one application on behalf of the organization. Once approved, each traveler will be instructed to register their travel in GW Passport.

All applications must include a thorough review of the travel destination’s safety and security profile. The application must provide thorough risk mitigation plans. The High Risk Travel Proposal for Groups contains links to websites to assist organizations in identifying risk mitigation measures.

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Review and Approval

Submitted applications will be reviewed by the Division for Student Affairs, then forwarded to the Assistant Dean of Student Engagement and the Office of Risk Management, before being sent for final approval by the Office of International Programs.

At any point during the review and approval process, the organization may be asked to provide additional information, clarify details, or make adjustments to plans. High-risk destinations may require an additional level of review and approval.

If approved, you will receive communication from the Office of International Programs prompting you to view and complete your travel registration requirements online using GW Passport. You will need to log on and complete the registration, including purchasing the required travel insurance. Do not make travel arrangements until your trip has been approved.

Trip leaders are required to attend an Emergency Protocols Training in advance of international travel, as are any GW faculty or staff accompanying the student organization, if applicable. The Assistant Dean of Student Engagement will also attend the training.