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Check Requests and Prize/Award Payments

 

Business and Financial Policies and Procedures
University Controller’s Office

SECTION 3 – Check Requests

Download Check Request Form (Excel)

Download Check Request Prizes/Awards Stipends

Effective Date: March 13, 2017

Business Function or General Statement
Check Requests provide departments with needed flexibility to make payments that are not subject to purchasing procedures. See Appendix A for transactions that are appropriate under this procedure and additional instructions.

Misuse of Check Requests
Check Requests should not be used to circumvent standard university purchasing procedures. Recurrent non-compliance will be referred by the Controller’s Office to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Fiscal Affairs.

Prompt Payment of Obligations
Sound financial practices and university policies require that all obligations be paid by the payee due date. The university also strives to time payments to maximize discount benefits and avoid early payment.

  • Payments will be processed by the date required by the payee.

  • Check Requests requiring payment earlier than the payee due date should be documented with an adequate reason for early payment.

  • Requests for overnight or demand checks should be directed to the Accounts Payable Supervisor. Departments will be required to provide justification for such requests.

Mailing of Checks to Payee
Normally university checks are mailed to the payee. Justification must be provided on the Check Request if the check is to be returned to the department for mailing or if anyone other than the payee is to receive the check.

Procedures

Submission of Check Request
To process a request for payment under this procedure, submit a completed Check Request to the Accounts Payable Office. (301 HFR)

Attach sufficient documentation to support the reason for the expenditure and the amount requested. Refer to Appendix A for documentation requirements for specific transactions.

Submit the Check Request in sufficient time to allow the Accounts Payable Office to process the check by the payee due date. Five working days are normally required to process a check after receipt of the Check Request unless there is an extreme emergency. Emergency requests for overnight or demand checks (with sufficient justification) should be directed to the Accounts Payable Supervisor.

Check Requests that are not legible or not properly completed, signed, and/or accompanied by appropriate documentation will not be processed by the Accounts Payable Office and will be returned to the originating department for correction, thus delaying the processing of the Check Request.

Error Correction
If errors are found after a Check Request has been submitted to the Accounts Payable Office, but before payment has been made, notify the Accounts Payable Supervisor immediately at Ext. 3096.

To correct errors found in departmental reports after payment is made, send a memorandum or email to the Accounts Payable Supervisor.

Appendix A

Appropriate Use of Check Requests

Effective Date: March 13, 2017

General Documentation Requirements

    • Attach an extra copy of any documentation that is to be mailed to the payee.
    • Invoices and/or receipts provided as documentation must be originals. For prepayments, attach an official order form or price verification.
    • If paying multiple invoices on one Check Request, attach an adding machine tape that equals the total amount of the Check Request.

Check Request Transactions

Additional Instructions

Reimbursement to Employees

Reimbursement to Employees for out-of-pocket purchases:

Item(s) purchased:

  • Must cost $500 or less

AND

  • Must not be available on State Contract
  • Attach original receipt for the item(s) purchased.
  • If employee being reimbursed is the accountable officer for the account being charged, the administrator next in line must approve the reimbursement.

Payments to Other Individuals

Research Participants and Cash Prizes and Awards to Non-Employees:

  • Must provide a brief description of the purpose of the prize or award or of the research subject on line 4.
  • In order to comply with IRS 1099 reporting regulations, the recipient’s social security number or federal identification number must be provided.
  • Signature of the recipient of the prize or award or the research participant must be obtained.

Refunds of Receipts

Refunds of receipts back to the agency or individual who originally made the payment:

  • Indicate original receipt number.
  • Indicate original account number and revenue object code (0xxx) that were credited. This account and object code must be charged with the expenditure.

Vendor Payments

Subscriptions and Publications:

  • Attach original and one copy of order form to be mailed to the payee.
  • Subscriptions and publications must be shipped to a campus location and may not be sent to a home address.

Registration Fees for workshops, seminars, and conferences:

  • Attach original and one copy of registration form to be mailed to the payee.
  • Include traveler’s name and description of workshop, seminar, or conference.

Memberships & Organization Dues:

Subject to all guidelines in University Policy #2

  • Attach original and one copy of membership form or other information to be mailed to the payee.
  • Approved signatures should be as follows:
    1. Individual Memberships — Vice Chancellor
    2. Departmental Memberships — Dean or Director
    3. College and Division Memberships — Vice Chancellor
    4. Institutional Memberships -- Chancellor

Grant Disbursements:

  • Attach original and one copy of original invoice.
  • Must be approved by the Director of Contracts and Grants.

Other General Items:

  • Attach original and one copy of original invoice.
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