Petty Cash Policy

Authority: Business Affairs
Date Enacted or Revised: Revised February 2016; March 18, 2022; October 28, 2022; September 3, 2024

General

On occasion, it may be necessary for University employees to use their personal funds to make purchases for the University. Employees may be reimbursed for these personally incurred expenditures when they are in compliance with this policy. Reimbursements will be processed through the Cashier’s Office petty cash fund located in Smith Hall.  Students may not incur expenses for the University.

Purpose

To ensure that an adequate system of internal control over the reimbursement of personal funds expended on behalf of the University is maintained.

Scope

These policies and procedures are applicable to all University employees who use personal funds on behalf of the University.

Objectives

  • To safeguard McNeese State University accounts against waste, fraud, and inefficiency;
  • To ensure a high level of accuracy and reliability in the accounting records; and
  • To reduce the opportunity for errors or losses without incurring unreasonable additional costs for the increments of internal controls established.

Audit

Petty cash records are subject to an audit any time by the Office of Internal Audit.

Allowed Expenditures

Employees may be reimbursed only for expenditures that meet an allowed University purpose. The expenditure must be approved in advance by the budget unit head before being incurred. The reimbursement request must be accompanied and appropriately supported by an original purchase receipt that is in compliance with all provisions of this policy. 

Unallowed Expenditures

No single purchase may exceed $100. Simultaneous purchases (stringing) may not be made to circumvent these limitations.

Petty cash may not be reimbursed for:

  • Payment for services performed by employees or non-employees;
  • Personal expenses;
  • Personal loans and cashing personal checks;
  • Travel;
  • Gifts;
  • Buying hazardous materials;
  • Faculty dues;
  • Social or travel club dues;
  • University parking permits (personal expense);
  • Traffic citations;
  • Interest charges;
  • Food purchases; and
  • Alcoholic beverages, which may not be reimbursed using federal or state funds either directly through a contract or grant account or indirectly through a cost rate calculation.

Cash Reimbursement Procedures

  1. The employee receives permission from the budget unit head (administrator, dean, or department head) to make a cash purchase from personal funds.
  2. The employee makes the purchase.
  3. The employee completes the Petty Cash Voucher by entering the following: date of purchase, vendor name, item description, amount, department name, index number, account number, person to be reimbursed, and total reimbursement amount.
  4. The employee submits the petty cash voucher with the proper original receipt to the budget unit head for the signature and date.
  5. The completed petty cash voucher form with receipts is sent to the designated accounts payable employee for coding verification and budget approval and then forwarded to the cashier for reimbursement to the employee.
  6. The cashier has the employee sign and date the petty cash voucher to indicate that the employee received the money.
  7. The cashier signs and dates the voucher to indicate that it was paid.
  8. The cashier retains the petty cash voucher and receipt to use as documentation to replenish the Cashier’s Office petty cash fund.

Communication

This policy is distributed via the University Policies webpage.