brown university travel expenses

Undergraduate Financial Aid

Winter financial aid.

• Types of Financial Aid
• Other Types of Aid

If you are taking winter courses at Brown, you may qualify for a Brown Winter Grant.

Scholarship eligible students will be notified of their Winter Grant amount by email from the Office of Financial Aid by mid-November.

Winter Session

For information regarding the Winter Session, including available courses and costs.

Winter Session Grant

In addition to being enrolled in Winter Session at Brown University, students must also be enrolled at least half-time in the Fall term prior to the Winter Session and have registered for Spring courses to be considered for any Winter Session grant and/or loans. 

If eligible, the Winter Session grant will be offered automatically. After registering and prior to billing, the Office of Financial Aid will send notification that the student’s financial aid has been adjusted. The student may then view the Winter Session grant in Banner Self-Service .

Students who withdraw from Winter Session will not be allowed to retain any refund created by, or associated with Winter Session aid.

Winter Session Housing and Meals

Winter Session Grant is for tuition only. Living expenses, such as meals and housing, are not included in your Winter Session funding*.  Therefore, you should plan additional resources to cover these expenses. Residential Life and Dining Services will provide information about housing and meals by the end of November.  Students requiring any housing or meals during the Winter Break should complete the Winter Break Housing form that should be available on the Residential Life website in November. 

 * Students enrolled in Winter Session with a $0 Parent Contribution may be eligible for meals and/or housing assistance, if charged by Brown for the Winter Session time-period only.  These students should refer to the email they received from the Office of Financial Aid for specific details of their eligibility.

Winter Break Housing - Not Enrolled in Winter Session

Students not enrolled in Winter Session will have the opportunity to request emergency support through the Winter Break Housing form, however, support is not guaranteed.  If you feel that emergency support may be needed, you should submit the form as soon as it becomes available so the outcome of the request may be provided to you as early as possible. Funding through the Office of Financial Aid is not available to cover extended stay and/or early arrival charges.

Loan Eligibility for Winter Session Expenses

Loans must be requested separately. We do not automatically offer loans, as Winter Session borrowing may impact a student's loan eligibility during the academic year.

Students should notify the Office of Financial Aid in writing via email to request a loan. A Financial Aid Counselor can provide students with their loan eligibility prior to registering for Winter Session courses; however, loans will not be processed until registration.

Book/Course Material Support (BCMS) Program

Students eligible to participate in the Book/Course Material Support (BCMS) Program will automatically receive support to cover the costs of books/course materials for Winter Session courses. BCMS BRDD students will continue to receive necessary support for their RISD winter session courses. The process to order your books is the same as it was in the Fall semester.

Students Completing Degree Requirements/Graduating in December

Winter Session grants are only available for continuing undergraduate students who are currently receiving Brown University Scholarship during the full academic year. Students graduating in December will have finished their undergraduate studies, therefore, are not eligible for a Winter Session grant.

Students graduating in December cannot use the Winter Session to extend the loan deferment/grace periods outside of the traditional Fall or Spring semester dates, even if they are enrolled in a final Winter Session course. 

Students that need one class to complete their degree requirements, may on exception, be allowed to take a Winter Session class to complete their degree.  If their enrollment plan is approved by the College, these students may be eligible for Winter Grant.  Students considering this option should request approval by the College and the Office of Financial Aid prior to enrolling.

Financial Aid for Travel Expenses Associated with a Destination Course

Funding through a grant from the Global Experiential Learning and Teaching (GELT) Program covers all essential travel costs (flights, accommodations, meals, health insurance for international locations and site tickets). Although loan eligibility may be available to cover other travel-related expenses, any credit resulting from a loan will not be available as a refund until after the program has begun. Travel allowances are not provided for on-campus classes.

Undergraduate Admission

Undergraduate tuition and fees.

New Student Tuition and Fees for the 2023-2024 Academic Year

• Tuition and Aid

Learn more about financial aid at Brown

Undergraduate Study Abroad

• Before You Apply
• Financial Planning

Knowing the non-tuition fees and estimated on-site costs for your program will help you determine whether your semester abroad will cost less or more than a semester on campus.

Semester and year-long students pay Brown tuition and Student Resources fee and pay any non-tuition program fees, like room and board, to their program. Knowing the non-tuition fees and estimated on-site costs for your program will help you determine whether your semester abroad will cost less or more than a semester on campus.

When researching your overall program costs, items to keep in mind include:

• books/supplies
• local transportation
• health insurance
• passport, visa, and residency permit expenses
• vaccines and inoculations (if required by program) and other health care costs
• personal living expenses (including cell phone)
• personal travel
• storage costs for your belongings back at Brown

All Brown students eligible for financial aid (with few exceptions) may use their aid for an approved program of semester or year-long study abroad. For summer programs, most forms of financial aid do not apply.

Learning how to budget your money while abroad will take some time and careful observation. Study Abroad peer advisors and other returned students are good resources for information and advice on how to manage your finances abroad.

• For your budgeting, it’s important to have a good understanding of what your cost of attendance will be for your study abroad program. Your cost of attendance includes Brown tuition and Student Resources Fee (billed to your student account), non-tuition charges (payable to your study abroad program/host university), and all travel-related (e.g. passport, visa, airfare, etc.) and on-site expenses. We recommend looking at the Brown cost of attendance so you can compare a semester on campus compared to study abroad. The Study Abroad Budget Worksheet (accessible on the Office of Financial Aid website under Forms ) is available to help you calculate your expenses abroad and in determining out-of-pocket expenses. If your study abroad cost of attendance is greater, you may want to consider applying for outside scholarships or loans to help cover any additional costs. If there is any concern about covering upfront expenses, such as airfare, visa, and/or deposit for your semester(s) abroad, contact the Office of Financial Aid as soon as possible. 
• A great way to research and estimate costs for specific programs is to ask your study abroad advisor for names of students who studied on that particular program and speak directly with them. 
• Have a budget and know what you can spend. Keep a daily expense account the first couple of weeks to be able to plan a budget for your entire stay. 
• Factor in international fees for credit card and debit card transactions (check with your credit card company or bank for specific information on charges). International travel credit cards  carry no transaction fees.
• Keep an eye on the exchange rate. Try not to think in terms of dollars, although when you first arrive, it is expected. Never exchange money outside of official banks or exchange offices. You can check exchange rates and currency conversions at XE Currency Converter .
• You will probably spend more money on arrival than at any other point. Be prepared. You are still unfamiliar with where to find the best bargains and with the exchange rate.
• Know that some businesses may not accept debit/credit cards, ‘swipe’ credit cards, or credit cards without a PIN number.
• Look out for special rates and discounts wherever you go, and familiarize yourself with what is available in terms of youth or student discounts with your college/university ID, or consider purchasing an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) .
• When you travel, consider staying in youth or student hostels. Unlike hotels, which cater to tourists and business travelers, hostels are inexpensive, usually dorm-style hotels for young people found in many countries of the world.

Financial Aid

Airfare assistance.

Graduate Student Funding and Support

Financial aid basics.

Learn about allowances for personal expenses and details for special circumstances like loan eligibility appeals, leaves of absences, and withdrawals and refunds.

Loan Eligibility Appeals

Leaves of absence, withdrawals and refunds, fee waiver and reduction, paying for books, travel and personal expenses.

Department of Chemistry

Travel policies for guests.

• Visitor & Contact Information

To ensure full expense reimbursement, guests of Brown must follow the  university's travel policy.  Please contact your visit coordinator with any questions — we are happy to help! 

Guests travel to Brown by way of T.F. Green Airport in Providence or Logan Airport in Boston, depending on flight availability.

• Please book coach or economy class tickets. Brown University does not reimburse the full cost of business or first-class travel.
• Traveling from Providence airport : taxis will be available for transportation to your hotel.
•   Amtrak  to the Providence train station
•   MBTA  via the  silver line  and  Providence/Stoughton line  to the Providence train station
•  Taxis will be available at the train station for transportation to your hotel.

Ground Travel

Guests travel to the Providence train station, located just a few miles away from the Brown campus.

• Please book a coach or business-class ticket. Brown does not reimburse the full cost of first-class travel.
• Taxis will be available for transportation to Brown.

Auto Rental

Rental of a compact or mid-size sedan is reimbursable when transportation by air or train is not readily available. If you do rent a car:

• Please provide justification for auto rental to your visit coordinator. 
• Insurance purchased through the rental agency is reimbursable. 
• Luxury vehicles are not reimbursable. 

Personal Vehicle

Personal automobile travel is reimbursable when the cost is less than or equal to coach class air travel (using the 21-day advance fare air ticket pricing) or rail travel.  Travelers will be reimbursed at the Federal Government’s prevailing rate per mile.

Meal expenses incurred during your travel to Brown are reimbursable when accompanied by a receipts (not per diem). The Department of Chemistry does not reimburse alcoholic beverage expenses.

When submitting receipts for reimbursement. Prior to your visit, you will be sent a reimbursement form fromBrown's controller. We will not be able to complete your reimbursement until this form with your information has been submitted.

Graduate School

Doctoral research travel grant.

• Financing & Support
• Internal Funding & Appointments
• Graduate School Travel Funds

The Doctoral Research Travel Grant provides funding for doctoral students traveling to conduct scholarly research, either within the US or internationally.

Doctoral students can apply to the Graduate School for up to $1000 to cover travel and related expenses for scholarly research. Given funding limitations, an application does not guarantee support. Some programs have independent funds to support such travel; students should check with their Director of Graduate Study (DGS) for more information.

*Please note that in an effort to more equitably meet the current travel funding needs of graduate students, starting Summer 2022, the Doctoral Research Travel Grant  will not be a matching award and no longer requires that students receive funding from outside sources to be eligible to apply.

All applications and associated documentation must be submitted online through  UFunds . Please email  [email protected]  with any questions. 

Award Eligibility

Doctoral students in years 1 - 6 or on a COVID Appointment Extension Students are eligible to apply for doctoral research travel funding if they are active doctoral students in years 1-6 or doctoral students on a COVID Appointment Extension during the entire duration of the travel associated with the award. Students currently on leave are not eligible. Master’s students are not eligible. Students enrolled in degree programs in the Division of Biology and Medicine are not eligible; please see the  BioMed Travel Awards .

Traveling for research The Doctoral Research Travel Grant is available for both domestic and international research travel. Students must provide a one-page summary of proposed research activities. Please note that travel to attend courses, workshops, meetings, or conferences is not eligible for this award.

Provide a copy of your Graduate Student Digital CV (GSDCV) Students must provide a current copy of their Graduate Student Digital CV. More information about the GSDCV can be found on the Graduate School’s  GSDCV page .

One successful Doctoral Research Travel Grant per academic year Students can receive one Doctoral Research Travel Grant per academic year (June 1 through May 31) as determined by the end date of  travel.

Apply at least 14 days before the start of your travel Applications must be submitted through UFunds at least 14 days before the start of travel. Students not able to make this deadline should email  [email protected]  to see if an exception can be made. This requirement allows the Graduate School time to process applications and notify students whether they will receive funding or not prior to the start of travel.

Provide an approved Safety Plan, if applicable All students are required to register their travel plans in  TravelSafe  and, in addition, some international travel destinations require completion of a Safety Plan in  TravelSafe and approval from the Global Travel Risk Assessment Committee (GTRAC). Find current US DOS travel advisory levels in  TravelSafe  by clicking on the 'Travel Advisories' tab (destinations at Level 3 or 4 - designated at High Risk - require GTRAC approval). Check Brown’s current travel guidelines and requirements on the  International Travel Risk Management  webpage. Additionally, transactions with  comprehensively embargoed countries , including certain academic collaborations and the exchange of research materials, may require authorization from the government. If you are considering collaborating with or traveling to an embargoed country, you must contact Brown's  Export Control Team  well in advance.

Using your Doctoral Research Travel Grant

The Doctoral Research Travel Grant is processed as a reimbursement through a student’s home department. Prepaid expenses such as airfare and prepaid hotel rooms can be submitted for reimbursement prior to travel. Expenses that are not paid for in advance, as well as per diem meals, can be submitted once the student returns from travel. All documentation should be submitted to a student’s home department for processing within 30 days of the completion of travel. 

Please refer to the  Graduate Travel Fund Reimbursement Guidelines  for details about the reimbursement process and what documentation to submit.

Other Funding Opportunities

• Graduate School Travel Funding Summary
• Joukowsky Summer Research Award
• Conference Travel Fund
• International Travel Fund
• Graduate Student Council Conference and External Travel Funding
• Research Mobility Fellowship
• Student Research Grants in Judaic Studies

University Policies

Moving expenses policy, 1.0 policy purpose.

Brown University will cover the cost of Reasonable Moving Expenses associated with moving household and personal effects for eligible Newly Hired faculty and staff.

2.0 To Whom the Policy Applies

This policy applies to eligible Newly Hired University staff and faculty carrying the titles Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, and Distinguished Senior Lecturer.

3.0 Policy Statement

Brown University will cover the cost of Reasonable Moving Expenses associated with moving household and personal goods for the following employees: 

• Staff hired into a regular full-time position that are a minimum 10 months in duration.
• Faculty carrying the titles of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, and Distinguished Senior Lecturer.

Faculty carrying titles with prefixes and suffixes such as Research, Visiting, or Adjunct are not eligible, nor are those in inherently short-term appointments such as postdoctoral research associates or fellows. Certain scholarly items for faculty may be an eligible moving expense under this policy if applicable. The eligibility of employees whose primary position is as staff, but who also hold faculty titles, will be determined by their staff position.

Brown’s preferred moving services provider, Conlon Moving Systems, coordinates eligible new hire moves, and bills the University directly for all Reasonable Moving Expenses associated with moving household goods and personal items covered by this policy. Consequently, there is no cash outlay to or by employees required. The costs of the approved expenses are considered taxable wages and will be reported in the employee’s next paycheck following the billing by Brown’s preferred moving services provider and are subject to all income and payroll taxes. If another moving services provider is chosen, all allowable reimbursement costs will be based on rates quoted by Brown’s preferred moving provider.

Employees moved by Brown’s preferred moving services provider are automatically insured for the full value of household items up to a maximum of $100,000. There is no weight maximum attached to moving household items.

Expenses may be incurred under this policy up to a maximum of 90 days prior to the effective date of hire.

Appropriate documentation for reimbursement must be submitted within 60 days of the date of the actual move. Please see section 8.3 for contact information.

3.1 Expenses

Expenses covered under this policy are:

• Transportation charges for one continuous move of household items and personal effects from the primary residence to the Rhode Island area;
• Packing costs; and
• Container costs.

The following expenses are among those not covered:

• Costs of personal travel;
• Costs to move a boat, automobiles, animals, or other non-household items;
• Costs of pre-move house-hunting trips and temporary housing;
• Storage expenses for furniture and other household items;
• Costs of cleaning a new or former residence; and/or
• Payments to non-professional movers (e.g. friends or family members) who assist you with a move.

Those employees who require coverage for expenses that are not covered by this policy are responsible for those expenses. Examples include moving a boat or automobile, or additional insurance coverage, etc. Brown’s preferred moving provider offers special rates for additional expenses.

Employees who are not eligible for coverage under this policy can choose a moving services provider of their choice. Please note that this option is fully employee paid and is subject to the terms of agreement between the employee and the vendor of the employee's choice. These expenses will not be included in an employee’s wages since they are not covered under this policy. In addition, due to the tax law change, these expenses are no longer deductible. 

This summary is not intended to constitute an agreement on the part of the University or an offer to enter into an agreement. Certain Departments may be excluded from this policy as determined by the Office of the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration. 

4.0 Definitions

For the purpose of this policy, the terms below have the following definitions:

Those expenses directly related to the moving of household items and personal effects from the employee's former residence to the new residence. Brown's policy does not cover expenses for transport of such possessions as boats, animals, or other items which are not generally considered household items.

Employees are considered Newly Hired up to 12 months after their position start date.

5.0 Responsibilities

All individuals to whom this policy applies are responsible for becoming familiar with and following this policy. University supervisors are responsible for promoting the understanding of this policy and for taking appropriate steps to help ensure compliance with it.

Employee: Contact Brown’s preferred moving services provider directly for assistance with relocation to the Rhode Island area.

Preferred moving services provider: Coordinate the move of the new employee, as well as contact the University Human Resources (UHR) Benefits Administrative Specialist to ensure eligibility criteria are met.

UHR Benefits Administrative Specialist: Approve or deny the move request, as well as process payment of the movement of household items and personal effects consistent with the Brown University Moving Expenses Policy.

UHR Recruiting Manager: Provide the new employee's employment information to the UHR Benefits Administrative Specialist.

Office of the Controller: Ensure that any moving expenses provided are treated as taxable income to the employees.

6.0 Consequences for Violating this Policy

Failure to comply with this and related policies is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including suspension without pay, or termination of employment or association with the University, in accordance with applicable (e.g., staff, faculty, student) disciplinary procedures. 

New employees will not be reimbursed by University Human Resources for expenses which do not comply with this policy.

7.0 Related Information

This policy is not a legal document. This policy does not confer a term of employment, nor is the language intended to establish a contract of employment, express or implied, between any employee and Brown University. The University reserves the right to change, amend or terminate any of its human resources policies at any time for any reason.

Brown University is a community in which employees are encouraged to share workplace concerns with University leadership. Additionally, Brown’s Anonymous Reporting Hotline allows anonymous and confidential reporting on matters of concern online or by phone (877-318-9184).

The following information complements and supplements this document. The information is intended to help explain this policy and is not an all-inclusive list of policies, procedures, laws, and requirements.

7.1 Related Policies

• Expense Reimbursement Policy

7.2 Related Procedures

7.3 related forms.

• Moving Expense Reimbursement Form  

7.4 Frequently Asked Questions

You may see a reduction in your pay as a result of the moving expenses being taxable income to you. The reduction will be based upon your tax withholding, the total cost of the move, and your salary level. Please see the examples below:

An employee has accepted a position at Brown University with an annual salary of $65,000.  The employee elected their withholding to be single zero.  The employee is relocating to Providence.

Scenario 1:  The employee uses Conlon Moving systems to perform the move.  Brown pays Conlon Moving Systems directly. Brown University directly pays Conlon Moving Systems, the preferred moving services provider, $5,000 for the moving expenses.  The amount paid by Brown will be added to the employee's paycheck in the pay cycle in which the final invoice is received by the University.  The impact on the employee's paycheck will be as follows: (see example on following page)

Scenario 2:  Employee uses a different moving service provider. Employee pays moving expenses directly. The employee pays the $5,000 for the moving expenses and is reimbursed by Brown University. 

Please note the scenarios above are for illustration purposes only and may not be exact amounts. These illustrations do not include any pre/post tax deduction items that may also have an effect on net pay.

This is the move of household and personal goods from a Newly Hired employee's former residence to the Rhode Island area. If a new employee chooses to have their goods delivered to storage, this will be considered their final destination. The University will not cover the cost of moving goods out of storage to a permanent residence.

The moving services provider can still assist with any items not covered under the policy. New employees are responsible for these expenses and will receive discounted rates.

You can use any moving service provider of your choice.  As a Brown employee you receive a 15% discount, when using Conlon Moving Systems. Note: This option is fully employee paid and is subject to the terms of the agreement between the employee and the vendor of their choice.

Please contact the Relocation Coordinator at Conlon Moving Systems, the preferred moving services provider, at 508-336-7766 ext. 100.

7.5 Other Related Information

IRS Guidelines - All employees must meet the following IRS required criteria:

• The distance the new employee would have to commute to Brown from their previous residence, were they not to move, must be at least 50 miles greater than the distance of their prior employment required commute. Please see the Related Forms section for a link to the Moving Expenses Reimbursement Form and Worksheet.
• There must be an expectation of remaining in the position for longer than one year.
• Staff and faculty to whom this policy applies must ensure their move takes place within 12 months of the start of the new job.
• Per IRS regulations, all moving expense reimbursements are considered taxable wages and are subject to withholding taxes.

Special Needs and Circumstances:

• Regular faculty and staff whose needs include moving special collections are advised to contact their department for information about coverage of such expenses.
• Expenses for moving lab equipment to Brown from another University are non-taxable expenses and covered under this policy.
• Under certain circumstances, a department may choose to reimburse moving expenses not covered by the policy. Expenses not covered by the Brown University moving policy are considered taxable fringe benefits and any reimbursement by Brown will be treated as a supplemental wage payment, subject to applicable withholding deductions.

Reimbursements (Effective 01/01/2018) : All reimbursements for moving and relocation costs made to employees or paid directly to third parties on or after January 1, 2018, are includable in taxable wages, and subject to federal, state, OASDI, and Medicare taxes as required by the IRS. Know that these taxable wages will be added to an employee’s paycheck following the move and reported on the employee’s W-2.

Voluntary Termination : If a relocated employee voluntarily terminates employment at Brown University within twelve months from their start date, the employee must refund to Brown the full amount of the relocation payment. 

Policy Owner and Contact(s)

Policy owner: vice president for human resources, policy approved by: executive vice president for finance and administration, contact information:, policy history, policy issue date: july 15, 2021, policy effective date: july 15, 2021, policy update/review summary:.

Extended benefit timeline for faculty and staff with specific job start dates. Previous policy versions superseded by this policy:

• Moving Expenses Policy, Effective Date: June 4, 2020, Review Date: June 4, 2020
• Moving Expenses (30.016), Revision Date: August 26, 2019

Webpage Updated November 21, 2022