(a) Computation. The job search allowance is 90 percent of the total costs of an AAW's travel (as defined in paragraph (a)(1) of this section) and lodging and meals (as defined in paragraph (a)(2) of this section), up to the limit in paragraph (b) of this section:

(1) Travel. The worker's allowable travel expenses may not exceed 90 percent of the prevailing cost per mile by privately owned vehicle under 41 CFR chapters 300 through 304, the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), found at https://www.gsa.gov/, for round trip travel by the usual route from the worker's home to the job search area, though other forms of transportation may be utilized.

(2) Lodging and meals. The worker's allowable lodging and meals costs cannot exceed the lesser of:

(i) The actual cost for lodging and meals while engaged in the job search; or

(ii) 50 percent of the prevailing per diem allowance under the FTR, found at https://www.gsa.gov/, for the worker's job search area.

(b) Limit. The AAW's total job search allowance under a certification may not exceed $1,250, no matter how many job searches the worker undertakes. If the worker is entitled to be paid or reimbursed by another source for any of these travel, lodging, and meals expenses, the State must reduce the job search allowance by the amount of the payment or reimbursement.

(c) Choice of mode of transportation. With respect to the limits established in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, an AAW may elect to use a different mode of transportation than the one for which the State calculated the applicable reimbursement amount. However, the State must limit the reimbursement to the worker to the amount calculated under paragraph (a)(1) of this section.