Prominent MM FT Super Day Travel NOT Reimbursed - Thoughts & Advice?

Quick background:
I recently confirmed a super day for a FT analyst position with the Public Finance IB division of a well known MM firm. This was done after a first round phone interview early last month. I was sent a schedule of the day, and when I inquired about travel arrangements, I was informed that I will not be reimbursed for flight and hotel. My contact at the bank expressed that he found this to be odd, as his arrangements were fully covered when he went through the process.

Albeit I come from a non-target and have limited IB exposure (rotational finance and PWM internships). Despite this, any other super days I have/will attend have been fully expensed by the firms. Financial strain aside, this makes me question how serious they are about my candidacy. If you're genuinely prepared to pay someone $80k+ in salary, why the hesitation to cover $500 flight/hotel? Wanted to get opinions on attending at all, inquiring further with HR contact, or biting the bullet and just going. Any insight is appreciated.