Meals and Expenses

We ask all colleagues to handle their expenses around the event thoughtfully. The following guidelines apply to everyone attending Pencils Down. Please note these parameters are different than our standard business-as-usual policies. 

Meals During Pencils Down 

We'll offer the following meals during Pencils Down: 

• Lunch on February 6 

• Dinner on February 6 

• Breakfast on February 7 

• Coffee and snacks throughout 

We’ll make all reasonable efforts to accommodate dietary restrictions. 

Staff may not charge any of the meals listed above to either the Pencils Down budget code or departmental budget codes. If you don't take advantage of these meals or if you go out for additional food or drinks during the event, you must cover the costs yourself. 

Meals Before and After Pencils Down 

College Board will reimburse the cost of meals not provided during Pencils Down up to the following amounts: 

• [For early arrivals]: Lunch and dinner on February 5 (not to exceed a combined total of $50) 

• Breakfast on February 6 (not to exceed a total of $25) 

• Lunch on February 7 (not to exceed a total of $25) 

• [For those with late travel]: Dinner on February 7 (not to exceed a total of $25) 

You can use your College Board American Express corporate card to cover these expenses. If you don't have a card but expect to travel more than once a year, you should apply for a College Board American Express card and use that to cover meals and incidentals.  

If Pencils Down will be your only trip for College Board business this year, you can use a personal credit card and submit for reimbursement. Retain all receipts. You’ll need to submit them with your expense report (if using a College Board American Express corporate card) or when submitting for reimbursement. 

Expense Report Timing 

It's important that you submit any reimbursement requests or expense reports as soon as possible after the event. All expenses associated with Pencils Down must be submitted by April 30, 2025. Any reports with Pencils Down expenses submitted after this date won't be approved, and you'll be responsible for the costs. 

Keep in mind that you can submit more than one expense report in any given time period. It's better to submit what you have than wait to post for all transactions. When submitting your expense report, use the Pencils Down budget code (0300850200003) for all allowable expenses. 

Questions 

Still looking for answers? Visit the FAQ page, or review the Travel and Entertainment Policy.