Terms of Service

Last updated: August 1, 2026

These Terms govern your use of PencilTip — the tutoring services, learning materials, and educator training provided by Dr. Karen Smith‑Ott (“PencilTip,” “we,” “us”). By creating an account or using the service, you agree to these Terms.

For families. If the student is under 18, a parent or guardian must set up and manage the account and agrees to these Terms on the student's behalf.

1. Eligibility & accounts

You must provide accurate information and keep it current. You are responsible for activity under your account and for keeping your sign‑in secure.
Accounts for students under 18 require a parent or guardian. We do not create accounts for children under 13.
Accounts are for the named individual and may not be shared.

2. The services

PencilTip provides one‑on‑one college‑preparation tutoring (such as SAT, ACT, AICE, and college‑essay coaching), related learning materials, and professional‑development courses for educators, including optional certificates of completion. We may add, change, or discontinue features over time.

3. Subscriptions & billing

Paid plans are billed on a recurring basis through our payment processor, Stripe, until cancelled. Prices and what each plan includes are shown at checkout.
You can cancel anytime from the billing portal; access continues through the end of the paid period, and it does not renew after that.
Fees are charged in advance and, except where required by law or expressly stated, are non‑refundable. We may change prices with reasonable advance notice; changes apply to the next billing period.

4. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

share, resell, or publicly post paid materials, or access another student's private files;
misuse, disrupt, or attempt to gain unauthorized access to the service; or
use the service unlawfully or to infringe others' rights.

5. Intellectual property & your content

The courses, lessons, and materials PencilTip provides remain our intellectual property and are licensed to you for your own personal, non‑commercial educational use.
Work you upload (such as a student's essays and drafts) remains yours. You grant us a limited license to store and use it only to provide the service to you — for example, to deliver a teacher's feedback back to the student.

6. Certificates

Certificates of completion recognize that a participant completed a PencilTip course. They are not an accredited credential or a professional license, and any use of them (for example, toward professional‑development hours) is subject to the requirements of the receiving institution.

7. Disclaimers

PencilTip supports preparation and skill‑building, but learning outcomes depend on many factors. We do not guarantee any particular test score, grade, or admissions result. The service is provided “as is” to the fullest extent permitted by law.

8. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, PencilTip will not be liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, and our total liability for any claim relating to the service is limited to the amount you paid us in the twelve months before the claim.

9. Suspension & termination

You may stop using the service at any time. We may suspend or end access for violations of these Terms or to protect the service and its users. You may request deletion of your account and data as described in our Privacy Policy.

10. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms as the service evolves. We will revise the “Last updated” date and, for material changes, provide a more prominent notice. Continued use after changes take effect means you accept them.

11. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to its conflict‑of‑laws rules.

12. Contact us

Email [email protected] · Phone (216) 632‑0457
PencilTip — Sarasota, Longboat Key, Osprey & Venice, Florida.