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Canada Education Savings Program - RESP Provider User Guide

How to Use this Guide

The Canada Education Savings Program (CESP), Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), is pleased to provide this Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) Provider User Guide.

It has been developed to support RESP Providers' knowledge and understanding of the guiding principles, systems and processes associated with the following education savings incentives:

The Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG)
The Canada Learning Bond (CLB)
The Alberta Centennial Education Savings Plan Grants (Alberta Grants)

This Introduction provides an overview of how information in this guide is organized. It also identifies design features incorporated throughout the Guide to help facilitate access to key information.

1. Who Should Read this Guide?

Any person involved in offering Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) to the public will benefit from using the RESP Provider User Guide.

The Guide includes step-by-step procedures associated with the education savings incentives processes, as well as knowledge-building components. In addition, it provides access to reference information, quick reference tools, and links to downloadable forms … all of which have been designed to help you in assisting your clients to apply for and receive the applicable education savings incentives on behalf of eligible beneficiaries.

Please note that throughout the Guide, the term RESP Provider is used as a common way to refer to any person(s) involved in the processes associated with offering RESPs and the education savings incentive(s). The nature of each individual's involvement with a particular process (e.g. submitting electronic transactions to the Canada Education Savings Program), will depend on how such responsibilities have been assigned within each organization.

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2. How Information is Organized

The information in this User's Guide has been organized into four main sections:

Section 1: Introduction – This section introduces the education savings incentives administered by the Canada Education Savings Program (CESP), Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC). In addition, it provides background information about Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) and outlines fundamental principles and systems associated with the incentives application and payment processes.
Section 2: Education Savings Incentives – This section of the Guide provides detailed description(s) of the education savings incentive(s), as well as associated regulations, principles, and processes. In most cases, each chapter is organized in a similar fashion, to help locate the information you need.
Section 3: Transfers and Payments – This section of the Guide focuses on the activities related to making transfers and payments from the RESP, with particular attention to how they may impact the education savings incentive(s) paid into the RESP.
Section 4: Appendices – This section of the Guide provides instructions for completing the incentive application forms, links to these and other downloadable CESP forms, as well as a number of other useful reference tools.

The first page of the Table of Contents for the User's Guide for RESP Providers provides a high-level overview of each section in the Guide. Then, a detailed listing of topics covered within each chapter follows.

3. Design Features

The following design features have been incorporated into this Guide to help you find the information you need quickly and easily:

Examples and Tables

Examples are included throughout the Guide to help explain key concepts. Often they are accompanied by tables, which illustrate the example or provide a calculation.

Other Quick Reference Tools

The Appendices in this Guide also include some helpful tools that will assist you throughout the incentive application and payment process. These include:

A Quick Reference – Eligibility Criteria for Education Savings Incentives - Appendix B. This includes a summary of the eligibility criteria for the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG), the Canada Learning Bond (CLB), and the Alberta Centennial Education Savings Plan (Alberta Grant).
Acronym and Definitions - Appendix C.
Forms Index – Education Savings Incentives - Appendix D. An alphabetical listing of forms referenced throughout the Guide. This list has multiple uses. For example, access instructions for completing the form by going to the referenced location in the Guide. Also, if the form is available in electronic format, you can use this listing to link to the actual form (from the PDF version of this Guide).

4. Comments or Suggestions

We encourage you to make good use of the RESP Provider User Guide and invite you to let us know what you think about this work tool – how it's been useful, or suggestions as to how it might be improved.

We would appreciate receiving any feedback you may have. Therefore, we invite you to submit your comments by completing and submitting the attached Feedback Form or by contacting the Canada Education Savings Program by phone at 1-888-276-3624 or by email.

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Date Modified:: 2011-10-05