Resources for Registered Education Savings Plan promoters
From: Employment and Social Development Canada
This page is for Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) providers and it provides important information relating to RESPs and education savings incentives.
Note: For general information, visit the RESP page.
Disclaimer: RESP promoters
Please check this page often for newer versions. If there are discrepancies in the information provided on this page, the applicable laws and regulations take precedence.
List of laws and regulations
- Income Tax Act
- Canada Education Savings Act
- Canada Education Savings Regulations
- Special Accounts Appropriation and Control Act
- British Columbia Training and Savings Program Regulation
Please visit our information bulletins to ensure you are aware of any RESP changes, policy revisions or updated forms. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is responsible for the administration and delivery of RESPs and education savings incentives. This website provides RESP providers with information relating to RESPs and the incentives. If you have any questions or comments about this content, please contact us.
Training
RESP promoter training
We offer virtual training courses: The RESP Fundamental Principles and The Processing of RESP Transactions.
Here are the course descriptions:
1. The RESP Fundamental Principles
This course provides a general overview of RESPs, education savings incentives and covers the following topics:
- RESPs, including eligibility requirements, contribution and incentive limits, the roles and responsibilities of the different players
- Basic Canada Education Savings Grant (Basic CESG)
- Additional Canada Education Savings Grant (Additional CESG)
- Canada Learning Bond (CLB)
- British Columbia Training Education Savings Grant (BCTESG)
- Canada Education Savings Program (CESP) application forms
- withdrawing assets from RESPs
- RESP transfers
- contribution withdrawals and incentive Repayments
- education assistance payments (EAP) calculations
We strongly encourage employees with minimal experience with RESPs to register. Participants for this course typically include:
- financial advisors
- account managers
- compliance specialists
- information technology (IT) team
- customer service agents
- sales representatives
- call-centre agents
- trainers
- administrative staff or staff that needs to understand how RESP work
2. The Processing of RESP Transactions
(Prerequisite: The RESP Fundamental Principles)
This course focuses on:
- transactional and system information throughout the production cycle
- applying appropriate troubleshooting techniques
- avoiding and solving common errors or issues concerning CESP transactions
- ensuring that new RESPs are set up properly for the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) registration
- collecting and entering data used to generate promoter transactions submitted to the CESP system
- ensuring that promoter transactions are successfully processed by the CESP system
Participants will be able to apply troubleshooting techniques and solve common processing problems. Participants for this course typically include:
- system analysts and developers
- data integrity and compliance staff
- trainers
- administrative services staff who interpret reports such as processing report, error report, severe error report, contract registration report, social insurance number (SIN) validation report, referral report
Virtual training
- Schedule: The delivery of this course is over 3 consecutive days, 2.5 hours a session
- To register for virtual training, please consult our schedule below and complete the online bilingual virtual training registration form to register
- Sessions will take place in Eastern Time (ET)
Virtual training schedule
| Dates | Time | Language |
|---|---|---|
| January 13 to 15, 2025 | 9:00 am to 11:35 am | English |
| March 11 to 13, 2025 | 9:00 am to 11:35 am | French |
| Dates | Time | Language |
|---|---|---|
| February 18 to 20, 2025 | 9:00 am to 11:35 am | English |
Note: These training courses are intended for representatives of financial institutions that administer RESPs and not for the general public.
For virtual registrations, please complete the online bilingual virtual training registration form. If you have any questions regarding our RESP training, please complete the contact form.
Note: If you can no longer attend our training, please advise us as soon as possible as space is limited.
User guides and publications
User Guides and Publications
- RESP Provider User Guide: Provides information about Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) and the education savings incentives administered by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). It also assists the financial industry to successfully complete and submit RESP transactions to the Canada Education Savings Program (CESP) system.
- InfoCapsules: One-page quick-reference documents that explain the RESP and the education savings incentives administered by ESDC.
- InfoBulletins: Provides information about updates and changes to the RESP and the education savings incentives administered by ESDC.
- CESP Statistical Reviews: These reports inform you of the statistics on the incentives offered by the CESP, that is, on RESPs, the CESG and the CLB.
Systems documentation
Systems Documentation
- Understanding Error Codes: Explains error codes generated by the Canada Education Savings Program (CESP) system and provides guidance on how to resolve them.
- Understanding Refusal Reasons: Indicates and explains why refusal reasons are generated by the CESP system for transactions requesting grant or bond, which met all formatting rules, and were processed but did not receive full grant or bond payments.
- Data Operations and Connectivity: Provides detailed information about how to set up secure encrypted bi-directional telecommunications operations between financial institutions and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
- Industry Testing Guide: Outlines the guidelines and processes for Industry Testing of the CESP system. It should be read in conjunction with the Interface Transaction Standards.
- Interface Transaction Standards: Contains the detailed data formats for electronically exchanging financial and contract transactions with the CESP.
- Production Cut-Off Dates: Provides the production cut-off dates for monthly production runs.
Forms
Forms
Important, this site uses PDF form technology.
For the form to work properly, you must:
- right click on the PDF link
- select one of the following to save it on your computer
- "Save target as…"
- "Save link as…"
- browse to save the file in the directory of your choice
- once saved, reopen it with Adobe Reader DC to add information
Application forms
ESDC Application form for Education Savings Incentives
The ESDC application for education savings incentives consists of a main form and annexes. The application form is to request the:
- Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG)
- Canada Learning Bond (CLB)
- British Columbia Training and Education Savings Grant (BCTESG)
You can download and complete the Annexes separately.
Application: Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) and Canada Learning Bond (CLB) (SDE 0093)
The RESP subscriber uses this main form to apply for the CESG and the CLB.
- The beneficiary's custodial parent or legal guardian must complete Annex B if they are not also:
- the subscriber of the RESP, or
- the joint subscriber to the RESP
- The primary caregiver or their spouse must complete Annex B if they are not also the subscriber. This is necessary in order to request the additional amount of CESG (Additional CESG) and/or the CLB
Form:
Annex A – Additional beneficiaries (SDE 0093-A)
The custodial parent or legal guardian can use Annex A when there are multiple beneficiaries named to the same RESP.
- Each custodial parent or legal guardian should complete a separate copy of the annex for their children if there are cousins in the RESP
- In order to receive the Additional CESG and/or the CLB, all beneficiaries named to the RESP must be siblings
Form:
Annex B – Primary caregiver or their spouse and/or custodial parent/legal guardian (SDE 0093-B)
The primary caregiver or their spouse and/or the custodial parent or legal guardian of the beneficiary must complete Annex B when they are not the subscriber.
Each primary caregiver or their spouse and each custodial parent or legal guardian (as applicable) should complete a separate annex for their respective children if there are cousins in the RESP.
- The custodial parent or legal guardian must complete the annex to provide:
- the beneficiary's information, and
- consent to the use of this information
- The primary caregiver or their spouse needs to complete the annex to request the Additional CESG and the CLB
Form:
Annex D – Application: British Columbia Training and Education Savings Grant (BCTESG) (SDE 0093-D)
The RESP subscriber must use Annex D to apply for the BCTESG for eligible beneficiaries who are residents of British Columbia. The beneficiary must have a custodial parent or legal guardian who is also a resident of British Columbia.
- You can include multiple beneficiaries named to the same RESP on Annex D, but they must all be siblings in order to receive the BCTESG
- You do not need to complete the main application form again when beneficiaries have an RESP and a previously completed CESP application. You only need to complete Annex D
Form:
Canada Learning Bond (CLB) Application for Adult Beneficiaries
As of January 1, 2022, RESP beneficiaries between 18 and 20 years of age must use this form to apply for the CLB.
- When the adult beneficiary is not the RESP subscriber, subscriber authorization to request the CLB is required
Form:
See Appendix A of the RESP Provider User Guide for detailed instructions and checklists for completing these forms.
RESP transfer forms
When the same promoter (using the same business number) administers the relinquishing and receiving plans, the transfer form is not required.
When different promoters (using different business numbers) administer the receiving and relinquishing plans, both promoters must use all parts of the transfer form.
Part A: Subscriber request (SDE 0100 – Part A)
Annex 1: Additional beneficiaries (SDE 0100 – Annex 1)
Part B: Receiving promoter (SDE 0100 – Part B)
Part C: Relinquishing promoter (SDE 0100 – Part C)
Additional forms
Promoters list
Promoters List
We provide a list of RESP promoters as an information service for the public.
Get on the list
If you are not on the list and wish to be added there are three requirements:
- Your company must have an education savings plan that is registered by the Canada Revenue Agency.
- You must be an active Promoter.
- You must make your request for addition to the list in writing to:
- Canada Education Savings Program
- Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
- 140 Promenade du Portage, Phase IV, Mailstop: Bag 4
- Gatineau, Quebec
- K1A 0J9
- Fax: (819) 654-8703
- Contact us: Canada Education Savings Program
We will need your complete company name and address, telephone number and e-mail address for posting on the list. Your application will be considered by CESP as authorization to make the above information available to the public on our site. You should note that the CESP reserves the right to remove inactive promoters from the list.
Update your information
We encourage all promoters to periodically check their company information on the Promoter List. If your company information has changed since it was posted and you want it updated, please make your request in writing to the program.
Laws and regulations
Applicable laws and regulations
- Income Tax Act
- Canada Education Savings Act
- Canada Education Savings Regulations
- Special Accounts Appropriation and Control Act
- British Columbia Training and Savings Program Regulation
Related program
Contact the Canada Education Savings Program
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