Canada Learning Bond (RESP)

The child/youth must be a resident of Canada, have a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN) and be named in an Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). A parent or caregiver opening an RESP will also need a SIN and birth verification for themselves. 

You can watch our short videos on how to get a SIN and how to get a Birth Certificate below.

There is a section of frequently asked questions for adult beneficiaries below.

You can also go to MySmartFuture.org to start your application online.

The CLB is retroactive, so once the application is approved, your child will automatically get money for any years they were eligible, even for years before the RESP was opened. Previous year eligibility is determined by tax filing (find more information about supports to file income taxes).

There is no cost to apply for the CLB and every eligible child will receive at least $500 into to their RESP.

You can watch a short video about the Canada Learning Bond below.

If you have a SIN and a document that verifies your and/or your child’s birthdate, that will likely be acceptable to the RESP provider, but you can always double check with the provider before your appointment (virtual or in person) to complete your RESP paperwork.

There are videos on this page that outline the process and supports available for getting both a SIN and a Birth Certificate if you would like more information. If you have any questions, please reach out to us.

If your child was born in Canada but not in Ontario, you must contact the Vital Statistics Office in the province or territory where your child was born.

Alberta

British Columbia

Manitoba

New Brunswick

Newfoundland and Labrador

Northwest Territories

Nova Scotia

Nunavut

Prince Edward Island 

Quebec

Saskatchewan

Yukon

If you have any questions or need some additional support, please reach out to us at the contact information on this page.

However, only the primary caregiver (typically the person receiving the Canada Child Benefit) for the child can apply for the Canada Learning Bond (CLB). Income eligibility for the CLB is determined by the family income of the child’s primary caregiver, no matter who may have opened the RESP. The CLB will only be deposited into one RESP per child.

A: Personal deposits into an RESP qualify for the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG). The CESG is another way the Government of Canada provides money for your child's education after high school. When any personal deposits are made into an RESP, the Government adds a percentage of that deposit to help your child's savings grow faster.

Everyone can get Canada Education Savings Grants, but how much the Government adds depends on your family's net income after taxes. The lifetime maximum CESG a child can receive is $7200. 

Any government funds deposited into an RESP must be returned to the government if the RESP is closed and the beneficiary does not attend education after high school.

In terms of the amount each child is eligible for, that may be different if one is older than the other. Once a child qualifies for the CLB, the first deposit is $500. The CLB is automatically retroactive; this means that once eligible, your child will qualify for $100 more per year for every year between when they were born and when they turn 15 (if your family income qualified in those years). This includes any years before the RESP was opened. The maximum amount any child can received from the CLB is $2,000. Family income is determined using tax filing data.

For the CLB, if you have custody of a child, getting the CLB should not be a problem if the child was born in 2004 or later and, as the primary caregiver, your family income qualifies.

You and the child will need a Social Insurance Number (SIN). If the child doesn’t have one, or you don’t know what it is, you will to need to provide Service Canada with court documents indicating you have custody of the child and the child’s birth certificate to request either a new SIN or a reconfirmation of an existing SIN – both processes are the same. If a birth certificate or replacement is required to get the SIN, the application process is similar and will require court documents indicating you have custody. Please refer to the information on this page about accessing both SIN and Birth Certificates for families in your circumstances and, if you have any other questions, please reach out to us at the contact information this page.

A: MySmartFuture.org (formerly SmartSaver.org) is a not-for-profit online tool that works to connect eligible families and Adult Beneficiaries with the Canada Learning Bond. You can use their online portal to connect with the RESP provider of your choice. You will be asked to create an account, provide basic contact information, and select the provider you would like to work with. Some RESP providers can offer you the option of completing the RESP and CLB application virtually, either online, over the phone or through the mail. The portal lets you know which institutions provide which services, so you can choose.

There is no cost to use any of the tools at MySmartFuture.org.

A: Tax filing information is used by the Government to determine if your family income is eligible for the CLB. A child is eligible for the CLB if they were born in 2004 or later AND their family income qualifies. If you haven’t filed taxes, there is no way for the Government to determine your child’s financial eligibility. 

Get information about free tax filing for low income residents in Durham at durham.ca/fileyourtaxes.

All other eligibility requirements for the CLB are the same: you need an RESP for the money to be deposited into, you must be born in or after 2004, your family income must meet the income threshold for the eligible years, you need a social insurance number and verification of your birth date. You do not need to add any of your own money to the RESP to get the CLB.

You can apply for the CLB until the day before your 21st birthday.

Q: The CLB only pays until the beneficiary turns 15, so how does this work for me to apply after I turn 18?

A: You must have been born in 2004 or later. Then, your eligibility for the CLB is determined by the income circumstances in your family in the years between your birth and age 15.

The CLB is retroactive, that means that if you had any eligibility in the qualifying years – birth to age 15, you can apply now to receive that money.  If you qualified for any years in that time, you would qualify for $500 for the first year, and $100/year for any other qualifying years – up to a maximum of $2000.

If you were born in 2004 or later, you can apply for the CLB until the day before your 21^st birthday. 

Q: I don’t know if my family income qualified – how can I figure that out?

Q: I don’t know how to open a RESP, where can I get help? 

A: You can open an RESP with a bank, credit union or RESP provider of your choice and ask for a no fee, no deposit RESP and the CLB.

MySmartFuture.org provides information about opening an RESP for yourself, the CLB, and a portal to start the application online.

To get the RESP you will need a SIN and verification of your birth date. 

If you need help to get the ID, there is information on this page, and you can reach out to us at the contact information on the page. We are happy to help. 

Q: I have a RESP that was opened for me when I was younger, but I don’t know if I ever got the CLB. Is it too late to apply?

A: No, once you are 18, you can apply for the CLB yourself.  You and whomever opened the RESP (the subscriber) can request that your RESP provider have any CLB funds you may be eligible for deposited into your existing RESP.   

Or you can open a new RESP for yourself and designate the CLB to be paid into that account. 

Q: How long will all this take – is it even worth it?

A: You would have to work 129 hours at minimum wage to earn $2000. 

Opening the RESP involves making an appointment with a bank or an RESP promoter of your choice – in person or online - working with them to fill out some forms, then waiting for the application to be processed and any funds you are eligible for to be deposited into the RESP.

The application process may take up to three months. Then the funds you are eligible for will be deposited into the RESP. Your RESP promoter can advise you on the process of withdrawing funds from an RESP.