What an RESP can actually pay for
It is not a university fund. Trade school, apprenticeship training, a part-time college course and an ESDC-certified skills programme can all qualify — and the test is the programme, not the ambition.
An RESP pays out when the beneficiary enrols in a qualifying programme at a designated institution. Full-time means at least three consecutive weeks and at least 10 hours a week on courses or work. Part-time means at least three consecutive weeks and at least 12 hours a month on courses. That covers a great deal more than a degree.
The two tests
| Qualifying programme (full-time) | Specified programme (part-time) | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum length | 3 consecutive weeks | 3 consecutive weeks |
| Minimum commitment | 10 hours per week on courses or work | 12 hours per month on courses |
| Level | Post-secondary | Post-secondary |
| Withdrawal ceiling | $8,000 across the first 13 consecutive weeks, then uncapped | $4,000 per 13-week period |
Twelve hours a month is a low bar. A parent who assumes their child has to be a full-time undergraduate to touch the money is usually wrong.
Where they can study
Inside Canada, the money follows the institution being designated — universities, colleges and other designated educational institutions. It also covers institutions certified by Employment and Social Development Canada offering non-credit courses that give a person skills for, or improve their skills in, an occupation.
That last category is the one families overlook. It is the route by which occupational and skills training sits inside the same plan as a degree.
“Trade school” and “apprenticeship” are not the words the rules use. What matters is whether the specific institution is designated or ESDC-certified, and whether the specific programme meets the week and hour tests. Ask the institution directly, and give the answer to your plan provider before requesting money.
For study abroad the thresholds are different again — three consecutive weeks full-time at a university, thirteen elsewhere. That is covered in using an RESP outside Canada.
What the money can be spent on
Worth being precise here, because a lot of confident nonsense circulates. The Canada Revenue Agency’s guidance defines the programme and the institution that unlock an Educational Assistance Payment. It describes the payment as helping to finance the cost of post-secondary education. It does not publish a list of approved purchases.
In practice the gate is proof of enrolment, not receipts. What your provider requires as evidence, and in what format, varies — ask them before the term starts rather than in the week fees are due. And remember which pool the money comes from: an Educational Assistance Payment is taxable in the student’s hands, a refund of your contributions is not. The order matters, and it is set out in taking the money out.
If nothing qualifies
Your contributions come back to you tax-free, always. It is the grant that is conditional — it returns to the government — and the growth that has its own rules, including a possible move into your RRSP. The full picture is in if they don’t go.
Common questions
Can an RESP be used for trade school or an apprenticeship?
It can, where the institution is a designated educational institution or is certified by Employment and Social Development Canada as offering courses that build occupational skills, and where the programme meets the length and hours tests. The deciding factors are the specific institution and programme, not the label attached to the training.
Does my child have to study full-time?
No. A specified educational programme requires at least three consecutive weeks and a minimum of 12 hours of courses per month, which permits part-time study. Educational Assistance Payments are then capped at $4,000 in any 13-week period rather than the $8,000 that applies across the first 13 weeks of full-time enrolment.
How many hours a week counts as full-time?
A qualifying educational programme runs for at least three consecutive weeks and requires the student to spend no fewer than 10 hours per week on courses or on work forming part of the programme. Programmes below that threshold may still qualify under the part-time definition if they reach 12 hours a month.
Can the money be spent on rent and living costs?
Canada Revenue Agency guidance sets out which programmes and institutions unlock an Educational Assistance Payment and describes the payment as financing post-secondary education costs; it does not publish a list of permitted purchases. In practice providers require proof of enrolment rather than receipts, and requirements differ between them, so confirm what yours expects before requesting a withdrawal.
Not sure the programme qualifies?
It is a short check against two tests and one institution list, and much better done before a withdrawal request than after one is refused.
A free, no-obligation call with Harpreet Singh, an LLQP-licensed insurance advisor serving families across Ontario. No jargon, no pressure.
Related guides
- Taking the money outThe two pools, and the order that keeps the tax low.
- Studying outside CanadaThree weeks or thirteen, and which applies.
- If they don’t goWhat comes back and what goes back.
- RESP rules in 2026Every limit and threshold in one place.
- What university costsStatistics Canada figures by province.
- All RESP guidesEverything, grouped by what you are deciding.
Verified against canada.ca on 4 September 2026: Canada Revenue Agency guidance on RESP payments, which defines qualifying and specified educational programmes and the institutions that qualify. General information only, not financial, investment, insurance or tax advice. Whether a particular institution and programme qualify is a question for the institution, your plan provider and the Canada Revenue Agency.