Resources

The Canada Learning Bond

In partnership with Community Financial Counselling Services and SEED Winnipeg, YES Manitoba is helping youth claim their Canada Learning Bond.

Youth

What is the Canada Learning Bond (CLB)?

The CLB is a program from the Government of Canada that provides education/training funding to young people.

The program deposits up to $2000 of free money into a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) for a child or youth. Once the youth is enrolled in full-time or part-time education (including trades and apprenticeship programs) after high school, they can access the money.

Important Information

To receive the CLB, you need to open a no-cost RESP at a bank, credit union, or RESP provider of your choice. After you have opened the account, request to apply for the CLB.

You do not need to put any money into an RESP to receive the Canada Learning Bond, and it will not impact any other government or tuition assistance you receive.

The Canada Learning Bond will stay in the RESP for 35 years, so youth do not need to decide on a program after high school right away.

Eligible youth receive payments for all eligible years once the CLB is claimed, as long as they apply before they are 21.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the CLB, you must be from a low to moderate-income family that has filed taxes (in order to assess income). The CLB is available for children and youth who were born in 2004 or after.

How to apply

Primary care givers can apply for the Canada Learning Bond for their children, legal guardians can apply for children in care, and youth who are 18 can apply for themselves.

To access the Canada Learning Bond through an RESP, you will need:

    • A valid Social Insurance Number (SIN)
    • Photo ID
    • If applying for a child, the child’s SIN

To open an RESP, contact us for assistance or contact a financial institution such as a bank or credit union. They will apply for the CLB for you and find out if you’re eligible.

How can we help?

    • We can help youth ages 12 to 29 apply for their Social Insurance Number SIN
    • We can help youth ages 18 and under apply for their birth certificates
    • We can help youth connect with a financial institution or online platform to open an RESP

If you are a public primary caregiver and applying on behalf of a youth in your care, read this guide.

Partners

Are you a service provider or community organization? Let’s partner.

Service Provider Training

We offer a service provider training presentation, either in person or virtually, that covers the basics, so your team can assist eligible youth and families to claim their CLB. This includes CLB pamphlets and posters to share with your participants.

Community Events

We want to help get this money claimed by all eligible youth and families at your organization and in your community. Let us host an event at your organization!

These events include many community resources, including representatives from Service Canada, and financial institutions to offer no cost RESPs on the spot to allow for the Canada Learning Bond to be claimed instantly.

Hosting an event, workshop, or open house? We can set up an information booth.

For more information, visit the Government of Canada’s CLB website.

This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Canada Learning Bond Program.

The project is also conducted in partnership with Community Financial Counselling Services and SEED Winnipeg.