This Economic Insights article documents the characteristics of families with children under the age of 18 who hold registered education savings plan (RESP) investments. The article also examines the relationship between holding an RESP account at age 15 and postsecondary enrolment between the ages of 19 and 27. The data are drawn from the 1999 and 2012 Survey of Financial Security and from the Youth in Transition Survey, Cohort A, linked to the T1 Family File. Postsecondary enrolment is derived from education deductions and tuition credits in the tax data.
Why are lower-income parents less likely to open an RESP account? The roles of literacy, education and wealth