General
1. What is the Alberta Centennial Education Savings (ACES) Plan?The ACES Plan is an incentive for parents to begin planning and saving for their children's education as early as possible.
Under the Plan, the Alberta government will contribute $500 to the Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) of every baby born to an Alberta resident in 2005 and later.
Grants of $100 are also available to children of Alberta residents who turn 8, 11 or 14 in 2005 or later and are enrolled in school.
2. When did the ACES Plan begin?The program began January 1, 2005, the year of Alberta’s centennial celebrations.
3. How much money is the province investing into the ACES Plan?The Government of Alberta is committed to investing as much money as necessary so that every eligible request is met with a grant. As of September 30, 2009, more than $42.5 million has been contributed to the RESPs of Alberta children. This includes
- 76,000 grants for newborns
- 44,000 grants to children aged 8, 11 and 14
The ACES Plan will provide funding for a portion of the costs associated with post-secondary studies. More importantly, ACES encourages families to plan and save for their children's post-secondary studies.
5. How are ACES Plan grants promoted?The ACES Plan is promoted through a variety of means:
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Alberta Vital Statistics mails a commemorative certificate with information on the ACES Plan to the birth or adoptive parent of each child born in Alberta following the registration of a birth or adoption.
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Parents receiving income support receive letters from the Government of Alberta informing them of the benefit.
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RESP providers inform eligible subscribers of the plan.
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The ACES Plan also engages in mass media advertising strategies from time to time.
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