Since 2013, VIU has led community engagement and outreach by providing dedicated supports for families to apply for a RESP and the Canada Learning Bond. VIU continues to build, maintain, and develop relationships with stakeholders, while directly engaging with families to assist them in accessing the learning bond.
Through this leadership and community outreach, an additional 1,100 CLB-eligible youth in our region are receiving their CLB benefits each year. In partnership with our municipal governments, the health region, local rotary clubs, local libraries, financial institutions, school districts, Service Canada, and the Canada Revenue Agency, we organize sign-up events with targeted communications, which has supported the regional CLB participation rate to grow from 23% to 43% over the last seven years.
In 2022, the first generation of CLB-eligible youth began entering postsecondary institutions; however, 60% of those entitled to the CLB still have not claimed their benefit. VIU continues its activities in promoting the CLB to younger Canadians and implementing the CLB Now Project, to promote and support all eligible students in our region to access these funds.
Initiatives like The Canada Learning Bond increases access to post-secondary education through mitigating financial barriers for eligible candidates and support VIU’s committed to making post–secondary education accessible and inclusive.