One of the biggest challenges we encounter as tax preparers is missing slips from students. Many first year students and their parents are unaware that they must download the T2202 from their educational institution.
The T2202 provides the amount of tuition paid for the eligible year, which is often not the amount actually paid. Consider a first year student who pays for the entire year in August. The T2202 shows only the amount for September to December. The remaining amount is claimed in the following year.
Any unused portion (that is any amount not claimed by the student) may be transferred over to a parent or grandparent (subject to a 5K maximum) or carried forward to a future year to be used when the student is taxable. This often occurs when a student earns income from a Co-Op program or when they are completed their education.
It is essential that is is claimed in the year it is incurred, otherwise an adjustment request must be completed to retroactively lodge the claim and create a transfer if applicable. This is often costly and time consuming, so it is imperative it is done right the first time.
For your benefit, I have compiled a list of all universities in Canada, with links to their student portals.
Alberta:
British Columbia:
Manitoba:
New Brunswick:
Newfoundland and Labrador:
Nova Scotia:
Ontario:
Prince Edward Island:
Quebec:
Saskatchewan: