Survey of Approaches to Educational Planning (SAEP)

Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19. Your information will be kept strictly confidential.

To enhance the data from this survey and reduce response burden, Statistics Canada will combine the information you provide with data from the Canada Education Saving Grant program, the Canada Child Benefit, as well as with tax data for all members of your household. Statistics Canada may also combine the information you provide with data from other surveys or administrative sources.

The survey asks questions about

• school attendance
• parental expectations and financial planning for postsecondary education
• barriers to savings for postsecondary education
• household demographics.

Statistics Canada publishes the results of its surveys in many formats. To find all the documents related to this survey, follow the links below and type the name of the survey in the search engine located at the left of your screen to filter the results.

Data: You will find tables, profiles of a community or region, thematic maps, public use microdata files, and data visualization tools.

Analysis: You will have direct access to Stats in brief (e.g., releases from The Daily, fact sheets), articles and reports, and journals and periodicals.

• What is the Survey of Approaches to Educational Planning?
• Why is this survey being conducted?
• How long does it take to complete the questionnaire?
• When will the results be available?
• How will you safeguard the confidentiality of my information?
• How does this survey benefit Canadians?
• Can the information be obtained from other surveys?
• Who is conducting and funding this survey?
• Are individuals legally obligated to take part in this survey?
• Could the person responding be someone other than the person receiving the invitation letter?

What is the Survey of Approaches to Educational Planning?

The Survey of Approaches to Educational Planning, sponsored by Employment and Social Development, gathers information from parents and guardians about the strategies they use to prepare for their children’s postsecondary education, their financial plans for paying for schooling, and the barriers to saving for higher education.

Why is this survey being conducted?

The information provided by the survey will be used to inform research, policies and programs that help families plan and save for their children's education after high school (for example, parents and guardians’ savings plans, their expectations for their child’s postsecondary education, and any barriers to saving for higher education).

This survey should be completed by a parent or guardian who is knowledgeable about the postsecondary education savings plans for the children in the household.

How long does it take to complete the questionnaire?

It will take approximately 15 minutes to complete the questionnaire.

When will the results be available?

Results from this survey will be available in Winter 2026. The release will be announced in The Daily, Statistics Canada's official release bulletin.

How will you safeguard the confidentiality of my information?

As with all Statistics Canada surveys, any information provided will remain confidential pursuant to the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada takes the privacy of Canadians very seriously. Published data can never identify you or your household.

To find out more about the measures in place to safeguard the confidentiality of your information, visit Statistics Canada's Trust Centre.

How does this survey benefit Canadians?

The information gathered from the SAEP will be used to inform research, policies and programs that help families plan and save for their children's education after high school, and to determine Canadians' awareness of government programs that help families save for their children's postsecondary education.

Can the information be obtained from other surveys?

Information on financial planning for postsecondary studies from other sources is very limited and is not collected on a regular basis.

This survey is being conducted to fill the need for information on planning for children’s postsecondary education that is not available from other sources. Although some of the questions in this survey are similar to those in other surveys, this survey is asking for information specifically from families of children aged less than 18 years old to understand why they plan to fund their children’s postsecondary education, as well as the reasons why they don’t.

Who is conducting and funding this survey?

The survey is being conducted by Statistics Canada. The sponsor of the survey is Employment and Social Development Canada.

Are individuals legally obligated to take part in this survey?

No. Statistics Canada cannot collect this information without your explicit consent. This is a voluntary survey, intended to capture the experiences of a representative portion of the Canadian population. While not mandatory, full participation is very important as it will help to ensure that survey results are representative of the Canadian population as a whole. Every individual who participates in the survey helps to make the results more accurate and meaningful.

Could the person responding be someone other than the person receiving the invitation letter?

This survey should be completed by a parent or guardian who is knowledgeable about the postsecondary education savings plans for the children in the household.