Eligible graduates living in Saskatchewan can lower their provincial income tax payable with the Saskatchewan graduate retention program. If eligible, you can claim up to $20,000 of your tuition fees!
In addition to being a resident of Saskatchewan, you need to have graduated from an approved post-secondary program, and apply within 7 years of finishing school. This means that if you graduated in 2011, you have until April 30th, 2018 to apply.
Most post-secondary schools in Saskatchewan will apply for this program for you. If yours doesn’t, you’ll need to submit a copy of your certificate, diploma, or degree along with your application to the Ministry of Advanced Education. If you studied outside of Saskatchewan but you live within the province, you’ll also need to apply directly to the Ministry.
You can carry forward any unused amounts up to 10 years after you graduate. Refer to your notice of assessment (NOA) for the Saskatchewan graduate tuition tax credit amount that you can claim this year.
Important: If you received a Graduate Retention Program Eligibility Certificate for a year prior to 2016 and didn’t claim the rebate in the tax year shown on the certificate, you’ll need to send an adjustment request to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). For these years, you’ll be eligible for a cash refund.
What’s considered an approved program?
According to the government of Saskatchewan, an approved program is one that requires at least 6 months of full-time study at an eligible school, results in a certificate, diploma, undergrad degree, or provides a journeypersons certification.
A list of eligible schools can be found on the CanLearn website. These schools have been recognized by the Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission, or for Canada-Saskatchewan student loans.
I graduated in 2007 or earlier
If you graduated in 2007 or earlier, you might be eligible for the previous Graduate Tax Benefit Program.
Where do I claim this?
Follow these steps in H&R Block’s 2017 tax software:
Before you begin, make sure you tell us that you lived in Saskatchewan on December 31, 2017.
- On the PREPARE tab, click the IN THIS SECTION icon.
- Under Unused tuition amounts you carried forward from a previous year, interest paid on a student loan, and money received for school (a scholarship, grant, etc.) click the Add This button.
- Click the STUDENTS icon. You’ll find yourself here:
- Under the CREDIT AMOUNTS heading, select the checkbox labelled Saskatchewan graduate retention program (RC360), then click Continue.
- When you arrive at the page for the Saskatchewan graduate retention program, enter your information into the tax software.
Note: You can also find the Saskatchewan graduate retention program (RC360) page under the OTHER icon of the PREPARE tab.
