Provincial Training Allowance Online Instruction Guide

Transcription

1 Provincial Training Allowance Online Instruction Guide

2 Table of Contents SECTION #1: PTA GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS Before You Start Completing Your Application Create/Update/Delete an Application Create Application Required Documents and Forms Review/Submit Application... 5 SECTION #2: APPLICANT INSTRUCTIONS Applicant Assets Applicant Category Marital Status Applicant Demographics Applicant Education History Applicant Eligibility Citizenship Applicant Income Applicant Study Period Information SECTION #3: SPOUSAL INSTRUCTIONS SECTION #4: PARENTAL INSTRUCTIONS... 14

3 SECTION #1: PTA GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS Provincial Training Allowance (PTA) Online Instruction Guide 1.1 Before You Start Completing Your Application As you enter the application, read the instructions by pressing Need Help on each screen. The Help instructions contain essential information you need to know to complete the application. You should review the overview of the program in the Provincial Training Allowance Handbook. The following tips will help you through the application process. Make sure you have your Saskatchewan Health Services Number (HSN). Make sure you have access to a printer as you may be required to print documents at the end of the process. If you are married, you will need your spouse s Social Insurance Number (SIN) and other personal and financial information. If you have dependent children, you will need the HSN for each child. If you are dependent upon your parents, you will need your parent s SIN, dates of birth and marital status. Keep your browser maximized through the application process so that you will be able to view the full screen. Do NOT use the back button at the top of the browser. Use Back, Next or Cancel at the bottom of each entry screen. You must press NEXT on each screen to save your information. Pressing Back or Cancel does not save the information. Apply as soon are you are enrolled in your program. You cannot apply more than four months before the program start date. The information reported must be current as of the date of application. Important Deadlines Applications and any changes to information must be received 14 business days before your program end date to allow time for processing. You may be asked to confirm the income you declare on the application. Make sure you keep all documents related to your earnings and your spouse s earnings, if you are married or common-law. It is your responsibility to understand and complete all applicable questions in the application. If you have questions, contact your PTA Co-ordinator at your Training Centre or the Student Service Centre at It s important that you answer every question that applies to you. Missing information on an application will result in a delay in processing. If you do not press the Submit Application button on the Review/Submit Application screen, the information you have entered will be deleted in thirty days PTA Online Instruction Guide 3

4 It is an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada to knowingly give false or misleading information on your application or other forms. All of the information you provide is subject to verification and audit. 1.2 Create/Update/Delete an Application Create Application To begin entry of your application for assistance, make sure you select the correct year according to the instructions under Create Provincial Training Allowance Application. Update or Delete Application You will be able to return to your account to update or to delete your online application if you have not already submitted the application. Once the application has been submitted, you must contact the PTA Co-ordinator at your Training Centre to provide the Student Service Centre with the proper information and documentation to update your application. 1.3 Required Documents and Forms If you are having trouble printing the required documents or if you do not have a printer, please contact the Student Service Centre at to have the documents mailed to you. You must print all of the documents listed and mail them in to the Student Service Centre to complete the processing of your application. The Program Information Form must be completed by your Training Centre. If this is your first application, you must print, read and sign the Application Consents, Authorizations and Agreements and forward them to the Student Service Centre to finalize the processing of your application. If you are married or common-law, there will be a document for your spouse, or if you are a dependent, there will be a document for your parents. These documents will only need to be signed and sent in once at the beginning of your studies, unless there is a break in financial assistance for a period of two or more years. To protect your privacy, information about your PTA application will not be released to a third party without your consent. If you would like your spouse, your parents, a trustee or any other person to discuss your PTA with the Student Service Centre, you must complete and submit the Consent to Release Information form. You are not required to list individuals at your Training Center on this consent form because you provide consent to share information between the Training Centre and the Student Service Centre when you sign your Consents, Authorizations and Agreements. Please forward your documents to: Student Service Centre th Avenue REGINA SK S4P 0M PTA Online Instruction Guide 4

5 Once all the required documentation is received and your application for PTA has been assessed, you will receive an assessment letter, which will provide the details of your assessment and information about your monthly payments. If your application is missing any information, a letter will be sent to you. You will need to provide the requested information and return the letter to the Student Service Centre. 1.4 Review/Submit Application When you click View Application, you can review the information you have entered to ensure it is accurate. If there are errors or omissions, return to the screen to update the information. Remember to press Next at the bottom of each screen to save the information. You can access each screen by pressing the relevant button on the left hand side of the entry screen. When you are confident the information is accurate, print the application information for your records from the View Application screen. When you press Submit Application, your online application will be submitted electronically to the Student Service Centre. If you receive a message indicating information is missing, click the link to the screen stated in the message and update the information. Once you have updated the information, return to the "Review/Submit Application" screen and submit the application again. When you submit your application online, you will be taken to the Required Documents and Forms screen. SECTION #2: APPLICANT INSTRUCTIONS 2.1 Applicant Assets You must provide information about the financial assets that you own as of the first day of school. If you are married or common-law, include the assets of yourself and your spouse in this section. The appropriate asset exemptions will be applied to determine the amount you will be expected to contribute in the calculation of your financial need. Information regarding asset exemptions can be found in the "Assessing your Financial Need" section of the Provincial Training Allowance Handbook. If the asset was gained from the proceeds of a settlement related to Indian Residential Schools Settlement or Indian Band land claim payment, the asset will be excluded from the assessment provided you submit documentation to verify. Contact your PTA Co-ordinator for assistance PTA Online Instruction Guide 5

6 All assets are to be reported at Current Market Value which is the actual gross worth of the asset if you were to sell it, not the net value, the replacement value or the original purchase price. If you (and your spouse) do not have any financial assets, check the box. Account Balance In reporting account balance, include the total cash you and your spouse have on hand in chequing and savings accounts as of the first day of training. Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP) Add each RRSP separately by pressing Add Detail Item. In reporting RRSP, include all the RRSP s you and your spouse have, including those that are locked in and cannot be accessed. Other Financial Investments Add each investment separately by pressing Add Detail Item. In reporting other financial investments Canada Savings Bonds, provincial savings bonds, corporate bonds, guaranteed investment certificates, T-bills, mutual funds, term deposits, trusts and shares include all types, regardless of whether they can be readily converted to cash. If you report financial investments, you must also report any interest/dividend income you will receive in the income section. Do not report Registered Disability Savings Plans as investment. These investments are exempt. You must advise your PTA Co-ordinator at your Training Centre if you (or your spouse) acquire or sell any financial investments during your study periods. This will result in a reassessment of your application. 2.2 Applicant Category Marital Status Select your marital status from the drop down list and if you are anything other than single, enter the date the marital status began. If you are single, the marital status date will be your date of birth. If you are married/common-law and your spouse does not reside in Saskatchewan, you must select single independant student. If you are Married or Common-law and your spouse resides with you, you must enter information about your spouse and include his/her assets, along with your own, under Applicant Assets. You must have your spouse s SIN and Saskatchewan HSN to apply online. If you do not have these numbers you may submit a paper application. You are considered common-law if you and another individual: a) Have lived together for a period of not less than three consecutive months before the start date of the program; or PTA Online Instruction Guide 6

7 b) Live together and the individual represents himself/herself as your spouse or as the parent of your child; or c) Live together and s/he is the parent of your child; or d) Live together and for any purpose s/he identifies you or your child as their other dependent. If you previously applied for assistance as common-law or married and you are no longer in that relationship, select separated (or divorced or widowed) and provide the date of separation. The information reported in the application must be current as of the date that you apply for financial assistance. Marital status information will be verified with the Ministry of Health. Please ensure your health records are up to date. If your marital status changes notify the PTA Co-ordinator at your Training Centre immediately. You will receive assistance with providing the appropriate information to the Student Service Centre. Verification of Family Composition and Supplementary Health Benefits Each student, spouse and dependent child declared on the PTA application will be nominated for supplementary health benefits through the Ministry of Health. The nomination for supplementary health benefits is made when you qualify for PTA. You must ensure that your Saskatchewan Health Card has not been cancelled and you must ensure that the family unit you are declaring on the PTA application matches the family unit at the Ministry of Health. In cases of a cancelled health card or a family mismatch, you and your family will not have supplementary health coverage until the discrepancy is corrected and your PTA payments may be delayed. The Student Service Centre will send a letter to any student whose supplementary health coverage is rejected due to cancelled health card or family mismatch. It is your responsibility to contact the Ministry of Health to correct the information or to contact the Student Service Centre to correct the family information on the PTA application. If the discrepancy is not resolved within 30 days of the date of the letter, the PTA payments will be cancelled and overpayments will be created. The Ministry of Health inquiry line is Once the correction has been made, the Student Service Centre must be notified so the family can be re-nominated for health coverage and the PTA application can be reassessed, if applicable. Dependency Questions If you are single with no children, you must complete the Single Students without Dependants section of the application to determine whether you are a dependent or independent student. Check the box(es) that apply to your situation PTA Online Instruction Guide 7

8 For purposes of determining two periods of 12 consecutive months in the second question, you are considered to be seeking employment during periods of time when you were unemployed, including periods while you were in receipt of Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, Social Assistance or Transitional Employment Allowance. If you check none of the statements apply then you are considered a dependent student and you must enter information about your parents. Applicant Dependants List all dependants under 18 years of age who live with you full-time (at least 50 per cent of the time or 15 days per month). The children must be included on your Saskatchewan Health Services record including any foster children listed on your health services card as of the date of application. If information about your dependants change, notify the PTA Co-ordinator at your Training Centre immediately. You will receive assistance with providing the appropriate information to the Student Service Centre. NOTE: If you are declaring foster children, you must enter the foster care/sufficient interest income under Other Income on the Applicant Income screen. If your dependent child, or foster child, is not listed on your Saskatchewan Health Services record but you have full-time custody (i.e. lives with you at least 50 per cent of the time or 15 days per month), the dependent may be included if the following proof of full-time custody is provided: income tax return from the previous year claiming the dependant; Canada Child Tax Benefit statement showing the dependant; legal custody agreement outlining custody of the dependant; statutory declaration with third-party declaration of full-time custody; or, a letter/statement from Ministry of Social Services confirming full-time custody of children who have been living with you full-time for a longer period of time (ie. one year). Dependants not on your Saskatchewan Health Services records will not be provided with Supplementary Health Benefits. Dependants between 18 and 19 years of age may be entered if they are your child and they: are living with you full-time, and are attending high school; and have never been married; and do not have dependent children of their own PTA Online Instruction Guide 8

9 If your dependant is over 19 and still in high school, they may be included on a review basis, discuss this with the PTA Co-ordinator at your Training Centre. Part-time Custody If you do not have full-time custody (less than 15 days per month) of your children, allowances will be provided for the time the children actually live with you. You must submit a letter stating how many days per month the children reside with you as well as the children s names, dates of birth and Saskatchewan HSN. Daycare Allowances Information regarding daycare allowances can be found in the "Assessing your Financial Need" section of the Provincial Training Allowance Handbook. For each dependent, indicate if you require daycare and if you do, indicate if the child is at a subsidized daycare facility. This information will be verified through the Child Care Subsidy Office. For information on Child Care Subsidy, call Full-time and/or incidental daycare is available only for children 11 years of age and under who live with you full-time. If your children are school aged and they attend daycare before and/or after school every day, this would be considered full-time daycare. If your spouse is unemployed or unable to work for medical reasons, you will not be provided with the daycare allowance unless there are exceptional circumstances that prevent your spouse from caring for your children. If this is the case, contact your PTA Co-ordinator about what documentation is required. An incidental day care allowance may be provided for occasional care of children 11 years and under who live with you full-time. Contact your PTA Co-ordinator about what documentation is required. If information about daycare changes, notify the PTA Co-ordinator at your Training Centre immediately and they will assist you in providing the appropriate information to the Student Service Centre. 2.3 Applicant Demographics Your SIN will be verified with Canada Revenue Agency when you apply for assistance. If you do not have a valid SIN, you cannot apply for the PTA. Contact Service Canada at O-Canada ( ). If you do not have a valid Saskatchewan HSN, you cannot apply for PTA. Contact the Ministry of Health at PTA Online Instruction Guide 9

10 Your mailing address is critical. All of the documentation related to PTA will be sent to your mailing address. If your mailing address changes, notify the Student Service Centre immediately. You may update your address with the Student Service Centre by calling the toll- free number at or by at You must also advise the PTA Co-ordinator at your Training Centre. If you do not have an address, leave the field blank. 2.4 Applicant Education History Indicate the date you last attended high school or if you did not attend high school, enter the last date you attended elementary school. Enter the name of the school and the location. If you are unsure of the exact last day you attended elementary/high school, use the last day of the month you attended. Do not include the date you last attended an Adult Basic Education or GED Preparation Program. 2.5 Applicant Eligibility Citizenship Select the appropriate citizenship from the drop down list. If you were not born in Canada, enter the date you became a Canadian citizen. If you are a Permanent Resident (formerly known as Landed Immigrant), enter the date landed in Canada. Permanent Residents who are sponsored by individuals or organizations are not eligible for financial assistance for the term of the sponsorship. Sponsors are responsible for supporting the permanent resident financially when he or she arrives and for the term of the sponsorship. You should not apply for PTA during the term of the sponsorship. You may apply for assistance once the term is complete. If you are a Protected Person, you will not be able to apply online. You may submit a paper application and a Notice of Decision issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Protected Persons Status Documents issued prior to January 2013 are acceptable as well. Aboriginal Ancestry, Visible Minority and Disability Status You do not have to answer these questions if you do not want to provide this information for statistical purposes. 2.6 Applicant Income Information regarding your expected contribution can be found in the "Assessing your Financial Need" section of the Provincial Training Allowance Handbook. You are not required to report employment or self-employment income PTA Online Instruction Guide 10

11 If you do not expect to have any other income while you are in school, check the box. If information about your income changes, notify the PTA Co-ordinator at your Training Center immediately. You will receive assistance with providing the appropriate information to the Student Service Centre. The income to be reported is your gross monthly income, before any deductions. In reporting some types of income you will have to estimate to the best of your ability. If your income varies from month to month, an average may be used based on a four-month period. Enter the gross monthly income for each of the types of income you are receiving. You must report EI benefits. Resettlement Assistance/Immigration funding includes any money paid on your behalf for rent, daycare, utilities, etc., as well as funds paid directly to you. If you are reporting Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) income declare the total amount you will actually receive for this study period including the beneficiary portion as well as any additional funds the RESP subscriber provides to you for your studies this year. Determine the monthly amount by dividing the total by the number of months in your study period. Report all funds you expect to receive specifically for your education under Other Educational Funding/Training Allowances. This includes monetary gifts and training allowances not already declared in the application. Report as Other Income gratuities, tips, insurance payments, inheritances, foster care/sufficient interest income and any income from any source not already declared in this application. DO NOT report the following as any type of income: Employment or self-employment income Saskatchewan Child Benefit National Child Benefit Universal Child Care Benefit Property tax credits Utility rebates SGI rebates Saskatchewan Rental Housing Supplement Saskatchewan Employment Supplement Income tax refunds Any tax credits GST credit Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID) or other disability support funding Hepatitis C Compensation Payment Residential School Compensation Payment Payment of land claim of an Indian Band Student loans from private lender PTA Online Instruction Guide 11

12 Report scholarships and bursaries as a total for the entire program duration (not monthly). Confirmation of Income Amounts You may be requested to confirm your own and your spouse s income. Keep copies of all the documents related to income including pay stubs, letters from employers, benefit statements, income tax returns, etc. The PTA Co-ordinator at your Training Centre will request this information. 2.7 Applicant Program We need to know about your study plans. To apply for student assistance, you must be enrolled in an approved training program. On this screen, enter your study period start date and end date. You will be asked to print the Program Information Form when you are finished entering your application. Your Training Center will complete the Program Information Form for you and you will submit it to the Student Service Centre to complete the processing of your application. 2.8 Applicant Study Period Information Family home is determined by your parent s residence if you are single. If you are married/common-law, family home is your own and your spouse's residence. If you are a single parent, family home is the home where you and your children reside. If the Training Center you are attending is in the same community as the family home and you are a single dependent student you will be assessed as living at your family home. Provide the distance, one way, in kilometres if you are not living at your family home while you are in training. This information will determine if you can be given the away from home allowance. Information regarding living allowances can be found in the "Assessing your Financial Need" section of the Provincial Training Allowance Handbook. SECTION #3: SPOUSAL INSTRUCTIONS Spouse Demographics All references to spouse refer to legal or common-law spouse/partner. The information will enable us to determine how much your spouse will be expected to contribute towards your education. If you wish to have your spouse contact the Student Service Centre about your application please submit the Consent to Release Information form PTA Online Instruction Guide 12

13 Make sure your spouse reviews the information you have entered. S/he should read and sign the declarations. You will print this information when you are finished entering your application. If your spouse does not have a valid SIN you must submit a paper application. Your spouse s graduation date or last day attending high school (or elementary school) is required to determine the appropriate RRSP exemption. If s/he did not graduate from high school or secondary school, indicate the date last attended. Spouse Income List your spouse s income during your study period. If your spouse has no income to claim, remember to check the appropriate box. Remember to include your spouse s financial assets in the Applicant Assets section. If information about your spouse s income changes, notify the PTA Co-ordinator at your Training Centre immediately and they will assist you in providing the appropriate information to the Student Service Centre. The income to be reported is your spouse s gross monthly income, before any deductions. In reporting some types of income you will have to estimate to the best of your ability. If the income varies from month to month, an average may be used based on a four-month period. Enter the gross monthly income for each of the types of income your spouse is receiving. You must enter your spouse s employer s name, address and telephone number. If your spouse has more than one employer, enter information about each employer. If you are reporting income from self-employment or rental/room and board income, report gross income minus operating expenses. You must report EI benefits and other income from Service Canada. Report as Other Income gratuities, tips, insurance payments, inheritances, foster care/sufficient interest income and any income from any source not already declared in this application. If your spouse is a sponsored permanent resident, include support from the sponsor. If you are a married student, where both you and your spouse are full time students applying for assistance, employment and self-employment income during the study period does not have to be declared in the spousal section of the application during the time that both of you are in study PTA Online Instruction Guide 13

14 DO NOT report the following as any type of income: Saskatchewan Child Benefit Canadian Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) Property tax credits Utility rebates (eg. Sask Energy) SGI rebates Saskatchewan Rental Housing Supplement Saskatchewan Employment Supplement Income tax refunds Any tax credits GST credit Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID) or other disability support funding Hepatitis C Compensation Payment Residential School Compensation Payment Payment of land claim of an Indian Band Student loans from private lender Income your spouse receives for his/her own education from bursaries, scholarships, education savings plans, RESPs, etc. All other educational income received the spouse must be declared. The amount received for tuition and books can be exempt if proof of amount is provided by the funding source. If your spouse is a full time post-secondary student receiving student loans, do not declare this student loan income. Confirmation of Income Amounts You may be requested to confirm your own and your spouse s income. Keep copies of all the documents related income including pay stubs, letters from employers, benefit statements, income tax returns, etc. The PTA Co-ordinator at your Training Centre will request this information. Spouse Study Period Information If your spouse is attending full-time studies and applying for student loans or PTA, remember to check the appropriate box and indicate the program start and end dates. If you are both PTA applicants, the funding will be split appropriately. SECTION #4: PARENTAL INSTRUCTIONS Parental Dependents For the purposes of determining family size in assessing the parental contribution, a dependent child is: a child, including an adopted child, or a step-child; 18 years or younger; PTA Online Instruction Guide 14

15 wholly dependent for support (see definition below*); and, in the custody and control of your parents, in law or in fact. A child over the age of 18 is also considered dependent if s/he is in full-time attendance at a secondary school or at a post-secondary institution, and: has never been married or lived in a long-term common-law relationship (at least 12 months); and does not have any dependent children; and has not been out of secondary school for four years (48 months) or more; or has not been in the work force for two periods of 12 consecutive months. *definition: a wholly dependent person is someone who: is related to the parents with whom they reside, and is either 18 years of age or younger; or, is dependent by reason of a mental or physical infirmity. To prove dependency, Canada Revenue Agency must have accepted the person as wholly dependent on your parents, or there is proof of legal guardianship. Parental Demographics All references to parent apply to your parents, step-parents or legal guardians. Information about expected contributions from parents can be found in the Provincial Training Allowance Handbook. If you wish to have your parents contact the Student Service Centre about your application please submit the Consent to Release Information form. If your parents do not have a valid SIN, you may submit a paper application. Make sure your parents review the information you have entered and read and sign the declarations. You will print this information when you are finished entering your application. In a two-parent family, parent one and parent two information is to be entered separately for each parent. It does not matter which parent s information is entered first. When you have completed the information for parent one, press Next to save the information and begin entering parent two. If your parents are separated or divorced the parent with whom you normally live, or the parent who provides for the majority of your living costs, will be the parent information you will enter in this section. If your step-parent has legally adopted you, the step-parent information must be entered in this section PTA Online Instruction Guide 15

16 Step-parents who have not adopted their step-child(ren) and do not consider themselves financially responsible for their step-child are not required to provide a parental contribution. In these cases, the step-parent must provide a letter indicating that they are not financially responsible. The parental contribution will then be assessed using only the natural parent s income. Each parent s previous year s income will be obtained directly from Canada Revenue Agency in order to calculate parental contributions, if applicable. If your parents did not file an income tax return, indicate the total of all income received in the previous year from all sources. This includes child benefits, Social Assistance, EI, disability and pension benefits, investment income, dividends, employment income, Workers Compensation, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada assistance, child support, maintenance, training allowances, etc. If you check the box indicating that your parents income for this year will be substantially lower than the income from last year, you will be mailed a Reduced Income Statement. Your parents income from the previous year will be used to calculate your parents initial contribution. When you receive the Reduced Income Statement from the Student Service Centre, have your parents complete and return it. The parental contribution will be reviewed using their reduced income. This information will be verified with Canada Revenue Agency the following year PTA Online Instruction Guide 16

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