RESP accounts can be opened by anyone who meets the following criteria:

1. Primary Account Holder: The primary account holder must be a Canadian resident with a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN). They can be a parent, grandparent, legal guardian, or any individual with the necessary authority.
2. Beneficiary: The beneficiary must be a Canadian resident with a valid SIN. The beneficiary can be a child, grandchild, or even the primary account holder themselves if they plan to pursue post-secondary education.
3. Age Limitations: There are no age restrictions for opening an RESP. However, to be eligible for government grants, the beneficiary must be under 17 years of age when the RESP is opened.

Anyone can contribute to an RESP account, including parents, family members, friends, or even the beneficiary themselves. However, it is important to note that government grants are only available to eligible contributors. 

There is no limit to the number of RESPs an individual can open. You can open multiple RESP accounts for each child as long as the overall contributions remain within the lifetime limit of $50,000 per beneficiary.

With the wide variety of options available for students to pursue after high school, RESPs can be useful regardless of your child’s plans. The funds can be used to pay for tuition fees, books, supplies, and other eligible expenses at qualifying post-secondary institutions, such as universities, colleges, and vocational schools. But funds can also be used to support apprenticeship programs registered with the government, providing financial assistance for tools, equipment, and materials required. They can even be used for educational programs outside of Canada, provided they meet specific criteria outlined by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

A savings account is a basic bank account that allows you to deposit and withdraw money as needed, while an RESP is a specialized investment account designed to save for education. RESP accounts provide tax advantages, government grants, and potential investment growth, which are not available with regular savings accounts.

In the event that the RESP beneficiary does not intend to use the savings (for example if they opt not to attend post-secondary education at all) your options will depend on what type of plan you have.

If you’ve invested in an Individual or Family plan, you have four options:

1. Keep the account open in case the beneficiary changes their mind. RESP accounts can remain open until the end of the thirty-fifth year after they were opened, giving beneficiaries plenty of time to use the funds.
2. Transfer the funds to a different beneficiary. Family plans give you the flexibility to change beneficiaries whenever you want, provided that anyone added to the plan is under 21 years old and has a valid SIN. Individual plans, meanwhile, will typically give you the opportunity to name a replacement beneficiary.
3. Transfer the funds to a different registered account. If they have the available contribution room, the plan subscriber can choose to transfer the savings (minus grant funds) to their personal RRSP.

Withdraw the funds and close the account. The savings will be disbursed this way:

• Any grant funds you received will be returned to the appropriate government.
• Any personal savings invested will be returned to the plan subscriber.

Any income or earnings will be paid out to the plan subscriber if three conditions are met:

• The beneficiary is at least 21 and is not eligible for the savings;
• The plan subscriber is a Canadian resident; and
• The RESP account is at least 10 years old.

If all three criteria are met, the interest becomes an Accumulated Income Payment. It is subject to regular income tax in the hands of the plan subscriber, plus an additional 20 %.