An RESP can receive the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) when you contribute for an eligible child. This calculator estimates new contributions, new CESG and possible growth. It does not know the money already in an RESP.
Quick answer
The basic CESG adds 20% to eligible contributions—usually up to $500 on the first $2,500 contributed for a child in a calendar year. If the child has unused basic CESG room, a larger contribution can bring up to $1,000 in basic CESG that year. Some families also qualify for an extra $50 or $100 on the first $500 contributed. All basic and additional CESG together are limited to $7,200 per child.
How the calculator works
Enter the amount you plan to contribute each year, the child’s age, your adjusted family net income, and the age to project to. If the child already has an RESP, enter the CESG and contributions already received or made across all plans for that child. Ask your RESP provider for unused basic CESG room; enter zero if you cannot confirm it. The result starts at zero and shows only new money from the current age onward. Existing contributions, grants and investment balance are not added.
The calculator assumes the same contribution each year through the year the child turns 17, then models growth without new contributions to the selected age. It holds the 2026 income band and your chosen return constant for illustration. Actual returns, future income bands, grant eligibility and provider rules can differ. It excludes the Canada Learning Bond and provincial incentives.
Basic CESG and catch-up room
Basic CESG is 20% of eligible contributions. A child gains up to $500 of basic grant room each year. Unused room can accumulate until the end of the calendar year the child turns 17; it is not limited to one year of carry-forward. With enough unused room, a $5,000 contribution can receive up to $1,000 in basic CESG in one year. Without unused room, contributing more than $2,500 does not increase that year’s basic CESG. Your provider can confirm the child’s actual room.
Extra CESG based on family income
For 2026, an eligible family with adjusted family net income below $58,523 can receive an extra 20% on the first $500 contributed, or up to $100. From $58,523 through $117,045, the extra rate is 10%, or up to $50. Above $117,045, no extra CESG is available. This additional amount does not carry forward, and it shares the same $7,200 lifetime CESG limit with the basic grant. Check the government’s current income table before relying on a future-year estimate.
Age and contribution limits
CESG can be paid until the end of the calendar year the child turns 17. For contributions at ages 16 or 17, one of two earlier-contribution tests must have been met before the end of the year the child turned 15: at least $2,000 contributed and not withdrawn, or at least $100 contributed and not withdrawn in any four earlier years. If you are unsure, choose “No or not sure” and ask your provider. The calculator also stops modelling new contributions once the combined RESP lifetime contribution limit of $50,000 per beneficiary is reached. There is no annual RESP contribution limit.
A simple example
Suppose a child has unused basic CESG room of $500 before this year, no previous CESG, and the family earns too much for additional CESG. A $5,000 contribution this year can receive $1,000 in basic CESG: 20% of $5,000, within the annual catch-up maximum. If the same child had no unused basic room before this year, the basic CESG on that $5,000 would be $500 instead. These examples do not include investment growth.
Other education-savings benefits
The Canada Learning Bond (CLB) is separate from CESG and does not require a personal contribution. For eligible children it starts with $500 and can add $100 for each later eligible year, up to $2,000. For July 2026 to June 2027, the adjusted-income limit is $58,523 or less for families with one to three children; other family sizes have different limits. British Columbia’s one-time $1,200 grant and Québec’s education-savings incentive have their own rules. This calculator does not include any of these benefits.
What happens when the money is used
When the beneficiary qualifies for education payments, the RESP provider separates withdrawals of contributions from educational assistance payments (EAPs). EAPs include grants and earnings and are taxable to the student; returned contributions are generally tax-free. If the child does not pursue eligible education, options may include keeping the plan open, changing beneficiaries where allowed, returning grants, or handling earnings under accumulated-income-payment rules.
Official sources and next step
Check Employment and Social Development Canada’s CESG and CLB amounts and eligibility and its RESP contribution, withdrawal and transfer guide. Ask your RESP provider to confirm the child’s unused grant room, total contributions across plans and the applicable benefit rules before acting.