RESP & CESG Grant Calculator (2026)
Direct answer: The basic Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) pays 20% of your RESP contributions, up to $500 per child per year and a $7,200 lifetime maximum. Contributing $2,500 a year captures the full annual grant. Families with adjusted net income of $57,375 or less get an extra 20% on the first $500 (up to $600 a year total), and middle-income families get an extra 10%. The lifetime contribution limit is $50,000 per child. Enter your child's age, your contribution and your income above to see your exact grant and project the RESP to age 18.
What is the RESP grant for 2026?
The basic Canada Education Savings Grant pays 20% of what you put in, up to $500 per child each year, with a lifetime maximum of $7,200 per beneficiary.
How much should I contribute to get the maximum grant?
Contributing $2,500 a year captures the full $500 basic CESG. It takes about 14.5 years of maximized contributions to reach the $7,200 lifetime grant.
What is the RESP lifetime contribution limit?
You can contribute a lifetime maximum of $50,000 per beneficiary. There is no annual contribution limit, but grants are only paid on the first $2,500 (or $5,000 with carry-forward) each year.
Can lower-income families get extra grant money?
Yes. The additional CESG adds 10% or 20% on the first $500 contributed, and the Canada Learning Bond adds up to $2,000 with no contribution required.
RESP & CESG Grant Calculator (2026)
How does the RESP grant (CESG) work?
A Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) is a tax-sheltered account for a child's post-secondary education. Its biggest draw is free government money: the Canada Education Savings Grant. Employment and Social Development Canada pays the grant directly into the RESP based on what you contribute.
- Open an RESP and name the child as the beneficiary (they need a Social Insurance Number).
- Contribute during the year. The basic CESG matches 20% of your contributions.
- The grant is capped at $500 per child each year on the first $2,500 you contribute.
- Grants keep flowing until the end of the calendar year the child turns 17, up to a lifetime cap of $7,200.
What are the 2026 CESG grant rates by income?
Every child gets the basic 20% match regardless of income. Lower- and middle-income families also receive an additional CESG on the first $500 they contribute. The tiers below use the adjusted family net income brackets for 2025, which are indexed each year.
| Adjusted family net income | Additional on first $500 | Max grant per year |
|---|---|---|
| $57,375 or less | +20% (= $100) | $600 |
| $57,375 to $114,750 | +10% (= $50) | $550 |
| More than $114,750 | Basic only | $500 |
The $7,200 lifetime maximum covers the basic and additional grant combined, so higher contributions speed up how fast you reach the ceiling but never lift it.
What is the RESP contribution limit?
The lifetime contribution limit is $50,000 per beneficiary. There is no annual contribution limit, but the 20% grant is only paid on the first $2,500 of contributions each year (or $5,000 if you have unused grant room carried forward from a previous year). Over-contributing past $50,000 triggers a 1% per month penalty tax on the excess, so it rarely makes sense to contribute far above the grant-eligible amount in a single year.
How do I maximize the $7,200 CESG?
Because the grant is capped at $500 a year on a $2,500 contribution, the simplest plan is to contribute $2,500 every year from birth. That earns $500 a year and reaches the $7,200 lifetime maximum in about 14.5 years. If you start late, you can catch up using carry-forward: contribute up to $5,000 in a year to draw up to $1,000 of CESG, using one year of unused room plus the current year. Use the calculator above to test a contribution that fits your budget and see the grant and growth it produces by age 18.
What other education grants can my child get?
The CESG is not the only money on the table. Depending on family income and province, a child may also qualify for:
- Canada Learning Bond (CLB): up to $2,000 for lower-income families, with no contribution required.
- BCTESG: a one-time $1,200 grant for B.C. residents when the child is 6 to 8 years old.
- QESI: a Québec refundable tax credit worth up to $3,600 over the child's lifetime.
For the bigger picture of registered accounts, compare this with our TFSA contribution room calculator and RRSP calculator, or see how much you keep from your paycheque with the Canada take-home pay calculator.