How much RESP grant (CESG) can you still collect?
The Canada Education Savings Grant adds 20% to the first $2,500 you contribute each year: $500 a year, up to $7,200 per child. Missed years carry forward, but you can only catch up one extra year at a time ($1,000 of grant on $5,000), and the grant stops after the year your child turns 17.
Enter your child's birth year and the grant received so far. The plan shows what to contribute each year to collect the most grant before it stops at 17, missed years included.
Your child
Optional
Contribute $5,000 this year to capture $1,000 in CESG (using carry-forward room). The grant is 20% of the first $2,500 a year, and missed years can be caught up one extra year at a time.
This year
The $7,200 lifetime grant
The plan, year by year
How the Canada Education Savings Grant works
- The basic CESG matches 20% of contributions, on the first $2,500 you contribute each year — a maximum of $500 of grant per year and $7,200 per beneficiary over their lifetime.
- Unused grant room carries forward. In a catch-up year you can attract up to $1,000 of grant on a $5,000 contribution, but never more than two years' worth at once.
- Grant room accrues from the year the child is born, whether or not an RESP exists yet. The lifetime contribution limit per beneficiary is $50,000, and contributions beyond it are taxed at 1% per month.
- Lower- and middle-income families receive an Additional CESG of 10% or 20% on the first $500 contributed each year, and the Canada Learning Bond deposits up to $2,000 with no contribution required.
- The grant stops at the end of the calendar year the beneficiary turns 17. For ages 16 and 17 it is only paid if at least $2,000 was contributed before the end of the year they turned 15, or $100 a year in any four earlier years.
- An RESP can stay open for 35 years, and the grant is repaid to the government if the money is not used for post-secondary education.
Source rules: Government of Canada: Canada Education Savings Grant · Last updated
Catching up on missed RESP grant: a worked example
Grant room builds by $500 every year from birth, whether or not an RESP exists. Say your child was born in 2018 and nothing has been contributed. By 2026 there is plenty of unclaimed grant room, but you can only claim $1,000 of it per year, on a $5,000 contribution:
| Year | Child's age | Contribute | Grant (CESG) | Grant so far |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8 | $5,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| 2027 | 9 | $5,000 | $1,000 | $2,000 |
| 2028 | 10 | $5,000 | $1,000 | $3,000 |
| 2029 | 11 | $5,000 | $1,000 | $4,000 |
| 2030 | 12 | $5,000 | $1,000 | $5,000 |
| 2031 | 13 | $5,000 | $1,000 | $6,000 |
| 2032 | 14 | $5,000 | $1,000 | $7,000 |
| 2033 | 15 | $1,000 | $200 | $7,200 |
That reaches the $7,200 lifetime maximum in 2033, well before the cut-off. The later you start, the less of it you can reach: a child who turns 14 in 2026 has four grant years left (14 to 17), so at most $4,000, and the grant at 16 and 17 is only paid if at least $2,000 went in by the end of the year they turn 15. The other $3,200 can't be claimed.
December 31 is the deadline for each year's grant: a contribution made on January 2 counts toward the new year.
RESP questions, answered
How much do I need to contribute to get the full CESG each year?
$2,500 per year attracts the full $500 basic grant. Contributing more than that in a normal year earns no extra grant, though it still grows tax-sheltered.
What is the RESP contribution deadline for the 2026 grant?
December 31, 2026. The grant is paid on contributions made in each calendar year; there is no 60-day window. Missing a year usually only delays the grant, because unused grant room carries forward, but you can catch up just one extra year at a time, and the year your child turns 15 is the last chance to meet the $2,000 test for grant at 16 and 17.
What is the lifetime CESG maximum?
$7,200 per beneficiary. At the $500-per-year pace that takes just over 14 years, which is why starting late usually means using the catch-up rule.
Can I catch up on missed RESP grant years?
Yes. Unused grant room carries forward, and you can claim up to two years of grant in one year: $5,000 contributed earns $1,000. The calculator shows how much grant is still unclaimed and how many years remain to claim it before the cut-off at 17.
Does the grant stop when my child turns 17?
It is paid for the last time in the calendar year the beneficiary turns 17, and only if the 16-and-17 rule was met: $2,000 contributed by the end of the year they turned 15, or at least $100 in each of any four earlier years.
Is there a limit on total RESP contributions?
$50,000 per beneficiary, across every RESP opened for them. There is no annual contribution limit, only the annual limit on how much grant a contribution attracts.
Related calculators and guides
Looniee tracks RESP contributions and grant room per child, so the catch-up plan updates as you contribute. Create a free account or try the live demo.
Informational only — verify your numbers at CRA My Account before contributing.