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RESP calculator (2026)
The government adds 20% to your RESP contributions, up to $500 a year and $7,200 per child, and the money grows tax-sheltered until school. Enter your yearly contribution, years, return, and any unused grant room to see the grants, the catch-up, and what the RESP could be worth. Contribute before December 31: CESG room is earned per calendar year.
Unused grant room from years you contributed less than $2,500, in dollars of contributions. Each unused year is $2,500 of room, and only one prior year can be used in a year, so the most grant payable in one year is $1,000. Your exact room is on your RESP statement or with your provider.
2026 · Canada
$5,000$5,000 in free grants on $25,000 of contributions over 10 years
Your RESP could be worth $37,734
You get the full $500 grant this year. Contribute before December 31: CESG room is earned per calendar year.
Year by year
| Year | Contribution | CESG grant | RESP balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,500 | $500 | $3,000 |
| 2 | $2,500 | $500 | $6,150 |
| 3 | $2,500 | $500 | $9,458 |
| 4 | $2,500 | $500 | $12,930 |
| 5 | $2,500 | $500 | $16,577 |
| 6 | $2,500 | $500 | $20,406 |
| 7 | $2,500 | $500 | $24,426 |
| 8 | $2,500 | $500 | $28,647 |
| 9 | $2,500 | $500 | $33,080 |
| 10 | $2,500 | $500 | $37,734 |
The grant is 20% of the contributions applied to your room each year, up to $500 a year, or $1,000 with one year of unused room. Unused room carries forward, but the lifetime grant stops at $7,200.
Where the money comes from
| Your contributions | $25,000 |
| Government grants (CESG) | $5,000 |
| Investment growth | $7,734 |
| Projected RESP value | $37,734 |
Contributions are made with after-tax dollars: unlike an RRSP, an RESP contribution is not tax-deductible. The growth and the grants are tax-sheltered inside the plan, and the grant plus growth is taxed in the student's hands when it is withdrawn for school.
Grant rules and limits
The basic CESG pays 20% of contributions, up to $500 a year on the first $2,500, to a $7,200 lifetime maximum per child. Unused room carries forward from the child's birth year, but only one prior year can be used in a year, so the most grant in one year is $1,000 on a $5,000 contribution. The grant is paid until December 31 of the year the child turns 17; at 16 and 17 the child qualifies only 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. The Additional CESG (an extra 10% or 20% on the first $500 a year for lower- and middle-income families), the Canada Learning Bond ($500 in the first year plus $100 a year, to $2,000, paid with no contribution needed), and Quebec's QESI (10% on the first $2,500 a year, $250 a year, $3,600 lifetime) are separate programs and are not counted here.
Make your take-home work harder
Your paycheque is only half the story. These are the account types Canadians use to put after-tax money to work. What follows is factual information, not financial advice.
High-interest savings account
A savings account that pays a higher rate than a chequing account. Money stays liquid and earns interest while you keep it.
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Investment account
An account for buying investments such as ETFs and stocks. It can be registered (TFSA, RRSP, FHSA) or non-registered.
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Bank account
A chequing account for daily spending and bill payments, often bundled with savings and credit products.
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Disclosure: if partner offers are listed here in the future, they will be clearly labelled, and we may earn a commission. Account descriptions are factual information, not financial advice.
More calculators
Worked examples (2026)
| Contribution / year | Years | CESG grants | RESP value |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | 10 · 5% | $5,000 | $37,734 |
| $5,000 · $5,000 unused room | 5 · 5% | $3,500 | $31,578 |
| $1,000 | 15 · 5% | $3,000 | $25,894 |
| $2,500 | 18 · 5% | $7,200 | $82,474 |
CESG rules verified 2026-11-09 · how we calculate
FAQ
How much CESG grant do I get on a $2,500 RESP contribution?
In 2026, a $2,500 contribution earns the full $500 basic CESG: the government matches 20% of the first $2,500 contributed in a calendar year. On $2,500 a year for 10 years at a 5% return, the grants add up to $5,000 and the RESP grows to $37,734.
What if I missed years? Can I catch up on the CESG?
Yes, unused grant room carries forward from the child's birth year, but only one prior year can be used in a single year, so the most basic CESG payable in one year is $1,000 on a $5,000 contribution. For example, contributing $5,000 a year for 5 years with $5,000 of unused room earns $3,500 in grants ($1,000 in each of the first two years, then $500 a year). Enter your unused room in the calculator above: your exact figure is on your RESP statement or with your provider.
When does the CESG stop?
The grant is paid until December 31 of the calendar year the beneficiary turns 17. At 16 and 17 the child qualifies only 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. The calculator above caps the contribution years at 18, from birth to age 17.
Are RESP contributions tax-deductible?
No. Unlike an RRSP, an RESP contribution is made with after-tax dollars and saves no tax when you contribute. The tax advantage is inside the plan: the grants and the growth are tax-sheltered while they sit in the RESP, and the grant plus growth is taxed in the student's hands when it is withdrawn for school, when their income is usually low.
What is the $50,000 RESP lifetime limit?
The lifetime contribution limit is $50,000 per beneficiary, across all RESPs for that child, with no annual limit. Contributions above it attract a 1% per month CRA tax on the excess until it is removed. The calculator above flags it when your total contributions pass $50,000.
What about the Additional CESG and the Canada Learning Bond?
They are separate programs and are not counted here. The Additional CESG adds an extra 10% or 20% on the first $500 contributed each year for lower- and middle-income families, and it cannot be carried forward. The Canada Learning Bond pays $500 in the first year plus $100 a year, to a $2,000 lifetime maximum, with no contribution needed at all. Both count toward the same $7,200 lifetime CESG maximum.
What about Quebec's QESI?
Quebec pays its own incentive on top of the federal grant: the Quebec Education Savings Incentive (QESI) adds 10% on the first $2,500 contributed each year, $250 a year to a $3,600 lifetime maximum. It is not counted in the calculator above, so a Quebec family's total government help is higher than the CESG figure shown.
What if my child does not go to post-secondary school?
Your own contributions always come back to you tax-free. The CESG must be returned to the government, and the accumulated income can be transferred to your RRSP if you have contribution room, or withdrawn as an accumulated income payment, taxed at your marginal rate plus a 20% additional tax. Contributing less than the full room still earns the grant: on $1,000 a year for 15 years at 5%, the grants add up to $3,000 and the RESP grows to $25,894.