RESP & CESG Calculator
See exactly how much free government grant money your RESP contributions attract — and your projected balance at withdrawal.
Your RESP plan
Account value over time
About the RESP & CESG Calculator
A Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) is a tax-sheltered account for a child's future post-secondary education. The real appeal isn't just the tax shelter — it's the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG), free money the federal government adds on top of your own contributions. This calculator simulates your RESP year by year: how much you contribute, how much CESG that attracts, and how the combined balance grows at your expected return, all the way to the two hard legal ceilings that cap the program.
Basic CESG matches 20% of your annual contribution, up to $500/year on the first $2,500 contributed. If you contribute less than $2,500 in a year, the unused grant room carries forward — in a later "catch-up" year, you can contribute up to $5,000 and receive up to $1,000 of basic CESG that year, as long as enough room has accumulated.
Additional CESG gives lower- and middle-income families an extra 10% or 20% on top of the base match, but only on the first $500 contributed each year — and unlike basic CESG, this portion does not carry forward. Under the 2026 ESDC income brackets: adjusted family net income at or below $58,523 gets an extra 20% (40% total on that first $500); between $58,523 and $117,045 gets an extra 10% (30% total); above $117,045 gets the base 20% only. These thresholds are indexed for inflation and republished by ESDC every December for the following calendar year.
Two lifetime caps apply no matter how much you contribute: a $50,000 lifetime contribution limit per beneficiary (no annual cap since 2007 — but contributing past $50,000 triggers a 1%-per-month penalty tax on the excess), and a $7,200 lifetime CESG maximum per beneficiary, covering basic and additional CESG combined. This calculator automatically stops adding contributions or grant once either cap is hit, and CESG eligibility itself ends after the calendar year the child turns 17.
Separately, the Canada Learning Bond (CLB) is available to lower-income families with no contribution required at all — up to $2,000 lifetime per eligible child. It's a distinct program from the CESG modelled here; if your family income is modest, check your CLB eligibility directly at Canada.ca.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the CESG and how much is it worth?
The Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) is free money the federal government adds to your child’s RESP whenever you contribute. The basic CESG matches 20% of your annual contribution, up to $500/year (on the first $2,500 contributed). Lower- and middle-income families can also receive Additional CESG — an extra 10% or 20% on the first $500 contributed each year — for up to $600/year total. Over a beneficiary’s lifetime, CESG is capped at $7,200.
Does unused CESG grant room carry forward?
Yes. If you contribute less than $2,500 in a year (or nothing at all), the unused basic-CESG grant room carries forward. In a later "catch-up" year you can contribute up to $5,000 and receive up to $1,000 of basic CESG that year (20% matched on the extra $2,500), as long as you have enough carried-forward room. This calculator models that carry-forward and catch-up mechanic year by year. Note: Additional CESG does NOT carry forward — it only ever applies to the current year’s first $500.
What is the RESP contribution limit?
There is no annual contribution limit (that annual cap was removed in 2007), but there is a $50,000 lifetime contribution limit per beneficiary. Contributing beyond that triggers a 1%-per-month penalty tax on the excess until it’s withdrawn, so this calculator automatically stops adding contributions once the $50,000 cap is reached.
Is there help for lower-income families beyond the CESG?
Yes — the Canada Learning Bond (CLB) is a separate federal program for lower-income families that pays money into an RESP with NO contribution required at all, up to $2,000 lifetime per eligible child. It has its own separate eligibility rules and isn’t modelled in this calculator (which focuses on contribution-matched CESG) — if your family income is modest, it’s worth checking your CLB eligibility separately at Canada.ca.
What happens to CESG if my child doesn’t pursue post-secondary education?
If a beneficiary doesn’t end up using the RESP for post-secondary education, any CESG (and CLB) in the plan must be repaid to the government — only your own contributions and any investment growth are yours to keep (growth is taxed, plus a 20% additional tax, if withdrawn as an Accumulated Income Payment). If you have a family RESP with multiple children, unused CESG can often be shared with a sibling beneficiary instead of being repaid, up to that sibling’s own $7,200 lifetime cap.