Project your child's Registered Education Savings Plan with the full Canada Education Savings Grant math, including catch-up contributions and the front-loading trade-off that costs many families thousands in grant.
Key takeaway
The CESG matches 20% of contributions up to $500/year per beneficiary, with one carried-forward year letting you claim up to $1,000/year (= $5,000 contribution). Lifetime CESG cap is $7,200/child; lifetime contribution cap is $50,000/child. The contribution pattern that captures every grant dollar AND maxes the contribution cap: $16,500 at year 0, then $2,500/year for 13 years, plus $1,000 in year 14. Front-loading the full $50,000 in year 0 still captures the contribution room but earns only $500 of CESG. The remaining $6,700 of grant is unreachable because no contribution room is left.
Every RESP strategy comes down to three numbers:
The pattern that captures every dollar of CESG and fills the $50,000 contribution cap, front-loading the maximum amount for compound growth:
Result: $50,000 contributed, $7,200 of CESG captured (full lifetime cap), and $14,000 of "non-grant-attracting" capital sitting in the account compounding tax-free from year 0 instead of being spread across 17 years of $2,500 contributions.
Same year-0 mechanics, larger consequence:
Total CESG captured: $500. Remaining $6,700 of lifetime CESG is unreachable because the contribution cap has been hit.
The CRA permits up to $5,000 of contributions per year to claim $1,000 of CESG (this year's $500 plus $500 of carried-forward room from a single prior year). Only one year of unused room can be recovered per calendar year:
Models federal CESG only. Provincial grants (BC's BCTESG, Quebec's QESI, Saskatchewan SAGES) and the Additional CESG for lower-income families aren't included. Rules and limits per Canada Revenue Agency guidance current as of 2026.
CESG grants stop at age 17.
All contributions and grants accumulated so far.
Sweet spot is $2,500/yr. That maxes annual CESG. $5,000 = full catch-up.
Lifetime contribution cap is $50,000/beneficiary. Only $500 of CESG attaches to the lump.
Long-run pre-fee return assumption.
Sets the provincial-grant overlay (BC, QC, SK add their own, not yet modelled).
Illustrative only. Not financial, tax, or investment advice. Returns are assumed, not guaranteed; tax rules and rates current as of 2026.
Provincial grants, additional CESG, multiple children, sharing across beneficiaries. The federal CESG math is just the start. Sam will reach out with a 30-minute look at the full picture for your situation.
Sam will see your inputs + projection before reaching out. Want to pick a time directly?
Pick a time to chatThe Canada Education Savings Grant matches 20% of your RESP contributions, up to $500 per beneficiary per year. To get that $500 you need to contribute $2,500 in that year. Unused CESG room accrues from birth and carries forward indefinitely, but you can only use one carried-forward year per calendar year, meaning the absolute annual maximum is $1,000 of CESG (on a $5,000 contribution). Lifetime CESG cap is $7,200 per beneficiary.
CESG attaches to contributions on an annual basis: 20% of up to $2,500 of contributions in any given year, with one year of carry-forward (so $1,000 grant on a $5,000 contribution). The pattern that captures the full $7,200 lifetime CESG while front-loading the most growth is $16,500 in year 0, then $2,500/year for 13 years, plus $1,000 in year 14. Larger year-0 contributions still hit the $50,000 contribution cap but don't earn additional grant, since CESG is capped at $500/year (or $1,000/year with carry-forward) regardless of contribution size.
Catch-up is allowed, but limited: one year of unused room per calendar year. Contribute $5,000 in a single year and you'll claim that year's $500 plus one carry-forward year's $500 = $1,000 total. Recovering four missed years requires four consecutive years of $5,000 contributions. Past age 17, no further CESG is available. The earlier you start catching up, the more you recover.
Your contributions come back to you tax-free. The CESG grants must be returned to the government. Any investment growth ('Accumulated Income Payment') is taxed in your hands at your marginal rate plus a 20% penalty, OR you can transfer up to $50,000 of growth into your own RRSP if you have room. Usually the better option.
Yes, in some provinces. Quebec's QESI, British Columbia's BCTESG ($1,200 one-time at age 6), and Saskatchewan's SAGES (currently suspended) add a layer on top of the federal CESG. This calculator models only the federal CESG. Talk to a planner about layering provincial grants on top.