Canada Education Savings Grant
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) provides an incentive for parents, family and friends to save for a child's post-secondary education by paying a grant based on the amount contributed to a registered education savings plan (RESP) for the child. The Canada education savings grant (CESG) money will be deposited directly into the child's RESP.
Who qualifies for the additional CESG
ESDC will also pay an additional amount of Canada Education Savings Grant (additional CESG) for each qualifying beneficiary. The additional amount is based on the adjusted family net income and can change over time as the adjusted income changes.
The following chart gives you a brief overview of how the CESG is calculated depending on the adjusted income:
| Adjusted family net income for 2024 |
less than $55,867 | between $55,867 and $111,733 | More than $111,733 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Additional amount of the CESG on the first $500 of annual RESP contribution | 20% = $100 | 10% = $50 | Beneficiary is not eligible |
| Basic CESG on the first $2,500 of annual RESP contribution | 20% = $500 | 20% = $500 | 20% = $500 |
| Maximum yearly CESG depending on income and contributions | $600 | $550 | $500 |
| Lifetime maximum CESG for which you may qualify | $7,200 | $7,200 | $7,200 |
Every child under age 18 who is a resident of Canada will accumulate $400 (for 1998 to 2006) and $500 (from 2007 and subsequent years) of unused CESG room. Unused CESG room is carried forward and used when RESP personal contributions are made in future years provided that the specific contribution requirements for beneficiaries who attain 16 or 17 years of age are met.
Beneficiaries qualify for a grant on the contributions made on their behalf up to the end of the calendar year in which they turn 17 years of age.
Contribution requirements for beneficiaries who are 16 or 17 years old
Since the CESG has been designed to encourage long-term savings for post-secondary education, there are specific contribution requirements for beneficiaries who attain 16 or 17 years of age. RESPs for beneficiaries 16 and 17 years of age may be eligible to receive the CESG if at least one of the following two conditions is met:
- a minimum of $2,000 was contributed to (and not withdrawn from) the RESP of the child before the end of the calendar year the beneficiary turned 15
- a minimum annual contribution of $100 was made to (and not withdrawn from) the RESP in at least four of the years before the end of the calendar year the child turned 15
This means that you must start to save in RESPs for your child before the end of the calendar year in which your child turns 15 years of age in order for the child to be eligible to receive the CESG.
The CESG and accumulated earnings will be part of the educational assistance payments paid out of the RESP to the beneficiary.
If the beneficiary does not pursue post-secondary education, the CESG is returned to the government.
Government partners
Page details
- Date modified: