Contribute by December 31 to get this year’s RESP grant
To get this year's RESP grant, your contribution has to be in the account by December 31, 2026. Contribute $2,500 and the government adds $500. Many providers ask for the money a few business days earlier, so check yours.
What your contribution earns
| You contribute this year | Basic grant (20%) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| $500 | $100 | Also unlocks the full extra grant for lower and middle incomes |
| $2,500 | $500 | The full yearly grant |
| $5,000 | $1,000 | Only with unused grant room from earlier years |
The basic grant is the Canada Education Savings Grant. It adds up to $7,200 per child over their lifetime.
Missed years can be caught up, slowly
Every child builds $500 of grant room each year from birth, whether or not they have an RESP. Unused room carries forward, but you can only claim up to $1,000 of grant a year. A parent starting when their child is 8 can still catch up, by contributing $5,000 a year for several years.
The extra grant doesn't carry forward
Families with lower and middle incomes get an extra grant on the first $500 contributed each year. In 2026 that is 20% ($100) if your family income is $58,523 or less, and 10% ($50) if it is up to $117,045. This extra grant can't be caught up later, so contributing at least $500 every year matters.
See your child's full grant total. Enter their age and what you can contribute.
Open the RESP grant calculatorThe Canada Learning Bond needs no contribution
Children in lower-income families can get the Canada Learning Bond: $500 in the first year, then $100 a year to age 15, up to $2,000. You only need to open an RESP and apply; no contribution is required.
Ages 16 and 17 have extra rules
Grants are paid in the years a child turns 16 and 17 only if, by the end of the year they turned 15, the RESP had at least $2,000 in contributions, or at least $100 a year in any 4 years. The last contributions that can earn a grant must be made by December 31 of the year the child turns 17.