Most Canadian parents have free government money sitting unclaimed in their child’s RESP. The Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) pays 20% on what you contribute — but if you started late or contributed less than $2,500 in some years, the missed grant doesn’t disappear. It carries forward, and you can catch up. This calculator shows how much grant room your child has left, how much you can still collect before the deadline, and the contribution pace needed to get it.
Enter the CESG your child received up to the end of last year — this year’s grant room is calculated fresh.
Calculate your child’s remaining CESG
How the CESG catch-up works
Every year from birth, your child builds up $500 of CESG entitlement (20% of $2,500 of contributions). Whatever you don’t claim carries forward. In any single year you can collect at most $1,000 of grant — the current year’s $500 plus $500 of backlog — which takes a $5,000 contribution. The lifetime maximum is $7,200 per child, and the door closes on December 31 of the year your child turns 17. Note the special rule for 16- and 17-year-olds: grant is only paid in those years if at least $2,000 was contributed, or $100 a year in any four years, before the year the child turned 16.
This calculator covers the basic CESG only. Lower-income families may also qualify for the additional CESG (A-CESG) and the Canada Learning Bond, which are not included here. Figures are estimates for general information — not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the CESG?
The Canada Education Savings Grant is 20% of the money you put into an RESP, up to $500 of grant a year per child. It is free money from the government on top of your own contributions.
How much CESG can my child get in total?
Up to $7,200 per child over their lifetime. The grant stops at the end of the year the child turns 17, so the clock matters.
What if we started late — is the grant room lost?
No. Grant room accrues from birth (or 1998, whichever is later) even if no RESP was open. Room built up at $400 a year for 1998–2006 and $500 a year from 2007. Unused room carries forward, and you can collect up to $1,000 of grant a year by contributing $5,000 a year until the room is caught up.
What is the 16/17 rule?
To receive the grant at ages 16 and 17, at least $2,000 must have been contributed before the end of the year the child turns 15, or at least $100 in any four earlier years. Without that, the grant stops at 15.
Is there a limit on RESP contributions?
Yes — $50,000 of contributions per child over their lifetime, across all RESPs for that child. The calculator flags your plan if it reaches the cap.
Read the full playbook: The CESG Catch-Up Playbook: How to Still Claim the Full $7,200 RESP Grant. Once the grant is claimed, see how the RESP savings could grow with the Compound Interest Calculator. And while you’re planning for your kids, check the Canada Child Benefit Calculator to see what the CCB pays your family each month.