The Canada Education Savings Grant

It’s never too early to help a child’s dreams come true.

To help you help a child’s dreams come true, the Government of Canada will add to your savings in a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) with a Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG). Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) is a financial incentive for parents, family and friends to save for a child’s education after high school. The grant is paid directly into the child’s RESP. To date, over two million children have benefited from Canada Education Savings Grants.

Eligibility for the CESG

• Every child up to and including age 17 is eligible to receive the grant, provided:
• the child is a Canadian resident;
• the child has a valid social insurance number (SIN);
• the child is named as a beneficiary of an RESP; and
• money has been put into the RESP.  

(Note: Special conditions exist for children 15 years of age and older. For more information see our CESG Frequently Asked Questions)

The Amount of the CESG

The amount of the grant is based on your family income. The amount can change over time as your family income changes.

No matter what your net family income is, the grant provides at least 20 cents for every dollar on the first $2,000 of annual RESP savings made on behalf of a child.

Depending on your family income, your child could receive additional grant on RESP savings that you make after 2004 on behalf of a child:

• If your net family income is below $36,378*, the grant will be 40 cents for every dollar on the first $500 you save in your child’s RESP each year.
• If your net family income is between $36,378* and $72,756*, the grant will be 30 cents for every dollar on the first $500 you save in your child’s RESP each year.

Your net family income is reported on your Canada Child Tax Benefit statement (commonly known as “baby bonus”, or “family allowance”) that you receive from Canada Revenue Agency each July.

^{*This amount is updated each year based on the rate of inflation.}

Steps to Getting the CESG

To get the CESG, all you need to do is to:

• Apply for a birth certificate and then a Social Insurance Number (SIN) for your child.
• Apply to the Canada Revenue Agency for the Canada Child Tax Benefit, if you qualify.
• Choose the RESP provider that best meets your needs. (RESP providers include most financial institutions, such as banks or credit unions, as well as group plan dealers or financial services providers.)  
• Open an RESP for a child.
• Put some money in your RESP.
• Ask your RESP provider to apply for the CESG on behalf of the child.

The grant money will be deposited directly into your child’s RESP.

Lifetime CESG Limits

The most CESG your child can receive is $7,200. This lifetime limit also applies to each individual child when the CESG money is shared with other beneficiaries as in a family RESP.

Note: In this case, “lifetime” means from birth up to the end of the year that the child turns 17 years of age.

Using the CESG

As soon as the child named in an RESP is enrolled in a qualifying educational program, he or she can start receiving money from the RESP. At that time, the CESG along with income earned by the money in the RESP is paid to the beneficiary as an Educational Assistance Payments (EAPs). Each EAP includes a specific amount of the CESG.

If the child named in an RESP does not go on to education after high school, the CESG must be returned to the Government of Canada, unless the RESP is a family plan. If the RESP is a family plan, the CESG may be used by another child named in the plan. That child may use an amount of the CESG up to his or her lifetime limit as described above.  

Other Saving Opportunities

Depending on the income of the child’s family, the child may also qualify for the Canada Learning Bond. Visit our Canada Learning Bond – General Information page for more information.