RESP grants in 2026: CESG, Canada Learning Bond and provincial grants

Updated November 2026

The federal government adds 20% to the first $2,500 you put into an RESP each year, worth $500 a year and up to $7,200 per child. Lower-income families can get more, plus the Canada Learning Bond of up to $2,000 with no contribution needed. Quebec and British Columbia add their own grants.

Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG)

The basic CESG is 20% of the first $2,500 contributed for a child each year, so $500. Every year a child is eligible, $500 of grant room is added whether or not anyone contributes. Unused room carries forward, so you can catch up later, but the grant paid in one year is capped at $1,000 (on $5,000 of contributions). The lifetime maximum is $7,200.

Grants are paid on contributions made up to December 31 of the year the child turns 17. The child must be resident in Canada and have a Social Insurance Number.

Special rules at 16 and 17

Contributions in the years a child turns 16 and 17 attract the CESG only if, before the end of the year the child turned 15, at least one of these was met:

The point is to stop families opening a plan for a teenager just to collect grants. If you open an RESP late, make sure you meet one of these tests by age 15.

Additional CESG for lower and middle incomes

Depending on adjusted family net income, the CESG on the first $500 contributed each year is increased. The 2026 thresholds:

Additional CESG, 2026
Adjusted family net incomeExtra grant on first $500Total CESG on $2,500
$58,523 or less+20% ($100)$600
$58,523 to $117,045+10% ($50)$550
Over $117,045None$500

The thresholds change every year. The Additional CESG counts toward the $7,200 lifetime limit.

Canada Learning Bond (CLB)

The CLB is for children born on or after January 1, 2004, in low-income families. No contribution is needed: the child only has to be named as the beneficiary of an RESP.

Not automatic yet. Today a family has to open an RESP and ask for the CLB. The government has announced that starting in 2028 it will automatically open an RESP for eligible children born in 2024 or later who don't have one by age 4, and that from April 2028 the age to claim the bond will rise from 20 to 30. Until then, families need to open the plan and request the bond themselves.

Provincial grants

Quebec: QESI

The Quebec Education Savings Incentive (QESI) is a refundable tax credit paid into the RESP of a Quebec-resident child. It adds 10% of the year's net contributions, up to $250 a year (up to $500 in a year when catching up on unused amounts), plus up to $50 a year more for lower- and middle-income families. The lifetime maximum is $3,600. It is run by Revenu Québec, not the federal government, and the promoter applies for it.

British Columbia: BCTESG

The BC Training and Education Savings Grant is a one-time $1,200 payment into a child's RESP. No contribution is required. The child and parent or guardian must live in B.C., and you apply through a participating financial institution between the child's 6th birthday and the day before their 9th birthday.

Saskatchewan: SAGES has ended

The Saskatchewan Advantage Grant for Education Savings (SAGES) was suspended for contributions after 2017 and later cancelled. On September 1, 2023, SAGES amounts still held in RESPs were converted into accumulated income. The CRA now lists only Quebec's and B.C.'s programs as provincial education savings incentives.

Worked example: collecting the full $7,200

Steady approach. A child is born in 2026 and the family's income is above $117,045. They open an RESP that year and contribute $2,500 every year for 14 years (2026 to 2039), getting $500 each year: 14 × $500 = $7,000. In 2040 they contribute $1,000 and get $200. Total grants: $7,200 on $36,000 of contributions.

Late start with catch-up. Another family opens an RESP in 2032, when their child (born 2026) is 6. By then the child has 7 years of unused room: 7 × $500 = $3,500. They contribute $5,000 a year:

Catch-up example (family income above the Additional CESG thresholds)
YearRoom at start (incl. new $500)ContributionCESGRoom left
2032$3,500$5,000$1,000$2,500
2033$3,000$5,000$1,000$2,000
2034$2,500$5,000$1,000$1,500
2035$2,000$5,000$1,000$1,000
2036$1,500$5,000$1,000$500
2037$1,000$5,000$1,000$0

After 2037 they have $6,000 of grants. Contributing $2,500 in 2038 and 2039 adds $1,000 (total $7,000), and $1,000 in 2040 adds the last $200. They reach $7,200 by the time the child is 14, well before the year the child turns 17. Starting late costs only the growth the earlier grants would have earned; see compounding.

Simple rule. Contribute at least $2,500 a year per child (or $208 a month) to collect the full basic grant. If you have missed years, contribute up to $5,000 a year until you catch up.

Sources