RESP Education Savings Planner

Compare three contribution budgets and see how personal deposits, potentially eligible federal grants, a possible Canada Learning Bond, and hypothetical investment growth could affect an RESP by the planned education start date. Grant estimates depend on accurate history and eligibility inputs; this is not a “maximum grant” guarantee.

No Social Insurance Number is requested or stored. Check RESP and grant history with your promoter or CRA records before relying on an estimate.

Child, timeline and contribution plan

The three contribution amounts use the selected frequency and first contribution date. The first contribution must be in a calendar month after the balance date; monthly and annual deposits recur in that same calendar month, and annual deposits are assigned to their actual calendar year. The balance date’s partial month and the education-start month are excluded from growth and deposits.

The return is a user-selected effective annual scenario, not a forecast or guarantee. It is not inflation-adjusted. Investment fees, taxes, inflation, withdrawals, and changes in contribution amount are excluded.

Contribution and grant history

Use CRA or promoter records for the beneficiary’s unused basic grant room and CESG received. If grant history is not confirmed, the planner suppresses CESG estimates rather than assuming room from age alone. Lifetime RESP contributions include contributions across all plans; grants and bonds do not count toward the $50,000 contribution limit.

Income-tested incentives

The Government of Canada defines adjusted family income using the primary caregiver’s and spouse/common-law partner’s pre-tax income (line 23600), with specified UCCB and RDSP adjustments. For 2026, the additional CESG estimate uses income below $58,523 (20% on the first $500 contributed) or from $58,523 through $117,045 (10% on the first $500). The 2026–27 CLB thresholds are $58,523 or less for 1–3 children, below $66,036 for 4, and below $73,577 for 5.

Income and thresholds are held constant in future years only as a scenario. The CLB estimate includes future July benefit periods only, excludes unknown or unclaimed retroactive years, and assumes the initial $500 and $25 account-opening payment are already reflected in the current balance for the “previously eligible” setting. It does not model public-caregiver or other special CLB pathways.

How the planner calculates

  • Each contribution scenario applies the same frequency and start date. There is no annual RESP contribution limit for 2007 and later years, but contributions are capped when the beneficiary’s entered lifetime contribution history plus planned deposits reaches $50,000. The model tracks future personal deposits, basic CESG, additional CESG, and CLB separately.
  • Basic CESG is modeled at 20% of eligible contributions, up to $500 of grant in a year, or up to $1,000 when unused grant room is available for catch-up. The projection uses user-confirmed unused basic grant room, adds $500 of room in later eligible years, and observes the $7,200 lifetime CESG maximum. The 16–17 condition is checked separately.
  • Additional CESG is modeled only with the income checkbox confirmed. It applies to at most the first $500 of contributions in each calendar year using the 2026 income band, and is included within the $7,200 lifetime CESG limit. Income and grant thresholds are held constant in future years.
  • CLB is independent of personal contributions. Potential future CLB is added in July benefit periods when the entered income and eligibility assumptions pass. A new initial $500 CLB includes the separate one-time $25 account-opening payment. Prior payments are not added again because the current RESP balance already includes them. The model does not estimate CLB for prior eligible years or processing timing.
  • Month-level convention: projection starts with the first whole calendar month after the balance date. Each modeled month begins with any scheduled contribution and estimated incentive, then compounds the resulting balance by the monthly equivalent of the effective annual return: (1 + annual return)^(1/12) - 1. The balance-date month and education-start month are excluded. Government incentives are assumed credited in the contribution month, earlier than actual processing may occur.

RESP withdrawals: This tool stops at the projected account value. It does not assume the full balance is paid tax-free to the student: contribution refunds are generally tax-free, while educational assistance payments (grant, bond and earnings) are included in the student’s income when paid, subject to the rules. Other RESP payments can have different tax treatment. It does not model education withdrawals or account closure. See CRA: RESP payments and their tax treatment.

Government rules, sources and limitations

Federal rules and thresholds reviewed October 23, 2026. Verify your beneficiary’s eligibility and plan-specific details with CRA, Employment and Social Development Canada, and your RESP promoter.

Provincial incentives, investment fees, taxes, inflation, education costs, withdrawal restrictions, public-caregiver CLB eligibility and the timing of actual grant deposits are not modeled. British Columbia and Québec may offer separate incentives. Grant estimates are conditional, not guaranteed; actual amounts depend on beneficiary eligibility, contributions across all RESPs, history, income-year rules, applications and program processing.

Educational estimate only—not financial, tax, legal, investment or education-funding advice. Investment returns are hypothetical scenarios, not forecasts or guarantees. A projected RESP balance is not a promise of future funds.