RESP and RDSP Savings — Check Your Eligibility for Government Grants

What governments add to your savings

20 %Federal CESG: up to $500/yr ($1,000 with catch-up), $7,200 lifetime

10 %Québec QESI: up to $250/yr ($500 with catch-up), $3,600 lifetime

2 000 $Canada Learning Bond, with no contribution, for eligible families

3 500 $Maximum RDSP grant per year, $70,000 lifetime

1 000 $RDSP bond per year with no contribution, $20,000 lifetime

How much will your child have at 17?

Monthly contribution ($)

Child's current age

Hypothetical annual return (%)

Your contributions

CESG + QESI grants

Estimated value at 17

Check my eligibility →

Simplified simulation: basic grants of 30% on a maximum of $2,500 per year, lifetime limits respected, constant hypothetical and non-guaranteed return. Does not include additional income-based amounts or catch-up.

10 tips to get the most out of your RESP and RDSP

Open the RESP as soon as your baby has a social insurance number: every year without contributions is a grant you will have to catch up later.

Contributing $2,500 per year (about $208 per month) is enough to get the maximum basic grant.

Behind? Contribute up to $5,000 in a year to receive up to $1,000 in CESG through catch-up.

Lower-income families are entitled to additional amounts: file your tax return every year.

A family RESP lets siblings share the income if one of them does not pursue studies.

If no child studies, up to $50,000 of income can be transferred to your RRSP, under conditions and if you have the contribution room.

The lifetime RESP contribution limit is $50,000 per beneficiary: plan with the grandparents.

RDSP: unused grants and bonds from the last 10 years can be caught up.

RDSP: the person must be eligible for the disability tax credit; the application is first made to the CRA.

Protect the plan: life insurance on the parents ensures contributions continue no matter what.

Other financial services for your children

Parents' life insurance

Secures education and daily life if a parent dies.

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Whole life for the child

Low lifetime premium and a cash value that grows with them.

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Critical illness for children

A lump sum on diagnosis, so you can stay by their side.

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Baby protection and L'Éveil

Free the first year for ages 0 to 36 months, then $18 per year.

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Savings and investments

TFSA, FHSA for your young adult's first home, segregated funds.

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Parents' disability

Your income pays for everything else: protect it.

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Check your amount in 2 minutes

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Sources: Employment and Social Development Canada (CESG, CLB, CDSG, CDSB) and Revenu Québec (QESI). Amounts according to the rules in effect in 2026; general information that does not replace a personalized analysis.

Conditions and withdrawals, in detail

What the 2-minute test does not cover — for those who want to understand before calling.

RESP — Eligibility, deadlines and withdrawals

Who can be a beneficiary, and how long does the plan stay open?

The beneficiary must reside in Canada and have a social insurance number. An RESP can stay open for up to 35 years after it is opened (40 years for a beneficiary eligible for the disability tax credit). Contributions can be made for 31 years.

How and when can money be withdrawn for studies?

Once the child is enrolled in eligible post-secondary studies, withdrawals are made as Educational Assistance Payments (EAP) — the grants + plan growth portion, taxable in the student's hands (generally little or no tax, given their low income).

Limit for the first 13 weeks of a program:

Full time: up to 8 000 $
Part time: up to 4 000 $

After those 13 weeks, no limit applies. The contributions themselves (the capital paid by the subscriber) can be withdrawn at any time, tax-free.

What happens if the child does not pursue post-secondary studies?

It is not lost money, but specific rules apply:

Government grants (CESG, QESI, etc.) must be returned to the government — they belong to the beneficiary only if they study.
Your contributions come back to you at any time, tax-free.
The plan's growth can be withdrawn as an Accumulated Income Payment (AIP) — taxed at your marginal rate, plus an additional 20% tax (12% in Québec), unless it is transferred to an RRSP (up to $50,000, if the plan has been open for 10 years or more, the beneficiary is 21 or older and not studying, and you have available RRSP contribution room).

RDSP — Eligibility, deadlines and withdrawals

How do you withdraw money from an RDSP?

Two types of payments:

Disability Assistance Payment (DAP) — a one-time withdrawal, possible at any time, at the request of the plan holder.
Lifetime Disability Assistance Payments (LDAP) — regular payments that must begin no later than the year the beneficiary turns 60 and, once started, must be paid at least once a year until death or the plan is closed — they cannot be stopped.

Does a withdrawal require repaying the grants received?

Yes, potentially — this is the most important rule to understand before contributing. Each withdrawal (DAP or LDAP) triggers a repayment to the government of $3 of grants and bonds for every $1 withdrawn, up to the assistance holdback amount : the total grants and bonds received over the last 10 years. The same repayment applies when the plan is closed, when the beneficiary dies, or if the plan is deregistered.

That is why planning the timing of withdrawals — not just the amount contributed — makes a real difference, and it is exactly what we review together during the analysis.

What happens if the beneficiary loses eligibility for the disability tax credit?

The plan no longer has to be closed automatically. The holder can choose to keep it open for up to 5 additional years without losing the amounts already paid, under certain conditions. In addition, the 10-year holdback period is gradually reduced by one year per year from age 50, disappearing completely at 60.

Sources: Employment and Social Development Canada, Canada Revenue Agency, Revenu Québec — verified in August 2026. These rules may change; they will be confirmed and adapted to your situation during your free analysis.

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