The Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) is money offered by the Government of Canada to help families start saving early for their children’s education after high school. The CESG is calculated based on contributions made to a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) for an eligible beneficiary and consists of two components: Basic CESG and Additional CESG.
The Basic CESG is a payment of 20% on the first $2,500 of contributions saved into an RESP made on behalf of an eligible beneficiary, until the end of the calendar year in which the beneficiary turns 17.
The Additional CESG is a top up to the Basic CESG that the Government of Canada offers to encourage lower income families save for their children’s education. This grant is an additional payment of 10% or 20% that is applied to the first $500 saved on behalf of an eligible beneficiary, until the end of the calendar year in which the beneficiary turns 17.
Please note that the Open Government Portal provides data that add to those already available in the Canada Education Savings Program Annual Statistical Review. The most recent version of the report, which includes data up to 2024, was published on August 5, 2025 and can be found here: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/student-financial-aid/education-savings/reports/statistical-review.html