RESPs, the Canada Learning Bond and saving for education.
A grandparent or other adult can help a child build education savings even when the family arrangement is complicated.
Part of our Financial Help resource series. See the main Financial Help guide for the wider topic and related resources. Following a guided route? Return to the Money & practical-needs route.
Information reviewed September 2026. Program rules, benefits and services can change, so use the linked official source for current requirements.
Grandparents can open an RESP for a grandchild.
Canada allows any adult to open an individual Registered Education Savings Plan for a beneficiary. That means a grandparent, relative, guardian or other adult can save for a child's post-secondary education even if they are not the child's parent.
Canada: Open an RESP and Apply for Benefits
What an RESP can pay for
RESP funds can support education after high school, including eligible universities, colleges, trade schools and apprenticeship programs. Education assistance payments can help with costs such as tuition, books, tools, rent and transportation when program rules are met.
Canada: RESPs and Education Savings Benefits
Canada Education Savings Grant, CESG
The CESG adds federal grant money to eligible personal RESP contributions. The basic CESG generally adds 20% on the first $2,500 contributed in a year, subject to eligibility and catch-up rules, with a lifetime CESG maximum of $7,200 per child.
Additional CESG amounts may be available for eligible low- and middle-income families.
Canada Learning Bond, CLB
The CLB can provide up to $2,000 for eligible children from low-income families. Unlike the CESG, personal contributions are not required to receive the CLB. An RESP still needs to exist so the bond can be deposited.
Do I need the parent's permission?
An adult can open an individual RESP for someone else's child, but the promoter will need the beneficiary's required identifying information, including a Social Insurance Number. In a kinship-care situation, practical access to that information may depend on your relationship and legal authority.
What if the parent already opened an RESP?
A child can be named as beneficiary of more than one RESP. The important issue is that government grant limits generally apply across all plans for that child. If multiple family members are contributing, coordinate where possible so nobody unintentionally creates an excess contribution or misunderstands the available CESG room.
Family RESP versus individual RESP
A family RESP has special relationship rules. Under federal RESP rules, grandparents and great-grandparents are considered blood relatives for this purpose. An individual plan can be used where the subscriber is not related to the beneficiary.
What if the child does not attend post-secondary education?
The answer depends on the money in the plan. Contributions, grants, bonds and investment earnings are treated differently when an RESP is closed or transferred. Government benefits that cannot be used may have to be repaid. Talk to the RESP promoter before closing a plan.
Canada: Managing an RESP, Taxes and Transfers
Do not wait until Grade 12 to check for the Canada Learning Bond.
For a child who may qualify for the CLB, opening an RESP can matter even if the caregiver cannot afford to contribute. Ask the financial institution whether it offers the CLB and the additional CESG benefits before opening the plan.
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