For grandparents

The gift that grows for eighteen years — and gets matched.

Helping with a grandchild’s education is one of the most useful things money can do. But two plans for one child can quietly breach a limit that belongs to the child, not the plan — and that’s the mistake worth avoiding before you start.

Your two routes

You can open a plan yourself — or add to theirs.

Anyone can open an individual education savings plan for any child, with no family relationship required. A family plan, which can hold several grandchildren, requires every beneficiary to be related to you by blood or adoption and to be under 21 when named.

The decision that actually matters isn’t which plan type — it’s whether the family needs a second plan at all. One plan is simpler to track, and tracking is precisely where families come unstuck.

Give to their plan

Simplest by far. One contribution total, no duplicate paperwork, no risk of breaching the child’s limit by accident.

Open an individual plan

You keep control of the money. Any child, any relationship — no restrictions on who you can open it for.

Open a family plan

Several grandchildren in one plan, sharing contributions unequally if needed. All must be blood or adoptive relations, named before 21.

The limit belongs to the child, not the plan

The $50,000 lifetime contribution limit and the $7,200 lifetime grant maximum apply per child, across every plan anyone has ever opened for them. Open a second plan without asking the parents what they’ve contributed, and the combined total can breach the limit — which attracts a monthly penalty tax until the excess is withdrawn.

The fix takes one conversation: ask what has been contributed to date, and coordinate from there. Use the checker below.

Free coordination checker

How much room is actually left?

Enter what has already gone in from every source — including the parents’ plan — and what you’re planning to add.

Other grandparents, aunts, uncles, family friends — every plan for this child counts.
Contribution room still available
$0
 
Total contributed if you proceed$0
Against the $50,000 lifetime limit0%
Grant still available for this child$0

Runs entirely in your browser — we don’t store or see your numbers. It applies the $50,000 lifetime contribution limit and $7,200 lifetime basic grant maximum, both of which apply per beneficiary across all plans. It cannot see actual plan records — confirm contributed amounts with each subscriber and grant amounts through the plan promoter before acting. Educational illustration only.

Sort out the coordination → Family plan or individual?
The part people skip

What happens to the plan if you die?

An education savings plan is an asset of the subscriber — you — not of the child. Without provision, it can end up forming part of your estate rather than simply continuing for your grandchild. That is not what anyone intends, and it is entirely avoidable.

Most plans allow you to name a successor subscriber, and your will can deal with the plan explicitly. It is a paragraph, not a rewrite — raise it with your lawyer when the will is next reviewed. Grandparents are far more likely to be affected by this than parents, simply by virtue of timing, which is why it belongs on this page and not buried in a footnote.

One more thing worth knowing about family plans

Certain income-tested and provincial incentives are only payable where all beneficiaries in a family plan are siblings. Grandchildren from different families are not siblings. If you’re considering one family plan across several branches of the family, check this before the plan is set up rather than after.

Common questions

Questions grandparents ask

Can a grandparent open an RESP?
Yes — and you have two routes. An individual plan can be opened by literally anyone for any child; no family relationship is required at all. A family plan requires every beneficiary to be related to you by blood or adoption — grandchildren and great-grandchildren qualify — and beneficiaries must be under 21 when they are named to it. Spouses can be joint subscribers on either type.
What is the biggest mistake grandparents make?
Over-contributing without realising it. The $50,000 lifetime contribution limit belongs to the child, not to the plan — it applies across every RESP anyone has ever opened for them. If the parents are already contributing and you open a second plan without coordinating, the combined total can breach the limit, and over-contributions attract a monthly penalty tax until they are withdrawn. The same applies to the $7,200 lifetime grant maximum. Ask the parents what they have contributed before you start.
Should I open my own plan or contribute to the parents’?
Often the simplest answer is to give the money to the parents and let one plan hold it. One plan means one set of paperwork, one contribution total to track, and no risk of two subscribers accidentally breaching the child’s limit. Opening your own plan makes sense when you want to keep control of the money, when you want it clearly separate from the parents’ finances, or when family circumstances make a separate plan sensible. There’s no universally right answer — but there is a right answer for your family, and it’s worth ten minutes of thought.
What happens to the plan if I die?
This is the question most often overlooked, and it matters more for grandparents than parents. An RESP is an asset of the subscriber, not the child. Without planning, it can end up in your estate rather than continuing for your grandchild. Most plans allow a successor subscriber to be named, and your will can address the plan explicitly. Speak with your lawyer when the will is next reviewed — this is a paragraph, not a rewrite, and it prevents a genuinely bad outcome.
How long can I contribute for?
Contributions can generally be made for 31 years from the date the plan is opened, and the plan itself can stay open for 35 years — longer where a beneficiary qualifies as having a disability. For a grandparent that’s usually far more runway than needed, but it does mean a plan opened for a toddler comfortably outlives most planning horizons.
Can I split one plan across several grandchildren?
Yes, with a family plan — that’s exactly what it’s for. Contributions can be shared among the beneficiaries and need not be divided equally, which helps when grandchildren are different ages or take different paths. Be aware of two limits that still apply per child: the $50,000 contribution limit and the $7,200 grant maximum. And note that certain income-tested and provincial incentives require all beneficiaries in the plan to be siblings — grandchildren from different families are not siblings.
Is an RESP the best way to help with education?
Usually, because of the grant — but not always. Nothing else gives you a guaranteed 20% on the first $2,500 a year. That said, if the parents are already claiming the full grant, your additional dollars earn no more of it, and other approaches — contributing to their plan, helping with costs directly when the time comes, or a separate investment — may suit better. Worth deciding deliberately rather than by default.
Let’s talk

Get it right the first time.

A free call: whether a second plan makes sense for your family or whether adding to the parents’ is simpler, how much room is genuinely left, and what to raise with your lawyer about the will. Fifteen minutes now avoids an awkward conversation later.

Book a free call →

Harpreet Singh · Licensed advisor (LLQP, Ontario) · Proudly Canadian. This page is general information only — not financial, investment, insurance, tax, or legal advice. Rules governing subscribers, beneficiaries, relationship and age requirements, contribution and grant limits, over-contribution penalties, contribution periods, and plan duration are set by the Government of Canada and may change; confirm current requirements at canada.ca. Individual plan terms vary and may be more restrictive. Estate and succession matters, including naming a successor subscriber and provisions in a will, require advice from a qualified lawyer in your province. The checker uses only figures you enter and cannot verify actual plan records. Speak with a qualified advisor about your own situation.

Harpreet Singh, licensed advisor
Written and reviewed by
Harpreet Singh
Licensed Advisor · LLQP, Ontario

Harpreet is a licensed insurance and education-savings advisor based in Ontario, Canada. He helps families understand RESPs in plain language, claim every government grant they qualify for, and protect the plan with the right coverage — with straight answers and no pressure. More about Harpreet →

Reviewed July 2026 Figures per Canada.ca / CRA LinkedIn Book a free call
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