Program directory · Employment and Social Development Canada
Canada Education Savings Program
- Department
- Employment and Social Development Canada
- Program code
- BGO18 (HRSD)
- Core responsibility
- Learning, Skills Development and Employment
- In Departmental Plans
- 2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan
What it does
The Canada Education Savings Program (CESP) helps Canadians save for a child’s post-secondary education by supplementing personal contributions to Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) with additional financial benefits through Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG), and the Canada Learning Bond (CLB).
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2018-19. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).
| Program | Relation | Years with data | Actual spending over those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Education Savings Program | This program | 2018-19 – 2028-29 | $8.56B |
No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.
Significant changes in scope and budget
Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.
| Year | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | Indicators added: Total Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) withdrawals. | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2019-20 | Indicators dropped: Cumulative number of children who have ever received the Canada Learning Bond; Number of new beneficiaries for the Canada Education Savings Grant; Number of new beneficiaries who received the Additional amount of Canada Education Savings Grant (in the current calendar year); Number of new beneficiaries who received the Canada Learning Bond (in the current calendar year); Total Post-Secondary Education withdrawals (billions); Total Registered Education Savings Plan assets by end of calendar year (billions) | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2020-21 | Indicators added: Personal contributions made in the current calendar year towards savings for post-secondary education.; Total Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) withdrawals to help finance post-secondary education. | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2020-21 | Indicators dropped: Percentage of children under 18 (in the current calendar year) who have ever received a Canada Education Savings Grant; Percentage of eligible children in the current calendar year who have ever received a Canada Learning Bond; Total Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) withdrawals. | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2021-22 | Indicators added: Percentage of children under 18 (in the current calendar year) who ever received an education savings incentive administered by the CESP | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2021-22 | Indicators dropped: Personal contributions made in the current calendar year towards savings for post-secondary education.; Total Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) withdrawals to help finance post-secondary education. | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
Success criteria
The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.
Historical: targets against results
Percentage of children under 18 (in the current calendar year) who ever received an education savings incentive administered by the CESP
Expected result: Canadians, including those from low- and middle-income families, receive education savings incentives.
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | ≥ 55.6% | 2021 | 56.7% | Met |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 56.7% | 2022 | 56.4% This small drop may be explained by a decrease in families’ disposable income (due to high inflation and interest rates) which impacted their ability to put money aside for their child’s RESP. | Not met |
| 2023-24 | ≥ 56.7% | 2023 | 55.4% The percentage of children under 18 who ever received an education savings incentive administered by the CESP slightly decreased from 56.0% in 2022 to 55.4% in 2023. This small drop may be explained by a decrease in families’ disposable income (due to high inflation and interest rates) which impacted their ability to put money aside for their child’s RESP. Additionally, the eligible population in… | Not met |
| 2024-25 | ≥ 56% | 2024 | 55.1% The Canada Education Savings Program aimed to reach 4.2 million children under 18 with education savings incentives. While this target was met, a projected population increase meant the percentage of eligible children who received the incentive was lower than expected. Note: This proportion uses Statistics Canada’s forecast of the 0-to-17-year-old population as its denominator. When the Canada Ed… | Not met |
Personal contributions made in the current calendar year towards savings for post-secondary education.
Expected result: Children have accumulated savings in Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) to help finance their post-secondary education.
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | ≥ $5.1B | 2020 | $5.24B | Met |
Total Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) withdrawals to help finance post-secondary education.
Expected result: Children have accumulated savings in Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) to help finance their post-secondary education.
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | ≥ $4.5B | 2020 | $3.94B Funds withdrawn from RESPs dropped from $4.4 billion in 2019 to $3.9 billion in 2020. This is the first decrease in withdrawals since the CESP came into effect and is likely a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, most students who pursued post-secondary education (PSE) received their education online. As a result, the decrease could be attributed to many students staying at home and thus hav… | Not met |
Percentage of children under 18 (in the current calendar year) who have ever received a Canada Education Savings Grant
Expected result: More children, including those from low- and middle-income families, receive the education savings incentives.
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 52.8% | 2018 | 52.7% The results for this indicator were likely impacted by a greater decline in the number of eligible children 0-17 years old than was anticipated in the original projections used to set the target (Census 2011). The Program continues to assess its reach and other factors influencing results for this indicator. | Not met |
| 2019-20 | ≥ 54% | 2020 | 54% | Met |
Percentage of eligible children in the current calendar year who have ever received a Canada Learning Bond
Expected result: More children, including those from low- and middle-income families, receive the education savings incentives.
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 37.5% | 2018 | 38.3% | Met |
| 2019-20 | ≥ 40% | 2020 | 40.7% | Met |
Total Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) withdrawals.
Expected result: Children have accumulated savings in Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) to help finance their post-secondary education.
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≥ $4.35B | 2020 | $4.37B | Met |
Cumulative number of children who have ever received the Canada Learning Bond
Expected result: More Canadians from low- and middle-income families receive the Additional amount of Canada Education Savings Grant and the Canada Learning Bond.
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 1,238,000 | 2018 | 1,270,821 | Met |
Number of new beneficiaries for the Canada Education Savings Grant
Expected result: Canadians make informed choices about early savings for Post-Secondary Education.
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 299,000 | 2018 | 283,873 The results for this indicator fell short due to a greater decline in the number of eligible children 0-17 years old than was estimated in the original projections which was based on Census 2011 data. The Program continues to assess its reach and other factors influencing the results of this indicator. | Not met |
Number of new beneficiaries who received the Additional amount of Canada Education Savings Grant (in the current calendar year)
Expected result: More Canadians from low- and middle-income families receive the Additional amount of Canada Education Savings Grant and the Canada Learning Bond.
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 140,000 | 2018 | 135,364 This indicator is contextual and demand-driven. Eligibility for Additional Canada Education Savings Grants is based on family income levels which is dependent on economic variables and other government supports. | Not met |
Number of new beneficiaries who received the Canada Learning Bond (in the current calendar year)
Expected result: More Canadians from low- and middle-income families receive the Additional amount of Canada Education Savings Grant and the Canada Learning Bond.
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 140,000 | 2018 | 149,532 | Met |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
Percentage of children under 18 (in the current calendar year) who ever received an education savings incentive administered by the CESP
Expected result: Canadians, including those from low- and middle-income families, receive education savings incentives.
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 54.9% | 2027 | — | Planned |
Future goals: targets due after 2026-27
No targets with a later due date.
Spending and employees: planned against actual
Spending
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | $1.08B | $1.09B |
| 2019-20 | $1.15B | $1.2B |
| 2020-21 | $1.18B | $1.18B |
| 2021-22 | $1.17B | $1.24B |
| 2022-23 | $1.24B | $1.2B |
| 2023-24 | $1.23B | $1.24B |
| 2024-25 | $1.27B | $1.41B |
| 2025-26 | $1.31B | — |
| 2026-27 | $1.35B | — |
| 2027-28 | $1.37B* | — |
| 2028-29 | $1.53B* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 103 | 115 |
| 2019-20 | 103 | 95 |
| 2020-21 | 103 | 94 |
| 2021-22 | 103 | 99 |
| 2022-23 | 103 | 102 |
| 2023-24 | 103 | 92 |
| 2024-25 | 103 | 88 |
| 2025-26 | 112 | — |
| 2026-27 | 114 | — |
| 2027-28 | 109* | — |
| 2028-29 | 103* | — |
Planned spending, plan by plan
Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans
| Plan | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 plan | $1,078,827,536 | $1,121,827,536 | $1,157,827,536 | ||||||||
| 2019-20 plan | $1,147,833,445 | $1,186,833,445 | $1,222,833,445 | ||||||||
| 2020-21 plan | $1,181,840,368 | $1,217,840,368 | $1,257,840,368 | ||||||||
| 2021-22 plan | $1,168,303,311 | $1,228,311,894 | $1,270,311,894 | ||||||||
| 2022-23 plan | $1,239,201,848 | $1,303,201,848 | $1,358,201,848 | ||||||||
| 2023-24 plan | $1,228,211,186 | $1,283,211,186 | $1,343,211,186 | ||||||||
| 2024-25 plan | $1,269,123,028 | $1,321,673,271 | $1,367,987,948 | ||||||||
| 2025-26 plan | $1,307,626,588 | $1,340,136,125 | $1,356,187,414 | ||||||||
| 2026-27 plan | $1,350,296,536 | $1,366,373,092 | $1,528,655,875 | ||||||||
| Actual | $1,087,767,476 | $1,196,521,691 | $1,184,425,096 | $1,243,410,074 | $1,199,864,176 | $1,244,873,183 | $1,406,473,074 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
