What Is Canada Learning Bond (CLB)?

The Canada Learning Bond (CLB) is money the Government of Canada puts into a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) for children from lower-income families: $500 for the first eligible year, then $100 for each later eligible year up to and including age 15, to a lifetime maximum of $2,000. For July 2026 to June 2027, a family with one to three children qualifies when its adjusted family net income is $58,523 or less. You don’t have to put any of your own money into the RESP to get it.

Who can get the Canada Learning Bond?

Eligibility depends on the number of children in the family and the adjusted family net income of the child’s primary caregiver (together with their spouse or common-law partner), from their tax returns. For the benefit year from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, the income limits are:

For comparison, the limit for one to three children was $57,375 for July 2025 to June 2026. The limits rise with inflation and eligibility is checked year by year, so a child can qualify in some years and not in others.

The child must also:

• be born on or after January 1, 2004;
• live in Canada; and
• have a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN).

A parent or primary caregiver can request the bond until the day before the child turns 18. After that, the young adult can request it themselves until the day before their 21st birthday. The government plans to raise that age limit from 20 to 30, starting in April 2028 (see “What changes in 2028?” below).

How much is the bond, and how is it paid?

Once an RESP is opened for an eligible child and the bond is requested, the government deposits $500 for the first eligible year. It then adds $100 for each later year the child is eligible, up to and including age 15, to a lifetime maximum of $2,000.

The bond is retroactive: it can be claimed for earlier eligible years even if no RESP was open during those years. A family that starts late can still collect the amounts for past years.

The CLB sits in the RESP alongside any money you add. Like the rest of the RESP, it’s invested, and its earnings aren’t taxed while they stay in the plan.

How do I apply for the Canada Learning Bond?

1. Get your child a SIN from Service Canada, if they don’t have one yet.
2. Open an RESP with a bank, credit union, investment firm or group plan dealer, and ask whether it offers the Canada Learning Bond. Ask about fees before you sign up.
3. Ask the provider to apply for the Canada Learning Bond. The provider sends the request to the government using your child’s SIN. Eligibility is checked against the income on the tax returns of the child’s primary caregiver and their spouse or common-law partner, which is why filing every year matters, even in a year with little or no income.

Once your RESP provider sends the bond request, the bond is paid into the RESP, including amounts for any past eligible years. Check your RESP statement to make sure it has arrived.

What changes in 2028?

The Government of Canada announced in February 2025 that it will start enrolling eligible children automatically:

• Children born in 2024 or later: starting in 2028, ESDC will open an RESP for eligible children who have a valid SIN and aren’t already the beneficiary of an RESP by age 4, and deposit the bond into it.
• Children born before 2024: caregivers of eligible children will be able to ask ESDC to open an RESP for them.
• Young adults: starting in April 2028, the age limit for claiming the bond yourself will rise from 20 to 30, so young adults who didn’t get it as children can still claim it for their post-secondary studies.

The government expects about 130,000 more children and youth a year to receive the bond as a result. As of November 2026, automatic enrolment hasn’t started. Until it does, you still need to open an RESP and ask for the bond yourself, and doing it now means the money has longer to grow.

How does the CLB work with the Canada Education Savings Grant?

The CLB doesn’t depend on what you contribute. The Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) does: it adds 20% of what you put into the RESP each year, up to $500 a year, and lower- and middle-income families get an extra 10% or 20% on the first $500 they contribute in the year. A family can get both in the same RESP. Even small deposits earn the grant, but none are needed for the bond.

Families who qualify for the CLB often also receive the Canada Child Benefit and, in Ontario, the Ontario Child Benefit. All three use adjusted family net income from your tax returns.

What are the limits?

• $2,000 per child, in total. The bond stops at that amount, and nothing is added for a year when your income is above the limit.
• It’s for education after high school. The bond is meant for your child’s own post-secondary studies (university, college, trade school or another qualifying program). If your child doesn’t go on to post-secondary studies, it goes back to the government.
• Its value isn’t guaranteed to grow. What the bond earns depends on how the RESP is invested. Ask your provider what the options and fees are.

What should parents do now?

• Open an RESP and request the bond as soon as you can. The bond is retroactive, but money that goes in earlier has longer to grow.
• Keep filing your tax returns every year, and make sure your spouse or common-law partner does too. That’s how eligibility is checked.
• Keep your RESP statements so you can see each bond deposit.
• Check the Government of Canada’s Canada Learning Bond page for the current rules, especially once the 2028 changes start.

Sources

• Government of Canada, How much money can be added to Registered Education Savings Plans: $500 for the first eligible year, $100 for each later eligible year up to and including age 15, $2,000 lifetime maximum, retroactive, no contribution needed, eligibility based on the primary caregiver’s adjusted family income, and requests by caregivers until 18 and by young adults before 21; the CESG rates.
• Employment and Social Development Canada, Notice #1138: Revised income brackets for the Canada Learning Bond for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027: the $58,523 (or less), $66,036 and $73,577 (under) limits, and the limits for larger families.
• Employment and Social Development Canada, Notice #1095: income brackets for July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026: the previous $57,375 limit.
• Government of Canada, Canada Learning Bond: Automatic enrolment, and ESDC, Canada Learning Bond brochure for 18 to 20 year olds: eligibility (born on or after January 1, 2004, living in Canada, a valid SIN), young adults applying until the day before they turn 21, and automatic enrolment for children born in 2024 or later.
• Canada Revenue Agency, Canada Learning Bond: the bond is returned to the government if the beneficiary doesn’t pursue post-secondary education.
• Employment and Social Development Canada, Government of Canada making it easier for Canadian parents to plan for their children’s education (February 2025), and Canada Education Savings Program: 2025 Annual Statistical Review: automatic enrolment from 2028, requests for children born before 2024, the age limit rising from 20 to 30 in April 2028, and the 130,000 estimate.

Last checked: November 11, 2026.