Investment · Education
RESP withdrawal limit checker.
Before your RESP promoter pays out an Educational Assistance Payment (EAP), there's a real dollar cap on the first stretch of school — check your request against it.
Full-time: EAPs are capped at $8,000 during the first 13 consecutive weeks of enrolment — after that, no limit (unless you break study for 12+ months and re-enrol, which resets the cap). Part-time: EAPs are capped at $4,000 for every 13-week period, with no lift after the first period.
Inputs
Result
Fill the form and press Check limit.
The rule, exactly
An Educational Assistance Payment (EAP) is the part of an RESP withdrawal made up of government grants (CESG, Canada Learning Bond, provincial benefits) and accumulated interest — it's taxable to the STUDENT, who usually has little other income while studying. Full-time students face an $8,000 cap only for the first 13 consecutive weeks of a program; after that, any available amount can come out with no cap, unless the student stops for 12+ months and later re-enrols, which resets the $8,000 first-period cap. Part-time students face a $4,000 cap for every 13-week period, with no such lift. Both groups can still receive an EAP for up to 6 months after enrolment ends, for expenses that would have qualified immediately before it stopped.
Over the limit? It's a soft cap
A request above these limits isn't automatically refused — the RESP promoter can send it, with verified receipts, to the Canada Education Savings Program for approval. It's a documented process, not a dead end, but it takes more paperwork and time than a within-limit request.
Other ways money comes out of an RESP
Contributions (the subscriber's own original deposits) can be withdrawn tax-free at any time, separate from the EAP limits above. Leftover interest not used as an EAP can instead be paid out as an Accumulated Income Payment (AIP), taxed at the subscriber's own marginal rate PLUS an additional 20% (12% in Quebec) — and the beneficiary's CESG lifetime cap is a hard $7,200, tracked separately from these EAP timing rules.
Source, read 26 September 2026: canada.ca — "Pay for education using the Registered Education Savings Plan", Employment and Social Development Canada.
Frequently asked questions
Does the $8,000 full-time cap apply every year?
No — only to the FIRST 13 consecutive weeks of the whole program (or a fresh spell after a 12+ month break). Every withdrawal after that first stretch is uncapped by EAP rules, though your promoter may still ask for proof of eligible expenses.
What counts as an eligible expense?
Tuition, books, tools, transportation, and rent are all named on canada.ca. The RESP promoter decides what's a "reasonable" expense under the Income Tax Act and the plan's own terms.
What's the minimum program length to qualify at all?
Full-time in Canada: at least 3 consecutive weeks with 10+ hours of instruction per week. Full-time outside Canada: at least 13 weeks (3 weeks for university programs). Part-time: at least 3 consecutive weeks requiring 12+ hours per month.
Can I get an EAP after the program ends?
Yes, for up to 6 months after enrolment ends, for expenses that would have qualified immediately before it stopped (subject to the RESP's own terms allowing it).
Reference only
This tool checks your request against the published EAP timing caps only. Your actual RESP promoter decides what counts as an eligible expense and administers the plan under its own terms and the Income Tax Act. Confirm your specific situation with your RESP promoter or the Canada Education Savings Program.