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The Lifelong Learning Plan lets you take money out of your RRSP for full-time training or education without paying tax on it. You can withdraw up to $10,000 a calendar year and $20,000 in total for yourself or your spouse or common-law partner. You then repay the money to an RRSP over 10 years, and anything you skip is added to your income.
How much can you withdraw under the Lifelong Learning Plan?
The limit is $10,000 per calendar year and $20,000 per participation period. If you and your spouse or common-law partner both have RRSPs, each of you can withdraw up to $10,000 in the same year. Money above the annual limit is taxed as income in the year you take it, and the issuer withholds tax on that part. Money above the total limit is included in income for the year you go over.
You can keep making withdrawals until January of the fourth calendar year after the year of your first one, or until your repayment period starts, whichever is earlier. After your balance reaches zero you can start a new participation period the following year. You cannot take part after the end of the year you turn 71.
Who qualifies, and what counts as a full-time program?
You must be a Canadian resident with an RRSP. The student can be you or your spouse or common-law partner, not your child. You use the same student every year of the participation period.
The student has to be enrolled full-time in a qualifying educational program at a designated educational institution. A qualifying program lasts at least three consecutive months and takes 10 or more hours a week of courses or work, and the institution decides whether a student counts as full-time. A student with a disability can enrol part-time if a qualified professional signs a letter or the student is entitled to the disability amount on line 31600 for that year. If the student is not enrolled yet, a written offer from a designated institution is enough, even if it is conditional, but the student must enrol before March of the year after the withdrawal. Locked-in RRSPs cannot be used.
How do you make a withdrawal?
You fill in Part 1 of Form RC96, one form for each withdrawal, and give it to your RRSP issuer, who completes Part 2. No tax is withheld on amounts within the limits, and the issuer gives you a T4RSP showing the withdrawal. The Home Buyers’ Plan is a separate program with its own forms, covered in Home Buyers’ Plan repayment. Every year from the first withdrawal until the balance is repaid or included in income, you must file a return and attach Schedule 7. Tick box 26400 if your spouse or partner is the student.
Mind the 90-day rule. A contribution has to stay in your RRSP for 90 days before you deduct it. If you put money in within the 89 days before a withdrawal, part of it may never be deductible. Where the RRSP is worth less than those contributions right after the withdrawal, the shortfall is the non-deductible amount. If the student leaves before April and at least 75% of tuition is refundable, you must cancel the withdrawal using Form RC97.
When do repayments start and how much is due each year?
The repayment period is 10 years. The first year’s amount is one tenth of the total you withdrew. After that, the CRA divides your remaining balance by the years left in the period. Each year the CRA checks whether the student was a qualifying student for at least three months. If the student misses that test two years in a row, repayment starts in the second of those two years. If the student qualifies every year, it starts in the fifth year after your first withdrawal, which is the latest possible start.
| Year | What happens in the example below | Amount due |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | First withdrawal, $10,000, student enrolled full-time | Nothing |
| 2027 | Second withdrawal, $10,000, still a full-time student | Nothing |
| 2028 | Student finished, no qualifying months | Nothing |
| 2029 | Second year in a row without a qualifying student, so repayment starts | $2,000 |
| 2030 to 2038 | Balance divided by the years left | $2,000 a year |
You designate each repayment on Schedule 7. Contributions made during the repayment year or in the first 60 days of the next one count. The contributions have to go to your RRSP, PRPP or SPP, and they are not deductible, so they are separate from your normal RRSP deduction. Payments made early reduce the first amount due. You can see the balance and the next amount on your LLP statement of account, which comes with your notice of assessment and in your CRA account.
What happens if you miss a repayment?
The shortfall is added to your income for that year on line 12900. The LLP balance then drops by both the amount you paid and the amount included in income, and the next year’s required payment is recalculated from what is left. Bankruptcy does not cancel repayments. The plan also speeds up in some cases: if you become a non-resident, you either repay or include the balance in income, and when you die the legal representative usually includes the balance in your final return, unless your spouse or partner elects on Form RC98 to take over the repayments.
What does a worked example look like?
Dana earns $60,000 in Ontario and starts a two-year full-time program. She withdraws $10,000 in 2026 and $10,000 in 2027, the full $20,000, with no tax withheld. The table shows her repayments starting in 2029 at $20,000 / 10 = $2,000 a year. Say she forgets the 2029 payment. Then $2,000 lands on line 12900. Using our tax engine on 2026 rules, her combined marginal rate at that income is 29.65%, so the bill would be about $2,000 x 29.65% = $593. That is our estimate, not a CRA figure, and tax rates for 2029 are not known. To test your own income, use the marginal tax rate calculator, or the RRSP calculator to see the room you give up.
What could change?
The CRA pages checked on 31 October 2026 show the $10,000 and $20,000 limits and announce no change to them. The 2027 RRSP dollar limit of $35,390 is a separate number and does not alter the LLP caps; read RRSP contribution limit 2027 for it. Official pages: Canada Revenue Agency: LLP withdrawals and Canada Revenue Agency: Repayments to your RRSP under the LLP.
Where does this information come from?
Rules come from the Canada Revenue Agency Lifelong Learning Plan pages: Participating in the LLP, LLP withdrawals, Repayments to your RRSP under the LLP, and the LLP definitions page. Checked on 31 October 2026. This is an independent information site: we provide no services, we do not represent the CRA or any organization, we collect information from open sources, and we do not guarantee that anything here is accurate or current. We accept no liability for decisions based on it. Check the official source before you rely on it. See the full disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I withdraw from my RRSP under the Lifelong Learning Plan?
You can withdraw up to $10,000 per calendar year and $20,000 in total during a participation period. Amounts above the annual limit are included in your income for the year you take them, and the issuer withholds tax on that excess. Locked-in RRSPs cannot be used.
How long do I have to repay the Lifelong Learning Plan?
The repayment period is generally 10 years. You repay one tenth of the total withdrawn each year into your RRSP, PRPP or SPP and designate it on Schedule 7. Repayment starts no later than the fifth year after your first withdrawal, and earlier if the student stops qualifying.
What happens if I do not make a Lifelong Learning Plan repayment?
The amount you missed is added to your income for that year on line 12900. Your LLP balance is reduced by the amount included, and the CRA recalculates the next required repayment from the remaining balance and remaining years.
Can I use the Lifelong Learning Plan for my child's education?
No. The student can be you or your spouse or common-law partner, but not your child or your spouse's child. The student must be enrolled full-time in a qualifying program at a designated educational institution, unless a disability allows part-time study.
Which form do I use to withdraw under the Lifelong Learning Plan?
Use Form RC96, one for each withdrawal. You complete Part 1 and your RRSP issuer completes Part 2. Each year until the balance is repaid you attach Schedule 7 to your return. To cancel a withdrawal, the CRA form is RC97.
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