2027–28 FAFSA guide: when it opens, deadlines, and what you need
Last updated October 2026 · By The Scholarly team
The 2027–28 FAFSA opened to all applicants on September 23, 2026, a week ahead of the October 1 date federal law sets. The federal deadline is June 30, 2028, but that date is almost irrelevant: many states and colleges give out their money months earlier, and some award it first come, first served. The form asks for 2025 tax information, and you and each parent who has to contribute need your own StudentAid.gov account. File this fall.
Who should file the 2027–28 FAFSA
Anyone who will be in college between July 1, 2027 and June 30, 2028 and wants any kind of aid. That means high school seniors graduating in spring 2027, current college students (you file again every year), and graduate students. It is the application for Pell Grants, federal work-study, and federal student loans, and most states and colleges use it for their own grants too.
File even if you think your family earns too much. Plenty of colleges won't consider you for their own need-based grants, and some won't even consider you for merit money, without a FAFSA on record. Federal Direct Loans for students also require it. It costs nothing, so the only downside is about an hour of your time.
Why the federal deadline is the wrong one to watch
The FAFSA has three layers of deadlines, and the one printed in big letters is the latest of them:
- Federal: June 30, 2028. You can still get a Pell Grant if you file in spring 2028, as long as your school has your correct, complete information before your last day of enrollment that year.
- State: Varies a lot. Some states set a hard date in winter or spring 2027. Others, including Illinois, Kentucky, North Dakota and Vermont, say "as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026" and give awards only while funds last.
- College: Each school sets its own priority date for institutional aid. At selective private colleges this is often in November for early applicants and January to March for regular applicants. Check each school's financial aid page.
Filing in October or November doesn't make the form harder. Your 2025 taxes are already done, so there is nothing to wait for.
What you need before you start
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| StudentAid.gov account (FSA ID) | Required for the student and for every contributor. Each person makes their own with their own email and phone number. New accounts need identity verification, so set them up a few days early. |
| Social Security number | For the student and contributors who have one. Parents without one can still create an account and contribute. |
| 2025 federal tax return info | The 2027–28 form uses tax year 2025 (the "prior-prior" year). Most of it transfers directly from the IRS once each contributor gives consent. |
| Current balances of assets | Cash, savings and checking as of the day you file, plus investments and, for some families, business or farm net worth. Retirement accounts and the home you live in are not reported. |
| List of colleges | You can list up to 20 schools online (10 on paper). Add every school you might attend, including ones you haven't heard from yet. |
| Records of untaxed benefits | The form asks whether anyone in the family received certain federal benefits in 2025 or 2026. |
Contributors: who has to provide information
"Contributor" is the FAFSA's word for anyone besides the student who has to provide information and consent. For a dependent student that is a parent, and sometimes that parent's spouse.
- Are you dependent? For 2027–28, you are generally a dependent student if you were born after 2003, are unmarried, are an undergraduate, and none of the special situations on the form apply (such as being a veteran, a ward of the court, or having children you support). Dependent students must include a parent.
- Divorced or separated parents: report the parent who provided more financial support over the past 12 months, even if you don't live with that parent. If support was exactly equal, use the parent with the greater income and assets.
- Remarried parent: that parent's spouse is included too. If they filed 2025 taxes jointly, one contributor covers both; if they filed separately, the spouse is invited as a second contributor.
- Not parents: grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and legal guardians do not count, even if you live with them.
Every contributor has to consent to the IRS transferring their federal tax information. If any required person refuses, the student is not eligible for federal aid. This is the step that most often leaves a FAFSA stuck as incomplete, so ask your parent to finish their part the same day you invite them.
How to file, step by step
- Create StudentAid.gov accounts for the student and each contributor.
- Start the 2027–28 FAFSA at fafsa.gov, logged in as the student. Answer the student questions and list your colleges.
- Invite your contributors by email. They log in with their own account and complete their section.
- Each person consents to the IRS data transfer and signs.
- Submit, then read your FAFSA Submission Summary when it arrives. Check every school code and dollar figure, and fix mistakes right away.
The Student Aid Index, in plain terms
The FAFSA produces one number: the Student Aid Index, or SAI. It is a measure of your family's ability to pay, built from income, assets, family size, and taxes paid. Colleges subtract it from their cost of attendance to calculate your financial need.
The SAI ranges from −1,500 to 999,999. A lower number means more need. If a dependent student's parents (or an independent student) didn't file a 2025 federal tax return, the SAI is set to −1,500 automatically. An SAI of 0 is not a promise that college will be free; it means you are likely eligible for the maximum Pell Grant, and the rest depends on what each college decides to give.
The SAI is not a bill and it is not what you will pay. Two colleges with the same SAI on file can produce very different offers, which is why it pays to apply widely and compare.
Common mistakes we see every year
- Waiting until spring. The most expensive mistake on this list. State grant money in first-come states can run out.
- Picking the wrong parent. It's the parent who provided more financial support, not the one you live with.
- Listing only one or two schools. Schools you don't list never see your FAFSA. You can add more later, but add them now.
- Letting the parent section sit. A FAFSA without contributor consent isn't complete and won't get an SAI.
- Paying someone to file. The FAFSA is free. Paid preparers are prohibited from completing the form for you, and sites that charge you to "submit" it are not the official form.
- Forgetting to renew. You file a new FAFSA for every year of college. Returning students get prefilled information, so renewal is faster.
Once your aid offers arrive, outside scholarships can change the picture. Read how outside scholarships affect financial aid before you report any, and see the CSS Profile guide if one of your schools asks for it too.
Common questions
When does the 2027–28 FAFSA open?
It is already open. The Department of Education released the 2027–28 FAFSA to the public on September 23, 2026, ahead of the October 1 date required by law.
What is the deadline for the 2027–28 FAFSA?
The federal deadline is June 30, 2028. State and college deadlines are much earlier, often between October 2026 and spring 2027, so file as soon as you can.
Which tax year does the 2027–28 FAFSA use?
Tax year 2025. The FAFSA uses "prior-prior year" income, so families can file in the fall without waiting for the next tax season.
Do my parents need their own FSA ID?
Yes, if they are contributors. Each parent who must provide information needs their own StudentAid.gov account with their own email address. A parent cannot use the student's account.
Do I have to file the FAFSA every year?
Yes. Aid is awarded one year at a time, so you file a new FAFSA for each year of college. Renewal is quicker because much of your information carries over.
What is a good Student Aid Index?
There is no "good" SAI. Lower means more financial need, and the range runs from −1,500 to 999,999. An SAI at or near zero usually signals eligibility for the maximum Pell Grant.
Sources
- 2027–28 FAFSA Form (PDF), Federal Student Aid Deadlines, 2025 tax year, contributors, consent, school list limits.
- (APP-26-10) 2027–28 FAFSA Beta Testing Plan, updated Sept. 23, 2026 Confirms the form went live to the general public.
- 2027–28 Student Aid Index and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide (PDF) SAI range of −1,500 to 999,999.
- FAFSA deadlines, StudentAid.gov
- Create a StudentAid.gov account, StudentAid.gov