FAFSA state deadlines for 2027–28
Last updated October 2026 · By The Scholarly team
For 2027–28, state FAFSA deadlines run from "as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026" in states that hand out grants until the money runs out, to hard dates in early 2027 such as Texas (Jan. 15, 2027 priority), Missouri (Feb. 1, 2027 priority), Connecticut (Feb. 15, 2027 priority) and California (March 2, 2027). The table below reproduces the official list printed on the 2027–28 FAFSA form from Federal Student Aid. Your college's own deadline may be earlier than your state's, so check both.
How to read this list
Three kinds of entries show up, and they mean different things:
- A specific date (Delaware, May 15, 2027) is a real cutoff. Unless the entry says "postmarked" or "processed," the date is when the FAFSA must be received.
- "For priority consideration" means you can file later, but students who file by that date are first in line. When money is tight, the line is the whole game.
- "As soon as possible after Oct. 1" or "awards made while funds exist" means first come, first served. Filing in October versus March can be the difference between a state grant and nothing.
"Check with your financial aid office" means the state doesn't publish one statewide date. Each college sets its own, and those are often in February or March for fall enrollment.
2027–28 FAFSA deadlines by state
Source: the 2027–28 FAFSA form published by Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education (page 2). Wording is condensed slightly; dates are unchanged. Where a state has a separate application, that's noted as "more forms may be required."
| State | 2027–28 deadline |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Check with your financial aid office. |
| Alaska | Alaska Education Grant: as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026; awards made while funds exist. Alaska Performance Scholarship: for priority consideration, submit by June 30, 2027; awards made while funds exist. |
| American Samoa | Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| Arizona | Arizona Promise Program: for priority consideration, submit by April 1, 2027. |
| Arkansas | Academic Challenge: July 1, 2027. Governor’s Scholars Program: Distinguished, March 1, 2027; Non-Distinguished, July 1, 2027. ArFuture Grant: fall term, July 1, 2027; spring term, Jan. 10, 2028. |
| California | For many state financial aid programs: March 2, 2027 (date postmarked). Cal Grant also requires a school-certified GPA by March 2, 2027. Additional community college Cal Grants: Sept. 2, 2027 (date postmarked). Students without a Social Security card, or with one issued through DACA, use the California Dream Act Application. |
| Colorado | Check with your financial aid office. |
| Connecticut | For priority consideration, submit by Feb. 15, 2027. Check with your financial aid office or state agency. More forms may be required. |
| Delaware | May 15, 2027 |
| District of Columbia | For priority consideration, submit by June 25, 2027. DC Tuition Assistance Grant: for priority consideration, submit the DC OneApp and supporting documents by July 1, 2027. |
| Federated States of Micronesia | Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| Florida | May 15, 2027 (date processed). Check with your financial aid office. |
| Georgia | As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| Guam | Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| Hawaii | Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| Idaho | Opportunity Scholarship: submit by March 1, 2027. Check with your financial aid office or state agency. More forms may be required. |
| Illinois | As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Monetary Award Program (MAP): awards made while funds exist. |
| Indiana | Frank O’Bannon Grant, 21st Century Scholarship, Workforce Ready Grant, and Adult Student Grant: April 15, 2027. |
| Iowa | July 1, 2027; earlier priority deadlines may exist for certain programs. More forms may be required. |
| Kansas | For priority consideration, submit by April 1, 2027. Check with your financial aid office or state agency. More forms may be required. |
| Kentucky | As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Awards made while funds exist. |
| Louisiana | July 1, 2028 (Feb. 1, 2027, recommended). |
| Maine | May 1, 2027 |
| Marshall Islands | As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. |
| Maryland | Howard P. Rawlings Educational Excellence Awards (EEA): March 1, 2027. |
| Massachusetts | For priority consideration, submit by May 1, 2027. |
| Michigan | Michigan Competitive Scholarship and Michigan Tuition Grant: for priority consideration, submit by July 1, 2027. |
| Minnesota | State Grant: by the 30th day of the term. North Star Promise: for priority consideration, submit by June 1, 2027. All other aid: check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| Mississippi | MTAG and MESG Grants: Oct. 15, 2027. HELP Grant: April 30, 2027. |
| Missouri | For priority consideration, submit by Feb. 1, 2027. Applications accepted through April 1, 2027. |
| Montana | For priority consideration, submit as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| Nebraska | Check with your financial aid office. |
| Nevada | Silver State Opportunity Grant: as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026; awards made while funds exist. Nevada Promise Scholarship: April 1, 2027; more forms may be required; awards made while funds exist. All other aid: check with your financial aid office. |
| New Hampshire | Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| New Jersey | Renewal applicants (2026–27 Tuition Aid Grant recipients): April 15, 2027. All other applicants: fall and spring terms, Sept. 15, 2027; spring term only, Feb. 15, 2028. |
| New Mexico | Check with your financial aid office. |
| New York | June 30, 2028. More forms may be required. |
| North Carolina | For priority consideration, submit by June 1, 2027, if attending a UNC System institution or community college. Submit as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026, if attending a private institution. Awards made while funds exist. |
| North Dakota | As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Awards made while funds exist. |
| Northern Mariana Islands | For priority consideration, submit as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. More forms may be required. |
| Ohio | Oct. 1, 2027 |
| Oklahoma | Check with your financial aid office. |
| Oregon | Oregon Opportunity Grant: as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026; awards made while funds exist. OSAC Private Scholarships: March 1, 2027. Oregon Promise Grant and other state grants: contact state agency. More forms may be required. |
| Palau | Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| Pennsylvania | First-time applicants enrolled in a community college, business/trade/technical school, hospital school of nursing, designated Pennsylvania open-admission institution, or nontransferable two-year program: Aug. 1, 2027. All other applicants: May 1, 2027. More forms may be required. |
| Puerto Rico | Check with your financial aid office. |
| Rhode Island | Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| South Carolina | SC Commission on Higher Education Need-based Grants: first come, first served; awards made while funds exist. SC Tuition Grants: Aug. 1, 2027, for SC independent institutions only. |
| South Dakota | Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| Tennessee | State Grant: prior-year recipients receive an award if eligible and they apply by April 1, 2027; all other awards made first come, first served while funds exist. Tennessee Promise: April 1, 2027. State Lottery: fall term, Sept. 1, 2027; spring term, March 1, 2028; summer term, May 1, 2028. |
| Texas | For priority consideration, submit by Jan. 15, 2027. More forms may be required. Private and two-year institutions may have different deadlines; check with your financial aid office. |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
| Utah | Check with your financial aid office. Awards made while funds exist. More forms may be required. |
| Vermont | As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Awards made while funds exist. More forms may be required. |
| Virginia | As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Deadlines vary by institution; check with your financial aid office. Students ineligible for federal aid who meet state aid and residency requirements can complete the Virginia Alternative State Aid Application. |
| Washington | As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026. Funds available year round, and all eligible students will be awarded. Check with your financial aid office. |
| West Virginia | Promise Scholarship: March 1, 2027; new applicants must submit an additional form. WV Higher Education Grant: April 15, 2027. WV Invests Grant: for priority consideration, submit by April 15, 2027. |
| Wisconsin | Check with your financial aid office. |
| Wyoming | Check with your financial aid office. More forms may be required. |
Your college's deadline matters more
State money is only part of an aid package. At many four-year colleges, especially private ones, the largest grant you'll receive comes from the school itself, and schools set their own FAFSA priority dates. A college with a February 1 priority date in a state with no statewide deadline still expects your FAFSA by February 1. If you're applying early decision or early action, the aid deadline is often in November.
Build a short list: each college, its FAFSA priority date, whether it also requires the CSS Profile, and its date for that. Then file the FAFSA before the earliest date on the list. For most seniors that means filing in October or November.
Filing late? What still works
Missing a state priority date doesn't end your chances. You stay eligible for a Pell Grant and federal loans through the federal deadline of June 30, 2028, and many states still award money to late filers if funds remain. File anyway, then call the college's aid office and ask what you're still eligible for. Many schools also reserve some grant money for students whose circumstances change during the year.
New to the form? Start with our 2027–28 FAFSA guide for what you need and who counts as a contributor.
Common questions
What is the earliest state FAFSA deadline for 2027–28?
Several states tell students to file as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026 and award grants while funds last, including Illinois, Kentucky, North Dakota, Vermont, and Washington. Among fixed dates, Texas has the earliest priority date at Jan. 15, 2027.
What is the California FAFSA deadline for 2027–28?
March 2, 2027 (date postmarked) for many state programs, including Cal Grant, which also requires a school-certified GPA by that date. Additional community college Cal Grants have a Sept. 2, 2027 deadline.
What is the Texas FAFSA deadline for 2027–28?
Texas lists Jan. 15, 2027 for priority consideration. Private and two-year colleges may set different deadlines.
Is the state deadline the same as my college's deadline?
No. Colleges set their own priority dates for institutional aid, and they are often earlier than the state date. Check every school's financial aid page and file before the earliest one.
What happens if I miss my state's FAFSA deadline?
You can still file and receive federal aid such as the Pell Grant until June 30, 2028. You may lose priority for state grants, but some states and colleges still award late filers if money remains.
Sources
- 2027–28 FAFSA Form (PDF), page 2: “2027–28 FAFSA Deadlines”, Federal Student Aid The official state list reproduced in the table.
- FAFSA deadlines, StudentAid.gov The same list online; it can change during the year.
- California Student Aid Commission