2027-28 FAFSA Is Open: Deadlines, Checklist, and What's New for Fall 2027
The 2027-28 FAFSA opened to every family on September 23, 2026, more than a week earlier than required by law, and for the Class of 2027 it is the one form that unlocks federal grants, state aid, and most college scholarships.
If your student is a high school senior starting college in fall 2027, this is the form to file this fall, and it also determines eligibility for work-study and federal student loans. This guide covers the key dates, what to gather before you start, how the filing process works step by step, and the rule changes that matter most for families this year.
📅 Key 2027-28 FAFSA Dates
The federal deadline is far away, but it is not the deadline that matters most. State grant programs and colleges set their own dates, and many of them are much earlier. Some states award grant money on a first-come, first-served basis until funds run out, which means the date you file can directly affect how much aid you receive.
| Date | What Happens | Who It Affects |
|---|---|---|
| September 23, 2026 | 2027-28 FAFSA opened to the general public | All students starting or continuing college in 2027-28 |
| October 1, 2026 | CSS Profile opens for the 2027-28 year | Students applying to private colleges that require it |
| November 2026 | Many Early Decision and Early Action financial aid priority dates | Early applicants (check each school) |
| January 15, 2027 | Texas priority date for state aid | Texas residents |
| March 2, 2027 | California deadline for many state aid programs, including Cal Grant (school-certified GPA also due) | California residents |
| September 2, 2027 | Additional California Community College Cal Grant deadline | California community college students |
| June 30, 2028 | Final federal deadline to submit the 2027-28 FAFSA | All applicants |
| September 12, 2028 | Last day to make corrections or updates | All applicants |
📋 What to Gather Before You Start
Having everything ready before you log in turns the FAFSA from a stressful multi-night project into a single sitting. The Department of Education says most applicants can finish the form in about 15 minutes once their information is in hand.
| Item | Why You Need It |
|---|---|
| StudentAid.gov account for the student | The student starts the FAFSA and signs it with their own account (formerly called the FSA ID) |
| StudentAid.gov account for each contributor | Every parent or spouse whose information is required must have their own account. Identity verification for a new account can take up to three days, so create accounts now |
| Social Security numbers | Needed for the student and contributors. A parent without an SSN can still create an account and contribute |
| 2025 federal tax returns | The 2027-28 FAFSA uses 2025 income. Most tax data is transferred directly from the IRS once you give consent, but keep your return nearby in case you need to answer additional questions |
| Current asset balances | Cash, savings, checking, and investment balances as of the day you file (retirement accounts are not reported) |
| Child support received | Child support received is reported as an asset on the current FAFSA |
| List of colleges | You can send your FAFSA to up to 20 schools. Include every school your student is seriously considering, even ones you think are out of reach |
✍️ How to File the 2027-28 FAFSA, Step by Step
Step 1: The student starts the form
The student logs in at StudentAid.gov and begins the 2027-28 FAFSA. The student answers questions about their own information, dependency status, and the colleges that should receive the results.
Step 2: The student invites contributors
If parent information is required, the student invites each contributor from inside the form. For 2027-28, contributors can join the student's FAFSA with a simple code. Being a contributor only means providing information. It does not make a parent legally responsible for paying tuition.
Step 3: Identify the correct parent
For students whose parents are divorced or separated and do not live together, the parent who provided more financial support to the student over the past 12 months is the one who completes the FAFSA. This is not necessarily the parent the student lives with. If that parent has remarried, the stepparent's information is also required. If both parents provided equal support, the parent with the higher income completes the form.
Step 4: Each contributor provides consent
Every contributor must give consent for the IRS to transfer federal tax information into the FAFSA. This step is required even for a parent who did not file a tax return. If a required contributor does not provide consent, the student will not be eligible for federal aid, so make sure no one skips this screen.
Step 5: Review, sign, and submit
Once all sections are complete, the student and every contributor sign electronically. The Department says most 2027-28 forms process right away, with some taking one to three days, and many students can now see their Pell Grant eligibility and estimated federal aid in real time.
Step 6: Read your FAFSA Submission Summary
After processing, you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary showing the Student Aid Index (SAI). Check it carefully for errors. You can correct mistakes online through September 12, 2028, but fixing errors early keeps your aid offers on schedule.
📬 What Happens After You Submit
Submitting the FAFSA is the beginning of the financial aid process, not the end. Here is how the rest of the year typically unfolds for a student starting college in fall 2027.
| Stage | Typical Timing | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Processing | Immediately to a few days after submission | You receive your FAFSA Submission Summary with your Student Aid Index. The results are sent automatically to every college you listed and to your state aid agency |
| Extra requests | Fall through spring | Some colleges also require the CSS Profile or their own forms. A student may be selected for verification, which means the college asks for documents to confirm the information on the FAFSA. Being selected does not mean you did anything wrong, but you should respond quickly |
| Financial aid offers | With or shortly after each admission decision | Each college sends a financial aid offer. Early Decision and Early Action admits often receive offers from December through February, and Regular Decision admits usually receive them in March or April |
| Compare and appeal | March through April | Compare offers by separating grants and scholarships, which do not need to be repaid, from loans, which do. If your finances changed or another school offered more, you can ask a college's financial aid office to review your offer |
| Decide | By May 1 at most colleges | Your student commits to one college and accepts or declines each part of the aid offer. You can accept a smaller loan amount or decline loans entirely |
| Loan paperwork | Summer before college | First-time federal student loan borrowers complete entrance counseling and sign a Master Promissory Note |
| Disbursement | Around the start of each term | Aid is paid to the college, not to the family. The college applies it to tuition, fees, and housing first, then refunds any remaining balance to the student |
🆕 What Changed: Rules That Affect Your Aid This Year
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed in 2025, changed several financial aid rules that took effect with the 2026-27 award year and carry forward into 2027-28. Families who filed last year or who are comparing their results to older advice should pay close attention to these changes.
| Change | What It Means for Families |
|---|---|
| Family business and farm assets excluded | The net worth of a family-owned small business with 100 or fewer full-time equivalent employees, a family farm the family lives on, and a family-owned commercial fishing business is no longer reported as an asset. Income from these businesses is still reported. This can lower the SAI for self-employed and farm families |
| New Pell Grant ceiling | A student whose SAI is equal to or greater than twice the maximum Pell Grant is not eligible for any Pell Grant. For 2026-27, the maximum Pell Grant was $7,395, so the cutoff was an SAI of $14,790. The 2027-28 maximum Pell amount has not yet been announced |
| Full-cost scholarship rule | Students whose non-federal grants and scholarships already cover their full cost of attendance are not eligible for a Pell Grant |
| Parent PLUS loan caps | For new borrowers after July 1, 2026, Parent PLUS loans are limited to $20,000 per year and $65,000 total per dependent student. Before this change, parents could borrow up to the full cost of attendance minus other aid |
| Parent PLUS repayment | New Parent PLUS loans made on or after July 1, 2026 must use the Standard Repayment Plan and are not eligible for the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) |
Rules from the FAFSA redesign that still apply
Some changes from the FAFSA Simplification Act are now a few years old but still catch families by surprise. The Student Aid Index (SAI) replaced the old Expected Family Contribution (EFC), and it can go as low as negative $1,500 for students with the highest need. The number of family members in college no longer lowers the SAI the way it once did. Distributions from a 529 plan owned by a grandparent are no longer counted as student income, which makes grandparent-owned 529 plans much more FAFSA-friendly than they used to be.
📝 FAFSA vs. CSS Profile: Do You Need Both?
The FAFSA is free and determines federal aid plus most state and public college aid. The CSS Profile is a separate application run by the College Board that many private colleges use to award their own institutional grants. The CSS Profile asks for more detail, including home equity at many schools and information from both parents in some divorced-family situations.
| FAFSA | CSS Profile | |
|---|---|---|
| Opens | September 23, 2026 (for 2027-28) | October 1, 2026 |
| Used for | Federal, state, and most public college aid | Institutional aid at participating private colleges |
| Cost | Free | Fee per school (fee waivers available for eligible students) |
| Who needs it | Nearly every college applicant | Only students applying to schools that require it |
⚠️ Common FAFSA Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | How to Avoid It |
|---|---|
| Waiting until spring | State grant money can run out. File as early as you can once your information is ready |
| Choosing the wrong parent | Use the parent who provided more financial support in the last 12 months, not automatically the parent the student lives with |
| Skipping contributor consent | Without consent from every required contributor, the student cannot receive federal aid |
| Reporting retirement accounts or the family home | Neither is reported as an asset on the FAFSA. Reporting them can wrongly raise your SAI |
| Reporting an excluded family business | A qualifying family business with 100 or fewer employees is no longer reported as an asset |
| Listing too few colleges | You can list up to 20 schools, and adding more later is easy. Include every school on the application list |
| Assuming you earn too much | There is no income cutoff for filing. Many colleges require the FAFSA for merit scholarships and even for unsubsidized federal loans |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 2027-28 FAFSA open right now?
Yes. The Department of Education opened the 2027-28 FAFSA to all students and contributors on September 23, 2026. If your student submitted the form during the beta testing period, that submission counts and does not need to be repeated.
What tax year does the 2027-28 FAFSA use?
It uses 2025 federal tax information. Because the IRS transfers most of this data directly, families generally do not need to wait for any new tax filing to complete the form.
Is there an income limit for filing the FAFSA?
No. Any student can file, and there is no income limit on the form itself. Eligibility for specific programs such as the Pell Grant depends on the Student Aid Index, but families of all income levels should file because many colleges use the FAFSA for their own aid and for unsubsidized federal loans.
How many colleges can I send my FAFSA to?
You can list up to 20 colleges on the 2027-28 FAFSA. If your student applies to more than 20 schools, you can remove schools that have already received the information and add new ones.
Do both divorced parents need to fill out the FAFSA?
No. Only the parent who provided more financial support over the last 12 months completes the FAFSA, along with a stepparent if that parent is married. Some private colleges that use the CSS Profile may request information from the other parent as well.
What happens if I make a mistake?
You can log in and correct or update your 2027-28 FAFSA through September 12, 2028. Correcting errors quickly helps prevent delays in your aid offers.
The 2027-28 FAFSA opened earlier than ever, and the families who benefit most will be the ones who act this fall instead of waiting for spring. Create your StudentAid.gov accounts, gather your 2025 tax information, confirm your state deadline, and submit the form with every college on your list. Then use the aid offers you receive to make a clear, informed decision.
Keep planning with our list of Colleges That Give the Most Financial Aid 2026-2027, our Complete Scholarship Guide for High School Students 2026-2027, our Early Decision vs Early Action Strategy Guide, and our look at why College Admissions 2026 is the most competitive year in history. You can find every financial aid article in our Financial Aid collection, or return to the CramBookNotes home page.
StudentAid.gov: Start the 2027-28 FAFSA
StudentAid.gov: Federal and State FAFSA Deadlines
StudentAid.gov: Federal Student Aid Estimator
College Board: CSS Profile
Dates, deadlines, and program rules in this guide are based on U.S. Department of Education and Federal Student Aid announcements, the official 2027-28 FAFSA form, and college financial aid office guidance as of September 28, 2026. State deadlines and award amounts can change, and the 2027-28 maximum Pell Grant has not yet been announced. Always confirm details on StudentAid.gov and with each college's financial aid office.
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