The 2027–28 FAFSA form is available now
The 2027–28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid is available for students seeking aid for college or career or trade school attendance from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2028. Students who successfully submitted during the official early testing period do not need to file the same form again.
FAFSA is an application, not an aid offer. Filing does not promise a grant, scholarship, loan amount, admission, or funding from a particular school.
Prepare the student and contributor accounts
A dependent student will usually need to invite at least one parent as a contributor. The parent or spouse who is required to contribute must use their own StudentAid.gov account to access, complete and sign their section; families should not share one account.
The form uses 2025 tax information for the 2027–28 award year. If the family’s financial circumstances have changed substantially, the student should still submit the FAFSA and then contact the financial aid office of the college or career school about the special circumstances.
Choose the institutions that should receive the form
Students select the postsecondary schools that should receive their processed FAFSA information. Federal School Codes uniquely identify participating institutions, and the Department of Education publishes a searchable list and an updated spreadsheet.
Families should verify the institution and location rather than relying on a familiar name alone. Schools can be added or removed later through a correction after the form is processed.
Deadlines are not all the same
The federal deadline for the 2027–28 FAFSA is June 30, 2028, but states, colleges and career or trade schools may set much earlier deadlines. Students should check the official state deadline and each institution’s financial aid page instead of treating the federal date as the only deadline.
Submitting early can help where funds are limited, but it still does not guarantee eligibility or an award.
Review the FAFSA Submission Summary
Most forms are processed immediately, although some take one to three days. After processing, the student should review the FAFSA Submission Summary for answers, selected schools, estimated eligibility and any requested correction or missing signature.
The summary is not a financial aid offer. A financial aid offer comes later from a school that has admitted the student, subject to its own review and requirements.
