FAFSA 2027–28 Guide: Documents, Deadlines and How to Apply

The 2027–28 FAFSA is open now, having launched on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 — the earliest start in the program’s history — and it stays open through a federal deadline of June 30, 2028. The form itself changed too: it’s shorter, shows a good chunk of your aid eligibility right after you submit, and makes it easier to bring a parent or spouse into the process. Here’s what to have on hand, when the deadlines that actually matter fall, and how the new version works.

When did the 2027–28 FAFSA open, and why does that matter?

The 2027–28 FAFSA became available to the general public on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, eight days ahead of the congressionally required October 1 opening date, according to the Department of Education’s launch announcement. That makes it the earliest the annual form has ever gone live, edging out the previous record — set just one year earlier, when the 2026–27 form opened on September 24, 2025 — by a single day. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said the early launch is meant to give families more runway to apply before school and state deadlines hit. The form covers the academic year running from July 2027 through June 2028. Anyone who already submitted the form during this year’s limited beta test does not need to file again; that submission counts.

What’s actually new on this year’s form?

The 2027–28 FAFSA keeps the shorter question set introduced under the FAFSA Simplification Act and adds a few process fixes on top of it. The form runs to roughly 30 to 40 questions depending on how you answer, down from more than 100 before simplification, and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators estimates most applicants finish in about 10 to 20 minutes. Once you submit, the form shows your Student Aid Index and federal Pell Grant eligibility almost immediately, instead of the multi-day wait families were used to. Bringing a parent or spouse in to contribute is also simpler: the department added the option to invite them by text message, on top of the existing email invite, and applicants no longer have to enter a parent’s Social Security number up front just to send that invitation. Separately, the department says it plans to roll out a feature later this fall that pre-fills parts of the form for returning families based on a prior submission — that piece was not yet live at launch.

What documents should I gather before I start?

You don’t need every document below in hand to begin the FAFSA, but pulling them together first will make the process faster. For most applicants, that means: your Social Security number and FSA ID login; your parents’ Social Security numbers if you’re a dependent student; 2025 federal tax return information (most of this now transfers automatically from the IRS, so you often won’t need the paper forms); current checking and savings balances; the value of any nonretirement investments, businesses, or farms; and records of untaxed income, such as child support received. Because the form pulls 2025 tax data directly from the IRS, you don’t need to wait for 2026 taxes to be filed before applying.

When is the actual FAFSA deadline for 2027–28?

The federal deadline to submit the 2027–28 FAFSA is 11:59 p.m. Central time on June 30, 2028, and any corrections or updates are due by 11:59 p.m. Central time on September 12, 2028, according to Federal Student Aid’s official deadlines page. That gives applicants close to two full years to file, but it’s a last resort, not a target — it mainly exists so students can still access federal student loans late in the cycle. It is not the deadline that determines whether a student gets a state grant, a college scholarship, or a work-study slot.

Do states and colleges have earlier deadlines?

Yes, and for most families the state or school deadline matters far more than the federal one, because a lot of state and college aid runs out on a first-come, first-served basis. Every state sets its own priority date, and they vary widely, so it’s worth checking directly with the relevant state agency rather than assuming a neighboring state’s deadline applies. A few examples, drawn from Federal Student Aid’s own state-by-state deadline listing:

North Carolina’s date above covers UNC System schools and community colleges; the state’s private colleges instead recommend filing as soon as possible after October 1, 2026, since that aid is awarded until funds run out. A number of other states use that same “apply as soon as possible” first-come, first-served approach rather than a fixed date. Colleges and trade schools can also set their own deadlines on top of any state one, so it’s worth confirming directly with each school’s financial aid office.

Who can file, and what if a parent doesn’t have a Social Security number?

Most U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens can file the FAFSA, and the form now has a smoother path for students or parents who don’t have a Social Security number rather than turning them away at the start. Citizens of the Freely Associated States — the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau — can still apply and are issued an identification number in place of an SSN. A parent or spouse without one can also create their own account by simply indicating they don’t have one, rather than being blocked from contributing. Students without legal immigration status, including DACA recipients, remain ineligible for federal student aid, though they may still qualify for state or college aid depending on where they live; a parent’s or spouse’s immigration status does not by itself affect a student’s own eligibility.

How do I actually apply?

Start by creating an account at the official Federal Student Aid website, since both the student and any required contributor — a parent or spouse — need their own separate login before the form can be submitted. From there, select “Start New Form,” choose the 2027–28 form, and log in as either the student or, if a parent is starting things on behalf of a dependent child, as the parent. The form can be completed without any documents in hand, but having the records listed above nearby will keep you from having to stop and search partway through.

Filing early doesn’t just protect a spot in first-come, first-served state and school aid — it also means any FSA ID or account issues surface while there’s still time to fix them. If you’re weighing when to sit down and do this, the honest answer is: as soon as you and any required parent or spouse can get your accounts set up.