You can apply for FAFSA starting October 1 each year for the academic year that begins the following fall, and you have until June 30 at the end of that award year to submit it. For the 2026–27 school year, the form opened on October 1, 2025, and the federal deadline is 11:59 p.m. Central Time on June 30, 2027.1Federal Student Aid. FAFSA Application Deadlines Those nine months are not a window to relax into. State grant pools and college aid budgets are handed out first-come, first-served at many schools, so filing in October rather than March can be the difference between a grant package and a loan package.
When the FAFSA Opens Each Year
The FAFSA becomes available on October 1 for the academic year starting the next fall. If you are planning to attend school during 2027–28, you can file starting October 1, 2026.2Federal Student Aid. 2026-27 FAFSA Form and Pell Grant Eligibility Updates
That date has not always held. When the Department of Education overhauled the form under the FAFSA Simplification Act, the 2024–25 and 2025–26 versions launched months late, in December and January respectively. Congress then passed the FAFSA Deadline Act, which requires the Department of Education to have the form fully operational by October 1 each year. The 2026–27 FAFSA met that mandate, launching in late September 2025 after a period of beta testing.
The form uses “prior-prior year” tax data, meaning your tax return from two years before the academic year. The 2026–27 FAFSA uses your 2024 tax return, and the 2027–28 FAFSA will use your 2025 return.3Federal Student Aid. Filling Out the FAFSA Form Your tax data is already on file with the IRS the moment the application opens, so there is nothing to wait for.
The Federal Submission Deadline
The final federal FAFSA deadline is June 30 at the end of the academic year’s award period. For 2026–27, that means 11:59 p.m. Central Time on June 30, 2027. If you still need to file the 2025–26 FAFSA, that deadline is June 30, 2026.1Federal Student Aid. FAFSA Application Deadlines
Treat that June date as a last resort, not a target. By late spring, virtually all state grant money and most college-based aid is gone. The only funding reliably available that late in the cycle is federal Direct Loans. If you want grants and work-study, file as close to October 1 as you can.
State Deadlines Come Much Earlier
State financial aid agencies set their own deadlines, and many are far earlier than the federal cutoff. Some states set firm dates in January, February, or March. Others operate on a first-come, first-served basis, awarding grants only until the pool runs dry, which can happen within weeks of the FAFSA opening.1Federal Student Aid. FAFSA Application Deadlines
For 2026–27, several states with first-come, first-served funding — including programs in Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, South Carolina, and Vermont — noted that awards continue only while funds exist, with no guaranteed end date. Other states set priority deadlines running from January through April, after which remaining applicants may receive reduced funding or none at all.
Look up your state’s specific deadline on the FAFSA deadlines page at studentaid.gov before you file. These dates change each year and vary widely, so last year’s schedule is not a safe reference.
College Priority Deadlines
Individual colleges set their own priority filing dates, separate from both the federal and state deadlines. These dates, typically in February or March, determine how the school distributes its own pool of grants, scholarships, and work-study slots. Missing a college’s priority date does not disqualify you from federal aid, but it can be the difference between receiving a generous institutional grant and receiving only loans.
Each school you are considering may have a different date, so check the financial aid section of every prospective school’s website. Institutional funds are limited, and many schools exhaust their budgets shortly after the priority date passes. If you are applying to multiple colleges, use the earliest priority deadline among them as your personal target for submitting the FAFSA.
What to Have Ready Before October 1
Filing on day one is only possible if your documents are already assembled. Gather these items in September so you can submit the form the week it opens.
FSA IDs for You and Any Contributors
You and each contributor to your FAFSA — typically a parent, if you are a dependent student — need a separate FSA ID, which serves as your legal electronic signature. Create these accounts at studentaid.gov before the application opens.4Federal Student Aid. Creating and Using the FSA ID Each person must create their own; a parent should never use the student’s FSA ID or vice versa. If a required contributor does not create an FSA ID and consent to having their federal tax information transferred from the IRS, you will lose eligibility for federal grants, subsidized loans, and work-study.5Federal Student Aid. 2026-27 FAFSA Form
Tax and Financial Records
The 2026–27 FAFSA uses your 2024 federal tax return. The 2027–28 form will use your 2025 return.3Federal Student Aid. Filling Out the FAFSA Form You will also need Social Security numbers for the student and contributors, records of any untaxed income (such as child support received or tax-exempt interest), and the current balance of savings accounts, investments, and other reportable assets.
Tax information transfers directly from the IRS into the form once each contributor gives consent, so in most cases you will not enter tax figures manually.6Federal Student Aid. Filling Out the FAFSA Form – Section: Providing Financial Information
School Codes
You can list up to 20 colleges on the FAFSA to receive your results.7Federal Student Aid. Select Colleges and Career Schools Look up each school’s federal code on the studentaid.gov search tool before you begin. Entering the wrong code, or forgetting a school entirely, means that institution will not receive your financial data and cannot build your aid package.
Immigration Documents, If Applicable
You do not need to be a U.S. citizen to file. Permanent residents with a green card (Form I-551), refugees, asylees, certain parolees, T-visa holders, and citizens of the Freely Associated States (the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau) may all qualify for federal aid. You will need your Alien Registration Number or arrival-departure record when you file.8Federal Student Aid. Eligibility for Non-U.S. Citizens Expired immigration documentation will block your eligibility until it is renewed, so check the dates before October 1.
You Have to Refile Every Year
Financial aid eligibility does not carry over from one academic year to the next. You need to submit a new FAFSA for every year you plan to attend school.9Federal Student Aid. Why Do I Need To Provide My Financial Information Every Year Each cycle uses a new tax year and reflects any changes in your family’s finances, enrollment status, or household size. Missing a renewal means losing all federal, state, and institutional aid for that period, even if you received a full package the year before. Set a calendar reminder for October 1 each year so you can refile the moment the new form goes live.